The fall
A couple of things I thought about recently in my quest to intertwine the Bible with modern Science. Perhaps more accurate would be modern pseudo-science: the science of the spirit.
First, I've been pondering how a fruit can embue humans with the knowledge that they are naked. I don't know of any substance that can give us that kind of awareness. However, I think there is another explanation. What if, when the serpent said that eating the fruit would make a human like God, he meant by the introduction of a concience - or a spirit. In other words, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, it signified that humans were ready to receive a spirit. No, slightly different. When humans displayed free will, God had to give us a spirit to help guide us. He had to embue us with part of himself, to make us strong enough to hold off against the hard choices that The Accuser would present to us. It was not the fruit itself that gave Adam and Eve their souls; instead it was a consequence of the choice.
Second, it is often said that Satan was thrown from Heaven because he wished to be God. He wanted to be in control. That makes sense, but usually there is a spark issue. Much like the death of Archiduke Franz Ferdinand "caused" WWI, I believe there was a "cause" to Satan's excommunication from Heaven. I believe that cause was possession. There are a number of cases of demonic posession in the Bible, but no cases of heavenly possession. Granted, the Holy Spirit can fill us, and we can allow it to work through us, but it does not control us. However, demonic posession manifests itself with the demon in control of the body. Perhaps the mention in the Bible where the Sons of God married the Daughters of Men had something to do with humans that were being controlled by soon to be Demons. God probably forbade this practice and Satan and his followers rebelled. They enjoyed humanly pleasures, they enjoyed the power of controlling a physical body. They did not want to stop, so God threw them out of Heaven and banished them to roam the Earth that they worshiped so much.
posted by Tanton @ 9:37 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
While I see your point, I tend more toward the Miltontonian views of the fall. That Satan and his angels were envious of our relationship with God. They didn't think that we were worthy of the forgiveness and all-encompassing love that God bestowed on humanity. The angels sought to tempt us so that we would fall from grace and God would see his mistake in making and bestowing such grace upon humanity. God was enraged by this act of hubrious and threw the offending angles from heaven. I think that their acts of possession and temptation are made to further show God what weak and unworthy creatures we are. Satan has a very confused relatioship with God. That he both hates God and yearns for his grace at the same time. That we are caught in the middle of this and are used as pawns in Satan's war against God. Just a different viewpoint. It's good to have a new debate partner. And religon is one of my favorite subjects. So, I'll be here often, I'm sure. I'm a politics buff, too, so I'll be on your other spot as well. Glad we got back in touch. Love ya!
I think that God and Satan are much more human than most people make them out to be. I can definitely see the appeal of your approach, but I have a hard time reconciling it with Job and Satan as a "hired hand" whose job it is to tempt and accuse us. Either it's his God appointed position to tempt and accuse us or he got thrown out of heaven for doing it...can't be both.
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