Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil; Free Will

[Eric]

Free will exists for all humans irrespective of religion or lack of it.

In any religion God is the master and he cannot be forced to behave like a programmed robot by the behaviour of any human; such as: Give me Paradise for I have been a good Muslim. (Or any other religion)

Can any human from any religion ever order God-any God- to do anything whatsoever?

"Free will exists for all humans irrespective of religion or lack of it." On this I agree. Free Will exists.
"Can any human from any religion ever order God-any God- to do anything whatsoever?" Yes. Does God have to obey the order?

[beowulf]

Free will exists for all humans irrespective of religion or lack of it.

In any religion God is the master and he cannot be forced to behave like a programmed robot by the behaviour of any human; such as: Give me Paradise for I have been a good Muslim. (Or any other religion)

Can any human from any religion ever order God-any God- to do anything whatsoever?

"Free will exists for all humans irrespective of religion or lack of it." On this I agree. Free Will exists.
"Can any human from any religion ever order God-any God- to do anything whatsoever?" Yes. Does God have to obey the order?

If God does not have to obey the order then there is no such an order but only impolite noise. God remains free to grant or deny salvation no matter how pious the Muslim, Christian...

Salvation is a gift unless God ‘has to obey’ the order.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Free will in religion means the power to earn salvation.

Salvation from what?

[beowulf]

Free will in religion means the power to earn salvation.

Salvation from what?

Salvation is a very well-known religious term.For religious people the only really important question is ‘salvation’ and by salvation they mean the kind of afterlife they will enjoy or suffer after death.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

That's not an answer to my question. What do you think you have to be saved from?

[beowulf]

That's not an answer to my question. What do you think you have to be saved from?

I was examining with Eric the role of free-will in religious systems.
What Does Justification Mean?


"Sin separates us from God and thus, by justice, causes death of the soul . Human nature is incapable of allowing man in his natural faculties to rise above the temptations of evil." Could free-will have the power to unite dead souls with God or is it necessary for God to lovingly admit undeserving humans to his presence?


In the Hindu religion this question is answered by Sri Aurobindo as follows:


“With the Lord in thy heart take refuge with all thy being; by His grace thou shalt attain to the supreme peace and the eternal status... Abandoning all laws of conduct seek refuge in Me alone. I will release thee from all sin; do not grieve.”

Essays on the Gita
Sri Aurobindo
Chapter IV,
The core of the teaching
Have a nice day

[ghost]

Why is a tree used as a symbol?

[Diogenes the Cynic]

It's not really the tree that's material so much as the idea (from the most remote antiquity) that things like immortality and wisdom could be acquired by eating something. In Gilgamesh, it's a flower that gives immortality.

[Eric]

It's not really the tree that's material so much as the idea (from the most remote antiquity) that things like immortality and wisdom could be acquired by eating something. In Gilgamesh, it's a flower that gives immortality.

On that note: Cannot place which of the early Church Father's said it, but to paraphrase his quote "I do not see how people actually think it a literal tree and fruit in the story of Genesis." lol. I think his jaw would hit the ground at how many people take it today to be literal. My favorite (more meaningful) part of the story is that God clothed them after being kicked out of Eden. Thanks for the heads up on the Gilgamesh, was not familiar with that story. Peace

[Diogenes the Cynic]

It's not really the tree that's material so much as the idea (from the most remote antiquity) that things like immortality and wisdom could be acquired by eating something. In Gilgamesh, it's a flower that gives immortality.

On that note: Cannot place which of the early Church Father's said it, but to paraphrase his quote "I do not see how people actually think it a literal tree and fruit in the story of Genesis." lol. I think his jaw would hit the ground at how many people take it today to be literal. My favorite (more meaningful) part of the story is that God clothed them after being kicked out of Eden. Thanks for the heads up on the Gilgamesh, was not familiar with that story. Peace

Not only is there a flower of immortality, the flower is stolen and eaten by...wait for it...a serpent. Snakes were associated with immortality because they shed their skin, giving the appearance of a death and rebirth. Why do snakes appear to be immortal but not us? They must have drunk our milkshake.

If you haven't read Gilgamesh, you really should. Not only can you see multiple Bible parallels, it's also just a rip-roaring story.