Re: To Healme and beenthere

One of the biggest faults of Christianity is that the common teachings don't take notice of the tree in the Garden of Eden, but it is the tree of THE knowledge OF "good and evil", not the tree of knowledge itself.

Having knowledge of "good and evil" (knowing the difference between right and wrong...CONSCIENCE, Genesis 3:22 "knowing good and evil") is what made us capable of SIN (having the ability to be wrong). Before that, we didn't have the ability to "sin" (because we simply didn't know any better). After eating of that tree, we became fallible because we were capable of "knowing better". As we grow up, our conscience CAPABILITY is honed (we learn more about what is right and wrong) and develop/strengthen our conscience more and more every day by learning from our parents.

Some children are not taught well (and cannot be held accountable for what they have not been taught) and might very often unknowingly/inadvertently cause evil, but not INTENTIONALLY (unfortunate for the victim, but who could hold that against the child, the PARENTS should have taught the child better). If a baby or child dies without ever hearing about Jesus, they are still saved...ALL flesh shall SEE salvation, but not all will keep it for the afterlife (fully accountable adults might choose to have nothing to do with God and refuse to claim Jesus as purification of their souls AND The Father's spirit as purification of their conscience, Hebrews 9:14).

http://cf.blb.org/search/translationResults.cfm?Criteria=all+flesh+shall+see+...


Many people believe there is an AGE of accountability, THERE IS NOT. There is a "state" of conscience or "mind of accountability"/KNOWLEDGE of right (good) and wrong (evil).


Adults are held responsible for their ABILITY (within reason, adult tribesmen, pygmies, etc. might never have heard of Jesus or the bible) to draw near to God (some never learn to read or don't know the language when someone tells them about God) AND whether they understand if they did WRONG/sin. Children often don't understand that they do wrong/sin (mischief, this will not be held against them).

Those who go to church (especially a deacon) have a higher ABILITY and should know better (judgement will be very strict). Those who play/pretend the "righteous game" (self-righteous for ego/status) are not fooling The Lord, He knows they don't have a pure/contrite heart (they ignore their conscience), but those of NOBLE CHARACTER (TRULY righteous by nature, they still have the responsibility to know The Lord as much as possible and in a warm PERSONAL way), even though they are Godly IN CHARACTER are responsible for acknowledging (if they do have the ability, God knows) God's Son as savior.

No one on earth is GOOD ("No one is good but God alone"), their behavior may be "good"/right). GOOD/perfect is an absolute. Just like truth (OBJECTIVE truth) is an absolute (truth is truth is truth) and does not have gradients (acceptable, better, best). Only God is perfect and good (a person may be "goodly" or behave in a good WAY/manner), but only God is GOOD.


Verses are from the RSV.