Bred in the bone? (Study suggests children have a sense of morality at a very young age)

WORLD ^ | June 19, 2010 | Janie B. Cheaney

[Sacajaweau]

Lincoln said: Piglets need to grow and get really fat so we can get lotsa pork roast and bacon.

Never heard the story before and it really appears to be without logic on the part of Lincoln.

[Diggity]

Nice story!

[Graybeard58]

Outside of biblical references, how would one be able to tell that we are born with a sinful nature?

The author brought up the subject of the Bible, on those grounds she was refuted.

"Sinful natures", is indeed a biblical concept, as is the concept of sin itself. I'm not aware of any place else that speaks of sin out side of a religious meaning. Sin being the disobediance or breaking of God's law must be spoken about from a "God angle".

[Sacajaweau]

That is not the quote...It reads more like...if he didn’t do anything, it would bother him....it’s called conscience

[Vigilanteman]

There are multiple versions (most just slight variations) of the story out there.

My wife's great grandmother (whom my mother-in-law knew personally) was a grand-niece of Mary Tood Lincoln who supported the version which I just related.

[Vigilanteman]

Like the Lincoln and preacher story, I'm not so sure if it is a sinful nature or sinful nurture. Lying to avoid punishment is a learned behavior, albeit very early in life.

It is an interesting theological/philosophical debate. But I'm not so sure that it makes a great deal of difference since babies are born into a world which is so corrupt, it is only a matter of time before the nurture dominates the nature anyway.

[stuartcr]

Good save.

[stuartcr]

You really believe that?

[Vigilanteman]

You are also correct. But admitting the existence of a conscience would tend to support those who argue that children are born with an innate nature to do good and thus weaken the argument that children are born with a sinful nature.

Since the prevailing theology of the time (and even our time) is that children are born with a sinful nature, I think it entirely possible that Lincoln was taking the opposite side, but if so, I can't see the preacher arguing that Lincoln's decision to save the piglets was motivated from an evil nature.

The story, I think, is much like the C.S. Lewis conundrum cited in the post.

[stuartcr]

OK, thanks.

[stuartcr]

Isn’t what you consider corrupt, just reality? Outside of the Garden of Eden story, when has the world not been ‘corrupt’?

[LomanBill]

Most animals have inbred procreative instincts - instinctive behaviors, and prohibitions, that exist because their development enhanced the biological and social fitness of those who exhibited them...

 

Meanwhile, homosexual activists abominate nature; procreating via government subsidized health benefits...

 

"Sperm from female stem cells"

 

A symptomatic consequence when a society succumbs to un-Godly disorder:

Rom 1:25-27
25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised. Amen.

 

26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
NIV

 

"I KNOW BUT ONE CODE OF MORALITY FOR MEN WHETHER ACTING SINGLY OR COLLECTIVELY"

--Thomas Jefferson

[LomanBill]

[Following God’s laws (written on our hearts) is the best way to remain safe and under protection.]

IOW... R.T.F.M.!

[metmom]

No kidding.

One of the first concepts a child learns and verbalizes is,....

*It’s not FAAIIIIRRRR!!!!*

[TalonDJ]

Outside of the Garden of Eden story, when has the world not been ‘corrupt’?

Heh, Exactly. That is WHAT the garden of Eden was all about. It was through Adam's disobedience that corruption entered the world. So yes, corruption is the default state. Reality and the Bible are in total agreement there.

[MrB]

B asic
I nstructions
B efore
L eaving
E arth

[MrB]

The most destructive, pernicious lie since the garden has been “people are basically good”.

Your assertion that they are corrupted by their environment leads to the liberal conclusion that if we just made the proper environment through empowering elites, everyone would act in a “good” way.

[timeflies]

Yes I do. God doesn’t force us to do or believe anything. He lays out good vs evil and the consequences. We have a choice. He has a perfect plan and he is the perfect parent for all of us. It is all about choice and the result of obeying or not.

[metmom]

Outside of biblical references, how would one be able to tell that we are born with a sinful nature?

Because no one needs to teach a child how to be bad.

All the teaching and training is to teach them to be good, to overcome the badness.

[GraceG]

I guess Lord of the Flies was totally wrong....

Kids need civilization firmly pounded into them, some more than others.