SAM, your whole post is an excellent contribution to the kind of creative dialogue that is a joy to read. Thanks! You say:
Quote:
There is a reason why biblical wisdom speaks about the sins of the fathers being "inherited" and how consequences can be expected for 7 generations... or something along those lines--I was raised as a secular science wonk, not a biblical scholar; but I've heard ...
BTW, SAM, keep in mind that I write as a UNITHEIST/UNIDEIST. For more info, feel free to ask.


SO HERE, LET'S ASK: DOES THE BIBLE TEACH THAT THE SONS ACTUALLY DO BEAR THE SINS OF THE FATHERS? OR NOT? Note: As with many Bible teachings and ideas, the Bible, as you will see when you read on, that it appears that the Bible is not always consistent.

Here is where, in the Bible, the idea is mentioned: Exodus 20:5, Deuteronomy 5:9 and Deuteronomy 24:16; Ezekiel 18:20. Here the Bible says, YES THEY DO:

(Exodus 20:5) - "You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,"

(Deuteronomy 5:9) - "You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,"

(Exodus 34:6-7) - "Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loving kindness and truth; who keeps loving kindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."

(1 Cor. 15:22) - "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive."
============
Now, here is where the Bible says,
NO THEY DO NOT:

(Deuteronomy 24:16) - "Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin."

(Ezekiel 18:20) - "The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself."

FOR THE ABOVE INFO, I acknowledge the help of the following link:
http://carm.org/bible-difficulties/genesis-deuteronomy/do-sons-bear-sins-fathers-or-not

CARM? Keep in mind: IMO, the writers of CARM are very much into defending the Bible as the one, consistent and only truth of God and that the Bible contains no contradictions. Hmmm!

Me? While I respect the right for others to defend their sincerely held opinions and beliefs, I also reserve the same right for all who willingly agree to disagree, agreeably--in the spirit of agape-love smile

Last edited by Revlgking; 04/16/13 09:58 PM. Reason: Always helpful!
G~O~D--Now & ForeverIS:Nature, Nurture & PNEUMA-ture, Thanks to Warren Farr&ME AT www.unitheist.org