Poor old Adam

[Busby]

Today is Ascension, so like all good people I started my day off with thoughts of goodness and mercy. Quite early actually because I went to bed at 22.00 and fell asleep immediately. Which means I had plenty of time for philosophical meanderings this morning.
Adam came into my mind. Poor soul. It's comforting to know that G.Bernard Shaw also had sympathy with him when he wrote Back to Methusulah really understanding Adam's lot.
Firstly I tried to imagine Adam as he was after God put him into the garden. As we know people are much taller now than all those centuries ago, so let's say he would be about 1.5 metres tall. He wouldn't be very heavy because he spent his time tilling the ground and eating only vegetables and some fruit. Let's say 60kg. Maybe of course I'm wrong and he was like a Greek god, Golden-haired, clean-shaven, 2 metres tall and only muscle at 140kg. Maybe tilling gets this sort of result. We know he had no nipples or belly button as he wasn't born of woman but we must ask the question about his genitals - were they formed as we know them or had he just a small outlet ( a sort of tap) to let out the vegetable juices. (As he had to till, we can assume that there was no milk and honey laid on).
If he had hair and a beard what did he look like after say 500 years. I mean he had no scissors, no knives. Did he have to get the local goats to chew the ends off? There was no metal at all- that's important to know. How did he make a fire? Did he know about rubbing two sticks together? From these simple facts we can assume that he ate all of his veggies raw. This of course after a few hundred years must have led him to the verge of depression. It would also interest me to know with what he tilled the ground - he had no garden fork, no plough, no shovel. Forming these tools out of wood would have been very difficult - he could only use a sharp-edged stone (as far as I can see). I personally doubt if there would be such stones in the Garden of Eden and if he started to bash two stones together this could be looked upon as vandalism.
Anyway the moment came when God decided to put him to the test. He's going to have the choice of tilling the same piece of ground for the next million years or facing a moral challenge - something which Adam knew nothing about of course. It's difficult to know the processes and procedures set up in order to bring abou moral challenges in Adam's life but presumably Adam suddenly found himself with testacles and a functioning sexual system. Then, presumably God ripped out one of his ribs and working a bit of magic turned this piece of bone into Eve, the world's first woman and as she was made out of Adam's flesh she knew her place from the start.
As we also know they ran around naked, maybe, but we don't know this, Eve also had a small plot of land to till - they had to be kept busy somehow.
Anyway, there came a moment, a couple of centuries had maybe gone by, whan they suddenly realised that they were naked. This was mortifying and caused both of them to snatch at fig leaves which were just big enough to cover those things we don't want to mention sometimes.

As we know one thing led to another (don't imagine the apple as being one of those big rosy things we eat today , then, before science came on the scene apples were dried out things about the size of nutmegs)-

Because of all this we can celebrate Ascension today and we can remember the GoE as something we can all be thankful for.

Thanks Adam. Eve as we know was a naughty girl - everything would be different today if she hadn't sinned. Poor old Adam.

[Baile]

I would guess the same % of human beings who believe in unicorns, believe the Adam and Eve story to be something other than a metaphorical narrative. Next up: gag piece about all those silly people who still write notes and letters using a typewriter.

The fact you even knew it was Ascension (I didn't), and that you find these Biblical stories worth discussing at all, even as a joke (and you do spend all your time in these religion forums), tells me you have some kind of real and meaningful (karmic perhaps) connection to all this. You might want to consider approaching these topics from an authentic spiritual-exploratory POV. Seek to discover what these metaphorical narratives might be communicating regarding the human condition; truths pertaining to existence itself. Cynicism is fun, gives us all a laugh, but it resolves nothing; whereas discerning understanding accomplishes everything as it leads to real wisdom.

[shoni7510]

The story of Adam and Eve is just that, a story, not literal but I did not get how we must think of Adam on ascention day. Anyway, happy ascention day.

[Baile]

Originally Posted by shoni7510

I did not get how we must think of Adam on ascention day.

Esoteric Christian philosophy identifies Jesus as Adam. And Mary as Eve. Jesus is referred to as the new Adam. As above, so below: the Mary and Jesus narrative is a spiritual mirroring -- the inverse re-telling -- of the Adam and Eve metaphor. Eve born of Adam in an asexual act; and Jesus born of Mary in the same way.

[Busby]

Originally Posted by Baile

I would guess the same % of human beings who believe in unicorns, believe the Adam and Eve story to be something other than a metaphorical narrative. Next up: gag piece about all those silly people who still write notes and letters using a typewriter.

The fact you even knew it was Ascension (I didn't), and that you find these Biblical stories worth discussing at all, even as a joke (and you do spend all your time in these religion forums), tells me you have some kind of real and meaningful (karmic perhaps) connection to all this. You might want to consider approaching these topics from an authentic spiritual-exploratory POV. Seek to discover what these metaphorical narratives might be communicating regarding the human condition; truths pertaining to existence itself. Cynicism is fun, gives us all a laugh, but it resolves nothing; whereas discerning understanding accomplishes everything as it leads to real wisdom.

Knowing it was Ascension day is/was actually due to the fact that quite a few countries in Europe have this day as a holiday. All shops shut, no trucks on the roads, no this and no that. In addition, being a Thursday allows a nice long week-end. Yes, I like to spend my time reading inputs from forum members on religious themes. Probably this has to do with my intensive connection as a child to Jehova's Witnesses - people who, like us all, gaze upon the universe in wonder. As far as your suggestion of a meaningful connection to all this, sure. I can see the red thread stretching way back through my life. I think I have told you before that I have been lucky enough to have experienced some remarkable things, of which I'd like to speak but I'm not prepared to 'expose' myself to those who jump on the next bandwagon. I'm not referring to your goodself of course. Your contributions bring this forum a sense of merit. I see that all is not lost.
I'm not really a cynical or sarcastic person but I do like to point out in my own way that the wood cannot be seen for the trees.

[shoni7510]

Originally Posted by Baile

Esoteric Christian philosophy identifies Jesus as Adam. And Mary as Eve. Jesus is referred to as the new Adam. As above, so below: the Mary and Jesus narrative is a spiritual mirroring -- the inverse re-telling -- of the Adam and Eve metaphor. Eve born of Adam in an asexual act; and Jesus born of Mary in the same way.

Yes! I know about Jesus being Adam and Mary being Eve but the OP did not make the links at all that is whay I was asking for clarity. Thanks!

[Baile]

Originally Posted by shoni7510

Yes! I know about Jesus being Adam and Mary being Eve but the OP did not make the links at all that is whay I was asking for clarity. Thanks!

I understood that, I was confirming what you added to the dialogue.

[Baile]

Originally Posted by Busby

I do like to point out in my own way that the wood cannot be seen for the trees.

Okay fair enough, as do I. And in your own way... I hear you there.