Posted by Gabbix2 on September 14, 2005, at 18:30:30
In reply to Re: Adam Eve gained knowledge, but it turned, posted by Nickengland on September 14, 2005, at 17:49:59
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> They were then both punished by God, women would have to endure painful child birth if I remember correctly and man would have to work and sweat and because he was made from the soil he would become soil again.
>Yes that's true, but theme of woman being the temptress is throughout the Bible, the story of Lot
the story, of Samson and Delilah. It is the reasoning behind the dictate that women be subservient to their husband.
> Thats very brief, but when I look at the individual aspects of the story I draw a simple conclusion...
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> If you are tricked, or you give into temptation that you now have the knowledge to know it is the wrong kind of temptation ~ the moral is in some way or another don't do it or you will be punished, basically.
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> Its like if you play with fire, (in the story it uses the devil/serpent), its basically saying you will get burnt.
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> You can relate that to modern day life, if you get invovled with bad things, when you've been warned they're bad or you know they are bad ~ the outcome was usually not so good ~ but wisdom you gained was at least not to do it again or something along those lines..
>Exactly that is also part of the symbolism of the snake. Joseph Cambell calls it the Hero's
Journey, again the theme is universal, from fairy tales, to Sumerian writings, mythology and the Bible, to Star wars (to name only a few)The hero generally enters an arduous journey..
or an underworld, and when they return they have lost an innocence, but found strength and knowledge.. Example - Jason and the Golden Fleece, Odysseus, Jonah and the Whale, Little Red Riding hood (I kid you not) She entered the forest as an innocent girl, slays the wolf, and exits as a heroine..I think that's why these stories are so important, and have been repeated throughout history and in different cultures.
We do learn from them, and they contain universal human truths no matter what your personal belief system is.
> I'm not a Christian though so to speak, so my conclusion of the story is just my way of looking at it. Although I do hold beliefs/principles from Christianity - all the best ones I hope!
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Neither am I, and I too value many principles of Christianity, and think that we'd probably do well to follow what Jesus taught, and the 10 commandments. I just don't think these principles are less worthy when they are espoused from a different religion, as they often are.
(And no, I didn't think that's what you were saying Nick, that was just my own little comment on the end) : )
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poster:Gabbix2
thread:553832
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20050909/msgs/555086.html