Two Very Different Views of and Responses to Good and Evil

In my earlier email “Good Parents or Warriors Fighting a Cosmic Battle?” I pointed out that my church had taught me this:

The story of The Garden of Eden

is about a cosmic battle between God and Satan.

The ancient Hebrew text teaches something very different:

The story about two people

who did what a talking snake told them instead of doing TOV!

The events in the Garden in Eden, when viewed in the context of the first two stories in Genesis, reveal the two extremes of human actions. Read the rest of the story at --

https://mailchi.mp/94e48a0a72f7/two-very-different-views-of-and-responses-to-good-and-evil

Creating Evil, Facing Yahweh Afterwards, and Going to Work!

In the last episode of the story of the Garden in Eden, Adam and Eve didn’t have a chance when they faced a “weaponized meme attack” by a snake Yahweh created and Adam named. The snake had existed and known Adam longer than Eve. As we saw, the ancient author announced the encounter with the snake as:

Humans vs. Wild Animal!

Which will be the most Subtle, Shrewd, Clever, Crafty or Cunning?

● In order for Adam and Eve to win they must work together in harmony as Co-Shepherds protecting each other’s lives.

● For the snake to win, it must persuade the humans to believe what it says, instead of what Yahweh commanded.

Will the humans reflect the image of God or the image of an animal?

Will the actions of the humans be TOV or RAH?

Read the complete story at --

https://mailchi.mp/051e88043da5/creating-evil-facing-yahweh-afterwards-and-going-to-work

Eve: Attacked by a Snake, not a Devil, and Destroyed by Theologians

What do most Christians think of when they hear the name “Eve”? “. . . she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband . . .” That’s it! One reason is because of what Tertullian wrote about her and you if you are a woman – “you are (each) an Eve . . . you are the devil’s gateway . . . you destroyed God’s image. Continue reading at -

https://mailchi.mp/daccca205f01/eve-attacked-by-a-snake-not-a-devil-and-destroyed-by-theologians

How to Create a Perfect Life and Society!

The Creator gave the humans a plan for living perfect lives. If the humans had been a sports team, they were given a game plan for how to play a perfect game of life. Continue reading at - https://mailchi.mp/f55430b7708b/how-to-create-a-perfect-life-and-society

A Man, Woman and Walking Talking Religious Snake

For Christians, this is one of the most important stories in the entire Bible. It is extremely important for readers to accurately understand what this verse meant to its ancient author. For members of the ancient audience the verses were like a headline:

Which will be the most subtle, shrewd, clever, crafty, and cunning:

Two Humans Acting Together or One Lone Snake?

Continue reading at --

https://mailchi.mp/5d62ae0204aa/a-man-woman-and-walking-talking-religious-snake

Some Things You Probably Don’t Know About Adam But Should

In the last email, we left the newly created man (I will now call him “Adam”) standing in a garden in Eden alone – the garden of the god Yahweh. Adam is surrounded by trees that produce beautiful and appealing fruit. But, even though its fruit is beautiful too, Yahweh commanded Adam to not eat from one tree. The penalty for eating the forbidden fruit is death! Continue reading at --

https://mailchi.mp/5f3101ab4cae/some-things-you-probably-dont-know-about-adam-but-should

Treasures Most Bible Readers Cannot See

The Bible opens with two polar opposite stories about the creation of humans – but I could not see that for a very long time. I had been taught to read my Bible from an “authority first” perspective. “Authority first” is a very “religious” way of reading the Bible and in my religion it meant – submit, comply, obey and don’t question authority! For us, God was the highest authority of all and the leaders of our religion were God’s authorized agents, therefore “good Christians” were supposed to submit, comply, obey and not question God’s authorized agents either!!! Continue reading at --

https://mailchi.mp/829b03726b74/treasures-most-bible-readers-cannot-see

Human Life: Infinitely Precious or Like Spoiled Meat?

The exclusive distinction, “in the image of God,” reveals that all humans share a common origin that sets them apart from all other forms of life – human life is at the top of that divinely ordained moral order of the universe in the first chapter of Genesis. But just five chapters later we discover something very different. Continue reading at -

https://mailchi.mp/dbfe33834944/human-life-infinitely-precious-or-like-spoiled-meat