We're All Unforgiven

Why is it that the serpent was able to beguile Eve? Its was said that the only creature in God’s creation that had free-will was man and subsequently woman. If this is true then how was the serpent allowed to enforce an act of free-will by lying and saying that it was alright to eat from the tree of Knowledge? It could not have done so unless God willed it to do so. And if this were true then he would be considered an enemy of man.

When God proclaimed that man was made in his image does that mean man’s emotions are the same as God’s? It seems so with all the punishment and smiting, like an adolescent in temper tantrums and hormonal rages. And as time went by he matured and mastered his emotions, thus finding the ability to forgive his creations for their transgressions. But if he can forgive, then does the notion of damnation in hell still exist? Will some of us be sent to the worst place there is, beyond imagination, horror incarnate? From it no soul will ever be allowed to leave.

It seems that jealousy has existed in all creation since the beginning. Lucifer was jealous of man and his favor with God. Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him and his favor with his father. Cain was jealous with Abel because God smiled upon Abel’s offering and not his own. In this manner we see that the world has never been fair and that life never will be, no matter how much we try. There will be the haves and the have nots. Simply because our society and economy relies on many people working in low positions for little money suggests that for there to be those that have great things, there must be many who do not.

The concept of forgiveness exists in the story of Joseph, Abel, etc. Why? The Old Testament states that man will not be forgiven by God, why should we forgive each other? It’s an extremely hypocritical situation. In the story of Joseph it is because he took the higher road, not lowering himself to the level of those that had rid themselves of him, that he was rewarded and lived a charmed life. In the story of Cain and Abel, God placed a mark upon Cain that proclaimed him to be a murderer, but also ensured he would not be harmed by others. It makes one wonder for what reason this is so. Hell had already been established, why not just send him to his fate? Because there had to be an explanation for the continuation of the species. Abel was killed, Cain was left to wander fathering children where he may. Thus we have the offspring of sin and degradation, because if all the peoples of the earth were descended from “good” people, then why were there “bad” people to be washed away by the flood?

One interesting sidenote concerns the mark of Cain. A particularly radical sect has interpreted the extremely old manuscripts as the mark being two puncture wounds on the neck. This makes one think of the undead and vampirism. And from this a race of evil was created. While I consider the idea somewhat unlikely, there are those who truly do believe that vampires exist because of those writings and that Cain was the first. (Not just the Role Playing kids either)

The strength and terror of the great flood mentioned in Genesis is one which was so great that God made a promise never to release such a power again. This makes one wonder if God really knows his own strength, or is he just getting used to the concept? And because of this were some of the great disasters that occurred really the judgment of God, or were they the result of over enthusiasm on his part?