If you are not religious why do you believe this? Can't you recognize a scam when you see it?
Christianity wants you to accept the free gift but in order to accept it you have to admit you are a sinner.
Romans 5 KJV
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
As a Baha’i I do not believe that Adam and Eve were real people or that there was a Garden of Eden in which they lived. I believe it was a story with metaphorical meanings.
“We must reflect a little: if the literal meaning of this story were attributed to a wise man, certainly all would logically deny that this arrangement, this invention, could have emanated from an intelligent being. Therefore, this story of Adam and Eve who ate from the tree, and their expulsion from Paradise, must be thought of simply as a symbol. It contains divine mysteries and universal meanings, and it is capable of marvelous explanations. Only those who are initiated into mysteries, and those who are near the Court of the All-Powerful, are aware of these secrets. Hence these verses of the Bible have numerous meanings.”
Some Answered Questions, p. 123
To read the entire chapter:
30: ADAM AND EVE
Baha’is do not believe in
original sin, that sin was inherited from Adam and Eve, so there is no need for redemption from
original sin. Baha’is believe that man was born good but has a lower material nature that has the propensity to sin. One possible meaning of the serpent in the Adam and Eve story is attachment to the human world, or the material world, as opposed to God and the spiritual world. When Adam was born and entered the human world, He came out from the paradise of freedom and fell into the world of bondage. From the spiritual world, in the height of purity and absolute goodness, He entered into the world of good and evil... This
attachment to the human world, which is sin, was inherited by the descendants of Adam, and is the serpent which is always in our midst and continues and endures... It is because of this
attachment that men have been deprived of essential spirituality and their exalted position.
Of corse you are welcome to believe that Adam and Eve is some metaphorical meaning.
And that original sin does not exist.
But again, from the Bible's point of view, Adam and Eve did exist, and they died, and their ages were even recorded.
Their children were recorded etc.
Now what metaphorical meaning can this have, except that Adam and Eve lived, they died being over 800 years of age, they had children, and their names were recorded.
Please answer the above if possible.
Secondly, if you do not believe in original sin, it would mean that you MUST accept that the whole Universe is without corruption.
This includes death, pain, disease, suffering...because why would your god create you in this sorrowfull state?
if you say you were born without sin, tell me why did you aged every second after you were born.
Tell me why you are busy dying?
The only reason why you are ageing and dying, is because your natural existance is not perfect, but determined to die!
If you were perfect in your Natural existance, you will be immortal, but you are not.
Now, this is where the Gospel is different than all other religions.
It promises "Eternal Life" by changeing your sinfull Natural existance into one that is perfect that does not deteriorate.
You see, this is the difference between Jesus who gives eternal life, and all the orher religions that presumes there will be a ressurection, where we will raise as we were alive on Earth.
The Gospel is clear, you will when accepting Jesus as your saviour, and ask forgiveness to Him, receive a new spiritual covering.
One which is able to stand before God.
those that do not have this covering, will in their Natural and spiritual nature keep on burning, wherever they are in life hereafter, because God is omnipresent, and your sinfull nature will keep on burning.
This was why God created a place removed from the rest which is called hell, where all these souls in torment will be collected.
far enough removed to not be seen by the souls who chose God as their friend.
To end off, if it was not for the Bible's literal interperetation, Newton would have never developed his scientific models, and the Western world would never achieved the scientific results we have today.
Therefore, to say the Bible must be interpereted metaphorically, is an error.
that our Prophets, God, Messengers are a scam.
