The story in Genesis of the “Fall of Man” is a story of magical fruit. There is the fruit of the “Tree of Life” and the fruit of the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.” Both fruits together would make people like God by giving them both knowledge and life, as odd as this is, there is something more curious about this tale.
After Adam and Eve ate of the Tree of Knowledge, they were kicked out of Eden so they wouldn’t have access to the Tree of Life. Their death sentence for eating one magical fruit was carried out by being deprived of another magical fruit. According to this logic, if Adam and Eve had simply stopped eating the fruit from the Tree of Life then they would have still died, even if they had maintained their innocence.
If this story is true, then it is obvious that God knew that the intelligent beings he had created would have chosen knowledge over dogma (do not eat this fruit) so he built their mortality in to the system and allowed them temporary access to the medicine that would keep them from succumbing to their design as long as they blindly followed the dogma.
Talk about sick and twisted.
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So why do you keep talking about this? Are you so passionate about exposing the delusion about God that you want all to be free from the deception? That is quite a Gospel you bear. Now, how do you intend to spread this Gospel? Who is the authority upon which this Gospel will win over others?
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One of Mormonisms favorite stories includes "The Tree of Life" and an "iron rod" leading to the "desireable fruit" of the tree. In the story, many people fall away into mists of darkness, or join so called "mocking people" in a "large and spacious" building. The people who make it to the tree find the fruit so good they want their family members to taste it.
I think people are often passionate about what they think tastes good to them and might be helpful to others they care about. Just like in the Mormon "Tree of Life" story, most religions include analogies and stories about what they think constitutes deception and delusion (anything different than their own dogma).
I for one have faith in reason: Confidence that, in the long run, one's own higher interests and those of humankind at large will be best served by giving the freest play to reason, by encouraging people to come to their own conclusions by developing their own rational faculties; faith that, with proper encouragement and cultivation, people can learn to think for themselves, to form rational viewpoints, draw reasonable conclusions, think coherently and logically, persuade each other by reason and become reasonable persons, despite the deep-seated obstacles in the native character of the human mind and in society as we know it.
In the Mormon hypnotizing temple ritual, the Mormon god places "cherubim and a flaming sword to keep the way to the tree of life," so that Adam & Eve and their kids would not "live forever in their sins."
Moses 4:31; cf. Genesis 3:24)
"So I drove out the man, and I placed at the east of the Garden of Eden, cherubim and a flaming sword, which turned every way to keep the way to the tree of life."
In the Book of Mormon story, the Nephi character explains his and his father's so called vision to his rebelious brothers, Laman and Lemuel:
"And I said unto them that it was an awful gulf, which separated the wicked from the tree of life, and also from the saints of God….And I said unto them that our father also saw that the justice of God did also divide the wicked from the righteous; and the brightness thereof was like unto the brightness of a flaming fire, which ascendeth up unto God forever and ever, and hath no end. (1 Nephi 15:28, 30)
Combining Nephi’s descriptions of his (and Lehi’s) vision of the Tree of Life, we have "the justice of God" represented as both a sword and a flaming fire — combined, a flaming sword — and in both cases keeping the Tree of Life from those who, according to Mormon dogma supposedly "choose the world" (the so called "great and spacious building") instead of coming to the Tree of Life on the Mormon god’s terms.
When I served as Bishop in the Mormon hierarchy, the stake president told me that a Mormon Bishop serves as "the flaming sword" to keep the way to the Mormon temple by qualifying the "worthiness" of members to receive a temple recommend. Mormon dogma dictates that the only way back to their god, and to stay married after death, and even be able to see or associate with your kids and family is by the Mormon temple rituals, as authorized by church leaders with so called "priesthood keys."
Do you have faith, or does faith have you?
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David presented a lot of questions, so I'll address each one individually.
So why do you keep talking about this?
1. For 23 years I blindly accepted that the myths and legends in the Bible were actual scientific and historical facts. Now I do for others that which I wish someone had done for me.
2. Last time I checked people were trying to get these myths into public school curriculums (in Texas they succeeded) and they're out trying to convince people of their truth. Since it's out in the public square it's fair game.
Are you so passionate about exposing the delusion about God that you want all to be free from the deception?
Ah, a world were people are free of deception and delusions…one can only dream.
That is quite a Gospel you bear. Now, how do you intend to spread this Gospel?
For now I have the blog. I'm going to start writing a book soon. Only time will tell what comes after that. Fortunately I'm not alone.
Who is the authority upon which this Gospel will win over others?
Who? You have it backwards. Critical thinking frees people from their delusional and deceptive authorities.
One follow up question. Why were you're questions focused on intent and motive rather than the content of the post?
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So why do you keep talking about this? Are you so passionate about exposing the delusion about God that you want all to be free from the deception? That is quite a Gospel you bear. Now, how do you intend to spread this Gospel? Who is the authority upon which this Gospel will win over others?
Permalink
So why do you keep talking about this? Are you so passionate about exposing the delusion about God that you want all to be free from the deception? That is quite a Gospel you bear. Now, how do you intend to spread this Gospel? Who is the authority upon which this Gospel will win over others?