March 7, 2010

Question for the Third Sunday in Lent

At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, ‘Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.’

— Luke 13:1–5
Today’s sermon at my church emphasized that, because of sin, we all die.

This raises a question, however. Why do animals die?

6 comments:

  1. I fail to see what death has to do with what we call 'sin'.

    Death is a natural concomitant of life in a body.

    Sin is merely a belief.

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  2. I would say it the passage isn't about death but the particular _manner_ of death -- as the prayer says, being taken "suddenly and unprepared."

    Word verification = mater

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  3. The problem is that the physical death is not the unique we have and it is not the unique present in the Gospel of the Lord... You "die" psycologically when you are discriminated... I'm blind, I know how difficult it is to be discriminated just because I'm blind... You "die" morally when you aren't respected in your rights and dignity... Imagine gay individuals... Even when all we know that to be gay is normal in the nature... More than 1500 species have gay individuals in nature!!!... You "die" intellectually when you aren't able to study what you need, like and deserve for any reason... And yes, you "die" because your sins... You "die" when you are tempted to the egoist pleasure that forgives the right to pleasure of the other... You "die" when you are tempted to the egoist possession that forgives the right of possession to the other driving him to the poverty... And you "die" when you are tempted to the egoist "to be"... The egoist to be the Eternal... To be a replacement of God, forgiving the right of the other to be a creature of God!... Bible is a brilliant Cathequesis about the Creation of the Universe by God and the salvation of the Humanity by Jesus, our Lord!... We have to be careful reading it... And try to see its symbolism... Unfortunatly Christianity is divided in multiple disputes about many secondary subjects and forgives the essential: The autenticity of the Word given to the first Christians!... And to make this Word actual to our Humanity!... It isn't a problem only for the Roman Catholics, or for TEC, but for the whole Christianity... In 10 years or less Muslims will be the major religious movement in the the world... You see?...
    Don't worry about the near of the psysical death... These texts are just symbolic, because there are other deaths!... And other small deats that are sometimes destroying our happiness and our lives...
    Lets try to resist to the temptations in this Lent?... Try to have a Lent discipline?... In order to have an year discipline?... It is difficult, but we have to do... Even in small things... Recycling rubbish for example... It seems to be very easy... But sometimes... Recycle points aren't near our houses, so... I have this problem and I have to try to solve it... It is part of my Lent discipline!!!...

    Have a good evening!...

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  4. While sin should of course be understood as something that pertains to an individual act of will, it also is a "default condition" of the whole creation. There is a brokenness, a disruption in relationship to God that pervades all things.

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  5. Referring to Bruce Robison's comment below, while the concept of "sin" is a popular way of explaining human dysfunction, it's desirable to realise that it is a purely human idea. The trouble starts when we assume that God also believes in sin! Yet as the parable of the Prodigal Son (or, better, the "Loving Father") makes clear, this is not the case.

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