Does the Christian message fall apart without a literal interpretation of Genesis?

What's the point of Jesus if Adam & Eve did not 'Fall' and condemn us all to sin?

Actually, it falls apart either way rather quickly.  Newborn babies are not sinners.

That's what I'm confronted with right now. 

Creation Story - BS

Noah's Flood - BS

Tower of Babel story - BS

Exodus story - BS

The idea of original sin is a contemptible doctrine. 

How can it be a virtue to hold a newborn baby and consider them sinful? How can it be helpful to think of yourself as sinful and deserving of death? Its disgusting and I'm embarassed I ever believed it.

Does the Christian message fall apart without a literal interpretation of Genesis?

No, I don't believe so.  Christ took OUR sins upon himself.  Regardless of how we got started on sin (literal story or figurative), the simple fact is that we do all sin. 

Tammy

I liked John Shelby Spong's attempt to fuse rational thinking and Christianity in his book 'Sins of scripture'.

 He still believes Christianity has some worth, even if none of the events in the bible happened.

The Sermon on the mount and other sayings of Jesus are still very important, even if the 'ransom sacrifice' is meaningless.

Yes it does.  It was one of the realizations that led me to convert to Judaism.  However, I still like the idea of Jesus and have my own ideas about his worth--which I don't care to go into on this db. 

The whole message falls apart either way...because a supreme being didn't sit around 14 billion years to deliver a divinely inspired book to us humans a mere 2000-3000 years ago on this tiny speck of rock, to let us know we're are all a bunch of pathetic sinners.

Doesn't matter which book you like best - the bible, koran, book of mormon, or lord of the rings.

God is still sulking and fuming that a naked lady ate a piece of fruit. (prolly the one he wanted)

SIX THOUSAND YEARS AGO.

He is sooo mad that he wants to kill all of her descendents, unless they tell him he is sooo AWESOME.

He had his son butchered.  "That's what I'll do to you, unless you thank me for doing it to him instead of you."

Does this sound like a psychopath?

HB

This was discussed before...

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/192013/1/Doesnt-an-allegorical-Garden-of-Eden-nullify-the-need-for-a-Ransom

And again...

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/203594/1/If-Genesis-isnt-taken-literally-whos-sin-did-Jesus-die-for

doubtful has had his epiphany about the Bible and there is no going back to that happy place the church makes for it's members.

And again...

Yes, I was referencing AK Jeff's topic on page 3 of your topic.

http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/bible/203594/3/If-Genesis-isnt-taken-literally-whos-sin-did-Jesus-die-for

Yes it does.  It was one of the realizations that led me to convert to Judaism

Islam doesn't recognize original sin either.

From Wiki:

The Quran says that Adam initiated the fruit eating and that both Adam and Eve (Hawa) ate the forbidden fruit, for which God later forgave them, and then sent both of them down to earth as his representatives. The Hadith (the prophetic narrations) and literature shed light on the Muslim view of the first couple.

The concept of original sin does not exist in Islam, as Adam and Eve were forgiven after they repented on Earth, according to the Quran. One of the differences between the Qur'an and the book of Genesis is that it does not recount the Genesis narrative in which Eve leads Adam to transgress God's laws; they are simply both held responsible.

The tale of the tree and the fruit is a lie. 

The truth is that Jehovah forbade Eve to bath in the streams. 

She disobeyed, and now all the fish smell that way 

If the bible isn't real in Genesis then how can it be real anywhere else? It all falls apart like a house of cards...

If the bible isn't real in Genesis then how can it be real anywhere else? It all falls apart like a house of cards...

It falls apart faster than your pants fall off when I am around.

As pointed out, this topic has done the rounds before but it's always good for newcomers to come up against it for the first time.

Tammy, you say that "regardless of how we got started on sin, -  the simple fact is that we do all sin."  Where did that sin come from if it wasn't a result of the 'Fall in Eden'?  If Jesus death on the cross is a sacrifice of atonement exactly what is he atoning for?

Nic'

The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church do not believe in sin that is inherited from A&E.

Has the Christian message fallen apart for them ?      No, they see things differently than many Protestant and Fundie religions.

no genesis... no nothing