tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post3342915724983871348..comments2024-03-27T15:47:46.091-05:00Comments on Pastoral Meanderings: A Nagelism. . . Pastor Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10653554256101480140noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-62411841562971796642016-05-29T07:55:24.777-05:002016-05-29T07:55:24.777-05:00I suppose Nagel is correct in the substance of His...I suppose Nagel is correct in the substance of His thesis, but remember it was God Himself who created us in our humanity. He did not create us as higher beings, for surely we are separate from the Angels and higher than the beasts. He foresaw our rebellious nature even before Eve ate the forbidden fruit and coaxed Adam. Adam's compliant inability to resist may also be a symbolic indication that most men can be tempted by a beautiful woman to do what he knows is wrong. There is a sexual factor at work. Remember David, Solomon, and legions of other men past and present whose wills and reason was or can be made to disobey his maker when tempted by a woman's manipulation. Indeed, original sin was the catalyst for the Fall of Man (and Woman). Since Almighty God knew beforehand that we, in our weak and flawed humanity, could never rise above our sinful and cursed nature without supernatural intervention, God knew from the foundation of His creation that we would need Christ's sacrifice at Calvary to redeem us. But even after being born again, our spirituality is of necessity in conflict with our innate humanity. From our humanity, there is rebellion mixed with our desire to please God, hence imperfectly we run out the course of our days. In this I do not blame God for creating us imperfect in our humanity and sinful by nature. It is a bit of a mystery to me, as to others throughout the ages, but as I am now and old man, I know at an appointed time in the future I will understand it more clearly.John Joseph Flanaganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06596324816480709495noreply@blogger.com