Godless Girl

It’s time to get a little theological up in this piece. In Part 1 I described what it’s like to be separated from God after salvation occurs, and why being close to this deity is up to us weaklings, our work, and efforts.

But how did we get into this predicament in the first place? Where did the separation come from?

First, let’s talk about original sin and the sinful nature of humanity.

Rom. 5:12 [show] Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned-- (ESV)
, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Rom 5:12 [show] Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned-- (ESV)
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“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners” (Rom 5:19 [show] For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. (ESV)
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According to the Catholic encyclopedia:

…one man has transmitted to the whole human race not only the death of the body, which is the punishment of sin, but even sin itself, which is the death of the soul…

Well that sucks balls, doesn’t it. Sin is all one guy’s fault (or his wife’s fault, if you’re a fan of that route) according to the Creation myth. Speaking of which, without that myth, would the theology of original sin stand up? Where would the teaching come from? What about the assumption that we’re all born with the ability to sin (sinful nature)? Do non-literalists have a say in where this theology originates?

As far as I can yet understand, Catholics believe original sin can be cleansed during baptism and is not a sin in itself, but rather like kindling for the spreading flame of sin. For Protestants, this fall from grace is evil itself, a sin by its own nature.

The teachings of both Catholicism and Protestantism are clear: every human being is born this way no matter what we do, and the only way to fix it is through Christianity’s solutions: baptism or eventual perfection in heaven. Pretty sweet deal for the leadership, if you ask me. The church tells you you have a birth defect, and you have to follow their specific treatments to be healed.

So what about this separation?

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8 [show] There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (ESV)
: 37-39).

Nothing can separate us from God’s love except sin (Isaiah 59:1-2) . God is all powerful to save and bless humans (Jeremiah 32:17 [show] 'Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. (ESV)
), but he chooses not to because we offend him and go against a moral code (Jeremiah 5:25).  God is not a nice guy. He blames us for the way he chose us to be. He chose that Adam and Eve should sin, and he chose that all of that should pass on to us without our choice. He’s not good. He shuts his ears to the cries of his people (Ezekiel 39:23-24). Check out this devotional for a run-down of just how screwed we are.

This neglect and abandonment is, according to God himself, our own faults because we had the balls to be born and act in accordance with our natures. I say this: If we were created sinful (or–to be more palatable–with the capacity for sin) then it’s not our fault; it’s God’s fault. He has the power to make that reality go away, yet he doesn’t. He has the ability to be close to you at any time without your silly efforts and good deeds (aka filthy rags–Isaiah 64:6), and yet he stays away.
The story of humanity is this: God could, but he chooses not to.
That’s not love–that’s neglect at best and malevolence at its worst.

Sunday, April 26th, 2009, 12:39 pm   |   christianity, god  |  RSS feed |  Respond  |  Trackback