is there any concept of "original sin" in Unity beliefs
is there any concept of "original sin" in Unity beliefs
This is a great question. This past summer, I had the honor to hear Matthew Fox, a modern day mystic, speak at Chautauqua Institute. As a result, I have purchased and begun reading several of his books. His concept of original blessing is the same concept that I believe you find within Unity. It is not that we are born in original sin, but in original blessing!
Now, there are those who will point to scripture to back up the idea of original sin. The scripture most often used is Psalm 51:5...Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. This Psalm was written by King David. You may recall that King David, after seeing Bathsheba bathing below, was filled with desire and decided to commit adultery with her while her husband was away at war. This psalm was written after that event occurred. Now, take a moment to think back to a time in your own life when you were feeling guilty about something you knew was wrong. Chances are, you didn't feel very good about yourself. This is the state of mind in which this particular psalm was written. It is my belief that King David was feeling terrible about what he had done, and from that perspective wrote about how he was brought forth in iniquity. For generations, we have been condemned in original sin because David condemned himself as a sinner for an act he felt guilty about committing.
Unity teaches that the Spirit of Christ burns within each one of us. That is our original blessing. How can there be original sin? Our forgetting that this Spirit is within does not change its being there. However, like David, we can condemn ourselves and forget who we are. Like most psalms, however, David does not stay within this condemnation. He turns to God and asks God to create a clean heart within him. So too can we turn from self-condemnation and ask God to lead us into the Truth of that which we are!
I love to answer these questions, but I need questions to answer! By following the link below, you can submit your question directly to me. Or follow my email link within this newsletter and email me directly. It is quite likely that the question you have is shared by someone else. So bring them on!
__________________
Namaste,
Ben, Licensed Unity Teacher as of 1/1/07
|
27th November 2006, 09:19 PM
Linear Mode
