30 Jul '15 23:56>1 edit
Originally posted by SuzianneAre you actually saying that Christians choose God as a result of NOT exercising their free will while atheists choosing "not-God" ARE fully exercising their free will?
Really? Are you actually saying that Christians choose God as a result of NOT exercising their free will while atheists choosing "not-God" ARE fully exercising their free will?
(And btw, I'm not sure that explaining to us that Jews have no concept of original sin is really going to make us sit up and exclaim, "My God, you're right! I've been duped all ...[text shortened]... elieve that Jesus was the Messiah they had been waiting more than a thousand years for, either.)
No idea how you drew this conclusion.
I was reiterating the point of the rabbi:
This well-known Church doctrine posits that when Adam and Eve rebelled against God and ate from the forbidden Tree of Knowledge, all of their descendants became infected with the stain of their transgression.
Moreover, as a consequence of this first iniquity, man is hopelessly lost in a state of sin in which he has been held captive since this fall. As a result, he is powerless to follow the path of obedience and righteousness by his own free will.
...
Despite the zealous position missionaries take as they defend this creed, the Christian doctrine of original sin is profoundly hostile to the central teachings of the Jewish Scriptures. The Torah loudly condemns the alien teaching that man is unable to freely choose good over evil, life over death.
Of course they have no concept of original sin.
Any chance you can take the time to explain that to jaywill?