The purpose of sin ?

[Molearner]

In conjunction with repentance we should speak about humility. Obviously when one humbles himself it is an act of humility….recognizing your error and seeking forgiveness and Union with the Father….re the Prodigal son.

1 James 4:6….”God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble”. The rewards of grace ? Salvation, faith and love. A well known mystic observed that anyone that has had a genuine experience of God…that that could be perceived by his humbleness. Numbers 12:3 is a very interesting verse….”(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)”. Now that is a very bold and assertive statement. How can we understand that ? In a different post elsewhere I asked if there was any significance that Moses was the first and only man to literally break all of the 10 Commandments at once. No one responded. I would suggest that Moses faced a nightmare and realized that he had to humble himself like no other…..and no other to ever come. As a consequence Moses received the grace to see God and to directly speak with God…..

And back to humbleness: We should be aware and even skeptical of the proud who attempt to hammer us over the head with whatever message they bring…..

[BigJohn]

The purpose of sin ?

Once, there was no sin.
Acknowledging that we are not like our original, first ancestor when things 'began' puts in alignment to make the changes so we may gain what that couple forfeited.

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

The purpose of sin ?

Once, there was no sin.
Acknowledging that we are not like our original, first ancestor when things 'began' puts in alignment to make the changes so we may gain what that couple forfeited.

I understand.

But why place a Tree of Knowledge in a paradise in the first place?
Why not ban the so called devil/snake/ego/animal nature from your children in the first place,
thus, getting rid of the possibility of missing the mark...causing so much suffering?

I'm not saying this interests me much or that I don't have my own theory.
Just putting it out there for people that might wanna comment.

This is a profound and deep question being asked by the OP.
Good topic.

[Molearner]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

I understand.

But why place a Tree of Knowledge in a paradise in the first place?
Why not ban the so called devil/snake/ego/animal nature from your children in the first place,
thus, getting rid of the possibility of missing the mark...causing so much suffering?
.

Miss Hepburn,

I have waited and waited for someone to take a bite from the apple you provided us. No takers so far…..maybe that is good that they resist temptation?…..:). On the other hand ai have been watching a detective series on Netflix and cases are reinvestigated again and original suspects are cleared and the wrongfully convicted are freed from prison. In these cases someone yielded to the temptation to take a second look with good consequences.

Without knowledge of good and evil can there even be a comprehension or imagination of evil ? The mini version is the story of the Prodigal son……he did not appreciate what he had until he left his father. Without separation love is a difficult concept. There must be one that is loved and one that loves. The father wants to love but more than that he wishes for his offspring to experience the giving of love. We often observe that as we get older our parents seem to get wiser. This is appreciation and, yes, it is love. Freedom is earned and paying that price is what makes the journey worthwhile…….

[weareunity]

The ability to love is available to our species--( and may be available to other species also.) It seems though that choosing to exercise that ability is a personal choice--Imo it seems that it cannot be insisted upon, we cannot be forced to exercise that ability. So there is free will involved in the process of loving.

A consequence of this is that we can choose to behave/act in a manner which is not motivated by love.

It seems to me that "sin" is likely to result from behaving in a manner which is not motivated by love rather than from loving behaviour.

If this is so then the ability to be "sinful" is a consequence of having the free will which allows us to love.

That does not imo seem to be an intentional outcome, but an inevitable consequence.

There are of course consequences resulting from "sinful" acts/behaviour--just as there are consequences resulting from behaviour/acts motivated by love.

It is up to us to learn from such consequences.

It may be that such knowledge will come to play a part in the personal choice/s we each make when deciding to exercise our ability to act and behave motivated by love--or not.

Though the choice will remain personal, the consequences of our choice reach beyond the personal to the collective.

Eventually the sheer enormity of the accumulated consequences of our own making will play its own part in our choices.

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by Molearner

... Without separation love is a difficult concept.
There must be one that is loved and one that loves.
The father wants to love, but more than that he wishes for his offspring to experience the giving of love.

Did you read that everybody?
Bingo.

[Dan_SF]

Bingo ?
So miss delete, are you telling us, that a loving father, like God is, is throwing his son into hell, so that he learns how to love?

(P.S. looks like i have to ask stupid questions, as if i do not know it better)

And yes, im playing with the bird out of the nest analogy.
(For those who do not know, there is a anecdote of a bird being thrown out of its nest because it needed to learn to fly.)

[Miss Hepburn]

RE: by Molearner:
'' ... Without separation love is a difficult concept.
There must be one that is loved and one that loves.
The father wants to love, but more than that he wishes for his offspring to
experience the giving of love.''

Originally Posted by Dan_SF

Bingo ? ... are you telling us, that a loving father, like God is, is throwing his son
into hell, so that he learns how to love?

Nope. ..........

[Molearner]

It is the son that throws himself into hell(life) when he leaves the father. Read the prodigal son story again….the father did not expel the son….

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by Molearner

Read the prodigal son story again….

One of my favorites. Why?
It is a symbolic of how EASILY our Father, Creator, God, by any name - so quickly forgives and forgets...all He wants is his son (children ) back - to acknowledge Him and return to his embrace...Home.
He sees nothing else - none of the silly mistakes the son made.

Ha, and then you have the indignant onlookers, the other son ---Hey, why are you forgiving this guy so easily?
Shows how others have no idea how love works...or the nature of the Father's love, another way to say it. :)