What is your short story or one sentence, Why Do You love God?

[Spice]

I guess in a way we have to define the word "innocence." If a person is said to be innocent, that usually means not guilty of doing some wrong. The serpent told Eve she would not die. But she would die if she did what God told her not to do. She was guilty in God's eyes when she did what she was told not to do. As far as her guilt on the day she ate from the tree, yes, she was guilty on that day. And from that moment forward. Now how do you feel that the serpent told the truth to Eve?

Their being did not die on that day, though their innocence did then and there.

 

[YoursTrue]

Their being did not die on that day, though their innocence did then and there.

They were certainly guilty on that day of disobeying the God who created them.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

Their being did not die on that day, though their innocence did then and there.

Are you a Young Earth Creationist?
If so, i understand your reluctance to accept that yohm / day can mean an unspecified period of time.
However, to us, God’s statement that “in the day you eat from it, you will die”, is evidence that “yohm” / “day” doesn’t necessarily mean a literal 24 hours.
Adam died over 900 yrs later.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

Their being did not die on that day, though their innocence did then and there.

If you’ll note the account, Eve’s innocence didn’t die as soon as she ate it. It was only later when she was with her husband, that she realized what she had done.

 

[Spice]

Are you a Young Earth Creationist?
If so, i understand your reluctance to accept it.
However, to us, God’s statement that “in the day you eat from it, you will die”, is evidence that “yohm” / “day” doesn’t necessarily mean a literal 24 hours.
Adam died over 900 yrs later.

Or, it didn't mean their "being" would die, as you noted it did not, but their innocence most definitely did.

And no, I'm not a YEC by any means. And I don't take this story in any literal sense, at all. But metaphorically I don't think the length of the "day" is as important as what was to "die" if the fruit was eaten, and how the serpent used their naivety.

 

[Spice]

If you’ll note the account, Eve’s innocence didn’t die as soon as she ate it. It was only later when she was with her husband, that she realized what she had done.

Again, I don't take the story literally, so the details of timeline are not relevant to "the moral of the story" IMO.

 

[YoursTrue]

Again, I don't take the story literally, so the details of timeline are not relevant to "the moral of the story" IMO.

I'd like to go over the account again. That would be in Genesis chapters 2 & 3. First God gave the command to Adam (I quote from the Berean Standard Bible, chapter 2, verses 15-17 to begin with
"Then the LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it.
16And the LORD God commanded him, “You may eat freely from every tree of the garden, 17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”
So first the command was given to Adam, and God told him not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, because when he does, he will surely (definitely) die. So that seems to be a pretty clear command to me.
How do you feel about the command so far to Adam? (Before we go into Eve's participation in this.)

 

[walt]

The Bible also explains several days as "the day" at (Genesis 2:4)
These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that Yahweh God made earth and heaven.
--Legacy Standard Bible
Genesis 2:4 - Man and Woman in the Garden

Day 1: God made light reach earth’s surface, resulting in night-and-day cycles.
Day 2: God formed an expanse, or a division between water on earth’s surface and water high above its surface. The sky and the sea.
Day 3: God made dry land appear. He also created the vegetation.
Day 4: God made the sun, moon, and stars visible as distinct luminaries from the earth’s surface.
Day 5: God created aquatic life and flying creatures.
Day 6: God created land animals and humans.

For a thousand years are in your eyes just as yesterday when it is past, Just as a watch during the night. --Psalm 90:4

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing: that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. --2 Pet. 3:8 KJ

In addition, on the first creative day, “God began calling the light Day, but the darkness he called Night.” (Genesis 1:5) Here, only a portion of a 24-hour period is defined by the term “day.” Certainly, there is no basis in Scripture for stating that each creative day was 24 hours long.

The fact is that the Hebrew word translated “day” can mean various lengths of time, not just a 24-hour period. For example, when summarizing God’s creative work, Moses refers to Several creative days as one day. (Genesis 2:4).

 

[Spice]

I'd like to go over the account again. That would be in Genesis chapters 2 & 3. First God gave the command to Adam (I quote from the Berean Standard Bible, chapter 2, verses 15-17 to begin with
"Then the LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it.
16And the LORD God commanded him, “You may eat freely from every tree of the garden, 17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”
So first the command was given to Adam, and God told him not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, because when he does, he will surely (definitely) die. So that seems to be a pretty clear command to me.
How do you feel about the command so far to Adam? (Before we go into Eve's participation in this.)

I know the story quite well and can find it easily enough should I wish to "read it by the letter" which I don't. I get more from scripture when reading by "the spirit."

But I will definitely give you create for pointing it out that it was Adam alone that was given the command not to eat of the fruit. That let's Eve off the hook because apparently he didn't pass on the message.

 

[YoursTrue]

I know the story quite well and can find it easily enough should I wish to "read it by the letter" which I don't. I get more from scripture when reading by "the spirit."

But I will definitely give you create for pointing it out that it was Adam alone that was given the command not to eat of the fruit. That let's Eve off the hook because apparently he didn't pass on the message.

Adam obviously must have told Eve, since she knew when she told the serpent. Realizing you don't take it literally, nevertheless that's what it says, so if we can't agree there, well then I guess we can't agree. (She knew what God said, I'm a bit surprised at your answer.)
I quoted first from chapter 2 of Genesis, hoping you would understand or follow along -- but now I'll mention the discussion in chapter 3, where Eve speaks to the serpent about what she knew.
"Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’ ”
2The woman answered the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden, 3but about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You must not eat of it or touch it, or you will die.’ ”
What do you make of that? Did Eve know what God said, or did she not, in your opinion of course.

 

[YoursTrue]

I know the story quite well and can find it easily enough should I wish to "read it by the letter" which I don't. I get more from scripture when reading by "the spirit."

But I will definitely give you create for pointing it out that it was Adam alone that was given the command not to eat of the fruit. That let's Eve off the hook because apparently he didn't pass on the message.

P.S. to @Spice we know, from reading the scriptures, that Eve knew God's command, right? Because she told it to the serpent, so she knew. it seems somehow not reading the actual words but trying to remember or, as you said reading it by "spirit" instead may not always be the best way to recall things. Have a nice day, and thanks for your reply, and I know sometimes it's hard to remember accurately. I like to make sure. We all make mistakes. God's "spirit" does not, though.

 

[Spice]

P.S. to @Spice we know, from reading the scriptures, that Eve knew God's command, right? Because she told it to the serpent, so she knew. it seems somehow not reading the actual words but trying to remember or, as you said reading it by "spirit" instead may not always be the best way to recall things. Have a nice day, and thanks for your reply, and I know sometimes it's hard to remember accurately. I like to make sure. We all make mistakes. God's "spirit" does not, though.

I have had company all afternoon and just got a call to sub tonight's class, so I'm afraid RF must go on a back burner as I don't have time nor energy to "debate" scripture wording.
Read on in peace -- gotta go.
Namaste

 

[walt]

I have had company all afternoon and just got a call to sub tonight's class, so I'm afraid RF must go on a back burner as I don't have time nor energy to "debate" scripture wording.
Read on in peace -- gotta go.
Namaste

We believe differently on some subjects, I think both of us care deeply about doing what we feel is the right thing. I extend to you kindness and love, to you and your family..

 

[YoursTrue]

I have had company all afternoon and just got a call to sub tonight's class, so I'm afraid RF must go on a back burner as I don't have time nor energy to "debate" scripture wording.
Read on in peace -- gotta go.
Namaste

No problem. But this is not really a "debate" to go into what the scriptures say. Anyway, thank you for responding.

 

[walt]

A wise teacher once brought balloons to school, told her pupils to blow them up and write their name on one. After the children tossed their balloons into the hall, the teacher moved through the hall mixing them all up. The kids were given five minutes to find the balloon with their name on it, but though they searched frantically, no one found their own balloon.

Then the teacher told them to take the balloon closest to them and give it to the person whose name was on it. In less than two minutes, everyone was holding their own balloon.

The teacher said to the children, “These balloons are like happiness. We won’t find it when we’re only searching for our own. But if we care about someone else’s happiness ... it will ultimately help us find our own.”

 

[Hockeycowboy]

Again, I don't take the story literally, so the details of timeline are not relevant to "the moral of the story" IMO.

Sorry for not replying quickly…. I’ve got a lot going on.


I know that even many religious ones, while believing the Bible is Divine, don’t accept the A&E account as literal.

But at Matthew 19:4-6, we can see that Jesus did.
Plus, Luke’s genealogical account in chapter 3, has genuine historical people, like King David, in a descendant line from Adam.
An allegorical person would not make any sense.

@walt , @YoursTrue , and I are JW’s.
So we accept the Bible as God’s Word. Truthful and consistent.

That said, we don’t take it as all literal….

Believing that A&E were genuine historical people created a few millennia ago, has no bearing on the Age of the Earth.

One has no effect on the other.


Take care, my cousin.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

Their being did not die on that day, though their innocence did then and there.

Well see, here’s the thing:
If I told you that if you (…. insert action here….) then you’re gonna die today, and that’s all I said, without any further explanation, how would you think I meant that? (I’d also be assuming that you knew what death was, right?)

Keep in mind…
That is all God said!

If indeed God meant that A&E would ‘lose innocence’, would they know what that entailed? Were they acquainted with such a concept? There’s no evidence of that.

But what death would they have been familiar with? Only one, that is logical: the death of the animals.
That’s why God didn’t have to explain Himself. A&E had observed the animals dying, so they knew what God meant.

Otherwise, God is a liar by omission; but we know God can’t lie.

This fact, ie., lack of explanation, along with what other Scriptures confirm about the condition of the dead, also reveals an unpopular and generally unaccepted truth about death, which we as JW’s believe: that when humans die, we are just like the animals at their death (Ecclesiastes 3:19,20)….. we become nonexistent. Please read Genesis 3:19,20, Ecclesiastes 9:5, & Psalm 146:3,4.

[This puts the lie to ECT (Eternal Conscious Torment), doesn’t it? Why didn’t God tell them that, if it were true?]


The only difference - and this is a big difference - is that humans are promised a Resurrection, which is God’s means of restoring our life at His appointed time. — Acts 24:15; John 5:28,29; John 6:40.

We’d - walt, YoursTrue, or I - be glad to try and answer any questions you may have.

Have a good day.

(If I went off-topic, sorry.)

 

[walt]

Is the Bible Open to Just Any Interpretation?

What if each scripture contained valuable information? What if we let the scriptures direct our thinking to form our interpretation?

Maybe someone has a little example of how, the more scriptures you read, the more complete an interpretation becomes?

 

[Spice]

Is the Bible Open to Just Any Interpretation?

What if each scripture contained valuable information? What if we let the scriptures direct our thinking to form our interpretation?

Maybe someone has a little example of how, the more scriptures you read, the more complete an interpretation becomes?

The Bible is open to thoughtful, moving interpretation. It should be read and studied in self-awareness and honesty.

One of the biggest "clarities" came to me when I learned the meaning of the times of the word "salt." Wisdom. Applied to the people as "the salt of the earth." The wise ones to preserve the history and traditions of the Abrahamic peoples.

Now take that definition to the story of Lot's wife and think -- why a pillar of salt?

 

[walt]

The Bible is open to thoughtful, moving interpretation. It should be read and studied in self-awareness and honesty.

One of the biggest "clarities" came to me when I learned the meaning of the times of the word "salt." Wisdom. Applied to the people as "the salt of the earth." The wise ones to preserve the history and traditions of the Abrahamic peoples.

Now take that definition to the story of Lot's wife and think -- why a pillar of salt?

I agree with you, salt also has the meaning of "wisdom", but in the case of Lot's wife, did she turn into a pillar of wisdom for disobedience? Was she being punished for not listening to the words of the Angels, from God? Did God punish others severely for disobedience? In the time The Book of Genesis was written was God demanding obedience?

You have selected a good example of words having multiple meanings. you're right most any word, could have several meanings!
Thank You