Sin: Original and

Not-So-Original

In one of my other little treatises I talked about hell.

Here's something very much related: sin.

Having had a lot of experience in this area, it's a subject I can talk about with some authority.

When I was young —— many, many years ago —— I made a lot of mistakes.

Often, it was quickly evident to me that I had screwed up.

I hurt myself; I hurt someone else.

If it wasn't evident the first time I screwed up (sinned), it was obvious after I did it a few more times with the same results. 

Sometimes it takes a while to catch on to these things.

If I hurt someone else, they didn't much like me after that, so that hurt me.

After a while I would come to the conclusion that whatever it was I did wasn't a good thing.

I didn't like the consequences.

Fortunately for me, it didn't take the mentality of a rocket scientist to figure this out.

So then I left those particular mistakes behind and went on to make more sophisticated mistakes...

...and to learn from them.

Although I still have much to learn, at least I don't make the same stupid mistakes I once did.

If you are still with me on this, you can see that the mistakes (sins) were necessary in order to learn not to do them.

They were part of the learning process.

Some things I even learned from watching others screw up. 

I was thankful for that; less pain for me.

Okay, let's go on to bigger issues, those so-called "sins against God."

I ask you, what kind of a god is so vulnerable, so insecure that our puny failures can hurt him...

...and make him angry and vengeful toward us...

...with a need to punish us big time?

I have a problem with that.

Sure, I can see where a loving God would prefer that we don't screw up; don't hurt ourselves or others.

Just as any good parent would.

But, no matter how much we caution our children, no parent is so naive as to assume that they won't make mistakes.

We can only hope that they won't make too many...

...they won't get hurt too much...

...and they will quickly learn from their mistakes.

Fact is, it's part of the growing-up process.

And, come to think  of it...

...in order to grow  up, we have to be in a situation that allows us to screw up (sin) so that growth will be possible (spiritual growth, if you will).

To realize that goal the full consequences of our actions must be possible, as unpleasant as they may be at times.

As far as I can tell, that's called life.

Have we all fallen short of perfection?

No argument there.

Do we need to be "saved" from that imperfection?

Well, think about it...

...in this very imperfect world where mistakes seem to be a prerequisite to learning...and even spiritual growth...

...would you insist that your children, your spouse, or anyone you truly love, attain a state of perfection before you allowed them in the house?

I didn't think so.

Okay, you say, they just have to be forgiven for their errors (sins).

Let's consider that.

If you forgive your children or someone you love for their errors (sins) and allow them in the house...

...are you so naive as to assume they will thereafter automatically be incapable of making any more mistakes?

I didn't think so.

Oh, you say, once we are "invited in"...

...it won't be possible to make any more mistakes?

Okay, if that's the way it's supposed to be...

...why didn't things start out that way in the first place?

Then we could have avoided the whole sin issue from the very start?

Oh, you say, "that's just not the way it is...

...although I can't explain it...

...it's just that God doesn't want us to know the answers or else He would have told us."

Really?

So, why were we given this wondrous mind?

Kinda make you think, doesn't it...

...assuming that it's not a sin to think about these things...

...arrive at our own answers...

...ones that make sense...

...in this universe clearly based on logical and synergistic perfection.