The Fall – Then
What is revealed about human nature?
In Christianity, such a notion as human nature has two major assertions. The first one is the statement that a human being was created in God’s image. It means that our human nature, to a limited degree, has some attributes of God. We can be pitiful, kind, patient, and compassionate. We are able to understand Him because we have a small part of the divine goodness. Due to it, we can love, because God is the embodiment of love.
The second assertion is that all human beings are sinful by nature because of the fall of Adam and Eve into sin. Originally Adam and Eve were created as saintly creatures. Because of them, the entire humanity is the victim of their sin.
However, the Genesis neither gives the distinct explanation why this sin continues to affect all of us nor explicates the permission, given to the serpent by God, to stay in Eden (Shuster, 2013, p.40). It just states that we are sinful. However, even to the sinful human being, God gives hope. This hope is our faith. Anyone who believes in God is a new creation (What is human nature? n.d.)
What are the consequences of the fall on human nature?
The results of Eva’s temptation was the expulsion of Adam and Eva from Eden. Living in Eden in accordance with the wisdom God’s rules, they had to love and fear God, seeking to know him. Instead of it, they wanted to be like God, knowing the good and the evil. There are many disputable places in the Old Testament. This is one of them, which contradicts to the Genesis number one. For what purpose have they eaten that fruit, if they had been already created in the image of God?
There were several consequences of their sin. First of all, there was a rupture between Adam and Eve. Before the sin, they were the united body. Now their eyes were opened, and they were conscious of the difference between them (Genesis – Presenter’s Guide, p.4). They were able to see that something has changed in them. In other words, they have lost the innocence. The changes of Adam and Eve made them hide from God because they could not stand His look anymore, realizing the fact they were weak and naked.
Nevertheless, the fall was the symbol of rebellion and disobedience that had changed the nature of humanity. With this sin, Adam and Eve, who had never known what the death was, became mortal. God warned Adam and Eve that in case they would taste the forbidden fruit, the death would appear. This prediction was taken place when Cain killed Abel. Apart from death, there appeared a pain in childbirth and at work. The fall also symbolizes the departure from the wisdom of God to the ignorance of the idolatry.
What is revealed about human purpose from the readings? What does it mean for humans to flourish, in other words, to achieve spiritual, emotional, and mental well-being?
From the point of view of good and evil, our desires should correspond to God’s Will. If Adam and Eve lived a saintliness life in accordance with the intention of God, they would establish a good world (Exposition of the Divine Principle, n.d.). But on the contrary, they violated God’s laws.
Human flourishing may be considered as well-being. However, seeking the ultimate flourishing is possible only in the provision given by God.
How might the answer to these questions differ according to different worldviews?
The same thesis can be interpreted in different ways by the representatives of different cultures, in accordance with their outlook and world perception. Depending on the different worldviews, there are different treatment of a person’s sinful nature. In Christianity, it is predetermined that a human being is sinful by nature due to Adam and Eve’s rebellion. At the same time, in Orthodox Judaism and Islam, there is a belief that people are born to sin-free and become sinful in the process of living.
The Fall – Now
The theme of the new television program reveals the problem of racism in contemporary society. In spite of the fact, this topic has already given much attention, the problem of racial discrimination still exists. It is presupposed that all the citizens, regardless of their nationality, are equal in their rights. But is it so? In our program, we will discuss the problem of racial discrimination from the theological point of view. Does the original sin influence our behavior? Or is it a myth?
According to the civil laws, it is asserted that every person is equal in its rights. But the fact is that in any society there are certain prejudices to the people of another nationality. Regardless of whether we want it or not, the problem exists, and it is impossible to blench it. But why do the people act in such a way? If the civil war is helpless, maybe, it will be helpful to use the divine laws. We shall discuss the problem of the original sin. Does it influence the mentality of the offender?
The idea that all humanity is punished because of the fault of one person is not new. The human being, committing a crime or a malefactor, unconsciously persuades himself that it is not his fault, but it is original sin. We will try to explain that apart from the divine intent, there is also the person’s own will, and no one is relieved responsibility for his actions. Moreover, it is necessary to try to persuade people that all of us are equal not only by civil law but also by God’s intention.
According to the statistic, the African- American are 21% more likely than the other receive fines. 52% of non-Hispanic whites show racial intolerance towards Hispanic. These facts set one thinking.
The problem is the major part of people do not understand in a proper way the meaning of the fall, and how it affects our behavior. The nature of the original sin is not the mere assertion of the fact that a human is sinful since early childhood. In fact, there is hardly a person who walks with God. Practically every person disobeys to a variable degree God’s laws.
We do not realize that God gives us an opportunity to salvation. As the tree with the forbidden fruit stands in the center of the Eden, we also should face God, who belongs in the center of our life. It is necessary just to follow His rules.
Reference List
Exposition of the Divine Principle. The Human Fall. Web.
Genesis – Presenters Guide. The Consequences of the Fall. Web.
Shuster, M. (2013). The Mystery of Original Sin. Christianity Today. Web.
What is human nature? What does the Bible say about human nature? Web.