[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: questions i combined (no otr)


Hey you busy-beavers,

JMH:
>  > Peter, you've brought this up before in our conversations...that
>  > becoming more like Jesus is essentially becoming more human.  Discuss?

PC:
>  > I still can't quite grab a hold of this.
>  I first came up with this idea years ago (back when _The Last Temptation
>  of Christ_ came out in 1988, actually)

My, you really do see EVERYTHING, don't you?

...because I was trying to reconcile
>  the idea that Jesus was "fully human" with the idea that Jesus was
>  "without sin".  I finally concluded that our sin was what made us less
>  than human -- we were not the humans that God made us to be.

"Less human than human", huh?  To be sure, a loving and benevolent God 
intended us to experience something more than this present, pitiful human 
condition.  I don't doubt it.  In fact, call me a space case here, but I 
have a theory.  (Note to self: Careful what you ask for.)  You've probably 
all heard how we use a small portion of our brain's total capacity, right?  
Perhaps we were originally endowed with the ability to communicate 
telepathically?  (I'm NOT trying to sound "new age" here.)  Then, sin came 
into being.  Suddenly, these abilities HAD to be shut-off, for, if we could 
hear each others thoughts, we'd surely kill each other!  After all, the 
"white lies" that a "polite society" requires to maintain the peace would be 
rendered all but useless.

Actually, that's not right.  If Eve could read Adam's mind after she bit the 
apple, still being naked and all, she'd probably slap the jerk silly, having 
the true nature of his one-track mind now made know to her.
As he gazed into her eyes and said, "I'm listening," while simultaneously 
thinking, "shut the heck up and let's get busy already,"  his duplicity 
would stand out like his...er, he'd be as transparent as glass.  She'd 
probably want nothing to do with the pig, and the human race would have died 
out before it could have even started.  So, yeah, the omniscient Lord knew 
he had to "shut-down" the psychic nerve centers of our brain, just so Adam 
could get to first base.  All because of sin.

Like gills on a fetus, vestigial traces of our former mental grandeur remain 
to this day.  Every now and then, twins share sensations, or a man bends a 
spoon without touching it, or someone sneezes when someone else is talking 
about them from a remote location, or a meteorologist nails the daily high 
AND low temperature.  All hints of what we once were...

Okay, seriously, I've read too much sci-fi and fantasy, but there was a 
glimmer of truth in what I've just written.  I really think we were intended 
to use whole portions of our brains to share thoughts, feelings, and ideas 
until sin came along.  I really do.  But too much knowledge is indeed a 
dangerous thing in a world with sin.

And now all we have for sharing ideas and feelings is language.  Limited, 
lacking, language.

However, I don't know about the supposition that sin has made us "less than 
human".  I've always regarded sin as the thing that defines our human nature 
as being as apart from God.  "To "error"(sin) is human, to forgive divine."  
However, given what I've just conjectured regarding the human brain, I guess 
you could be onto something, Peter.  Very interesting...

This concept seems to fly in the face of new age ideology, which teaches 
that we can transcend our humanity to become like God.  You appear to be 
replaced the "transcend" with "attain the fullness of", if I'm reading you 
right.  I like that.  I like things that fly in the face of new age thought. 
:-)  If Christ became one of us, why should we have to strive all of our 
lives to become as Christ, like new-agers suggest.  The answer:  because, in 
doing so, we become ourselves!!  (Not Gods.)

Wow.  "We are finding who we are, 'cause we can see forever." - Kings X

So, were Adam and Eve the only true, pure humans, besides Christ, before 
they fell from grace?  If so, how could they cease to be "fully human"?  
Perhaps they remained as such, but were now afflicted with "sin disease" 
which prevented them from enjoying the fullness of their humanity?  Maybe 
sin-disease is genetic, and subsequently lowered their offspring's 
midi-chlorian count? (I'll stop now!)

Kevin asked:
>Peter, ever read Buechner's essay *the tiger* in *the magnificent defeat*?
>(1) He comes to a similar conclusion as you using a parable from 
>Ramakrishna
>as the jumping point.

Which begs the question I've REALLY been wanting to ask you- is "Mr. 
Buechner's Dream" by Daniel Amos truly as marvelous as I've been reading it 
is?  Review, oh critic!!  Does it reflect the writings of Freddy B., as in 
"Banquet At The World's End", or is the subject of the title confined to a 
"title track", or, disappointingly,  wholly unrelated to the content of the 
CD.  Inquiring DA fans whose BMG catalog has just added "MB'sD" want to 
know!  (I'll gonna get it no matter what you say, but I am curious to know 
what you think.)

Dreaming of electric sheep,

Matt

now playing: Lucinda Williams "Essence"
now digesting: Ground Round Boston Baked Cod (yum!)
now breathing: primarily oxygen, mixed with other light gases and tinged 
with "Pisces"
incense.


_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp.

---------------
Unsubscribe by going to http://www.actwin.com/OtR/
Follow-Ups: