[blue-duncan]

“The teaching that God is a source of sin is satanic to an Orthodox/Catholic. There is no other way to put it.”

That is not personal. It is a statement of belief.

“Stfassisi, you are right. Every time I see Calvin and the gang, I see the devil peering from behind them.”

That is personal.

“God gave man wide freedom”

Before man sinned God had devised the punishment for sin Gen. 2:17, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” The fact of sin had already been created and provided for. So where did the concept originate? Certainly not in man for he had no categories to devise it as yet. His freedom was not absolute for he was created and susceptible to his created passions and ambitions.

[irishtenor]

***Before man sinned God had devised the punishment for sin Gen. 2:17, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” The fact of sin had already been created and provided for. So where did the concept originate? Certainly not in man for he had no categories to devise it as yet. His freedom was not absolute for he was created and susceptible to his created passions and ambitions.***

Such a good point. In ALL my reading on this, I have missed that point. Thank you.

[kosta50]

Before man sinned God had devised the punishment for sin Gen. 2:17, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” The fact of sin had already been created and provided for. So where did the concept originate?

You are equating the foreknowledge of God with the man's act of disobedience. Adam didn't have to sin; he chose to sin.

Gen 2:17 in plain language simply says "this you will not eat; if you do eat it, you will die for sure." It's a conditional statement.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Before man sinned God had devised the punishment for sin Gen. 2:17, "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." The fact of sin had already been created and provided for. So where did the concept originate? Certainly not in man for he had no categories to devise it as yet. His freedom was not absolute for he was created and susceptible to his created passions and ambitions.

As others have said, that is a brilliant observation.

Is "brilliant" too strong a word here?

8~)

[MarkBsnr]

***Before man sinned God had devised the punishment for sin Gen. 2:17, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” The fact of sin had already been created and provided for. So where did the concept originate? Certainly not in man for he had no categories to devise it as yet. His freedom was not absolute for he was created and susceptible to his created passions and ambitions.***

Foreknowledge is not predestination.

God knew that Adam and Eve would sin; he did not make them sin. Bit of a difference, no?

The great deceiver was made by God to be the brightest light in the sky, yet, he sinned the first and the greatest. Did God make satan sin?