Gladys Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 What is the difference between a snake and a serpent? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinahand Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 If you're referring to Adam and Eve it wasn't a snake.How do you know? Research the subject and try to learn. Let me give you a starting place. Try starting with the Midrash. If you research the subject you cannot but come to the conclusion that the story of Genesis is a myth. Spook are you saying your faith has caused you to think that it is a fact that God created Adam from Dust and Eve from his rib? Or do you reject these as nothing more than poetic stories? A major issue with Christianity is what is original sin, especially if Genesis is myth. There was never an Eve, she never ate the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. No such tree exists. Adam and Eve weren't cursed by God, they never existed. Or are you going to claim they did? If so the evidence is very much against you. If you researched the subject you would realize this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ufo Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Serpent is a more broad term which is not limited to snakes. It can also refer to a leviathan or a dragon. It refers to a creature with a forked tongue, which has obvious symbology - equivocation, treachery, deception, twofacednes, duality. In the case of Gensesis 3, this is not a literal snake but has a symbolic meaning. The original Hebrew root means to hiss or enchant and therefore it's presumptuous to assume it's a snake. It could refer to any number of things - but the symbolism remains the same. You are welcome - buh bye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chinahand Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 So did it have a symbolic tongue then? Genesis might not refer to anything at all - let alone dragons or leviathan - it might be all just symbolic. What do you say ... (Gerry?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vulgarian Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Serpent is a more broad term which is not limited to snakes. It can also refer to a leviathan or a dragon. It refers to a creature with a forked tongue, which has obvious symbology - equivocation, treachery, deception, twofacednes, duality. In the case of Gensesis 3, this is not a literal snake but has a symbolic meaning. The original Hebrew root means to hiss or enchant and therefore it's presumptuous to assume it's a snake. It could refer to any number of things - but the symbolism remains the same. You are welcome - buh bye. That's actually total nonsense. The Hebrew נָחָשׁ (nachash) means 'snake', and though it is related to the word for 'hiss' all modern translations seem to agree that it refers to a snake. It is a very common motif in ancient texts. "Snakes in the ancient world were a symbol of wisdom, fertility, and immortality. Only later was the snake in this story seen by interpreters as the devil." (New Oxford Annotated Bible, Genesis 3). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ufo Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 No, you have misread what I said. It is not just a related word, it is the root of this word which means to hiss or enchant. Of course the Hebrew can mean snake or serpent. I never said otherwise. You are reading more into my post than I put in it. I am not endorsing the view of Spook that the serpent was a devil. I am saying the entire thing is mythological and symbolic. And you are right about the snake symbol. However, the context in Genesis 3 also has a negative cannotation of equivocation and deceit. However, the symbolism of the chapter does involve fertility and wisdom. As I said, the snake is also a symbol of dualism. It is a positive and a negative, or neutral. It is not singularly negative. There is definitely no support in the text for Spook's view that it is talking about a devil. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmanx Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 So what about the talking bush and donkey? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the stinking enigma Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 This one could lead anywhere..I'm not getting involved Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sauin91 Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 So what about the talking bush and donkey? You've been here a whole month and you still don't believe in talking asses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 If you're referring to Adam and Eve it wasn't a snake.How do you know? Research the subject and try to learn. Let me give you a starting place. Try starting with the Midrash. If you research the subject you cannot but come to the conclusion that the story of Genesis is a myth. Spook are you saying your faith has caused you to think that it is a fact that God created Adam from Dust and Eve from his rib? Or do you reject these as nothing more than poetic stories? A major issue with Christianity is what is original sin, especially if Genesis is myth. There was never an Eve, she never ate the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. No such tree exists. Adam and Eve weren't cursed by God, they never existed. Or are you going to claim they did? If so the evidence is very much against you. If you researched the subject you would realize this. There are sincere Christians who firmly absolutely believe every word of the KJV as God inspired translation of original sources. There are others, equally sincere who do not but rather that the KJV is a transliteration and use the KJV as one of a number of sources. Yet more believe that the KJV is a contrived mix of books that is heavily biased in the New Testament by inclusion of a great deal of the works and writings of Paul of Tarsus because it meets the wants of Constantine, some believe that Paul was God inspired, some do not, some half and half, and some that Paul was running his own agenda and even the number of the works attributed to Paul are disputed though he did indeed have a great deal to do with the spread of Christianity. IMO what matters is the teachings of Jesus. The rest is about the creation of churches that had varying relevance with the Teachings of Christ and much more about their own administrations and even political influence. To your question in detail. In short I believe that The Bible in the KJV translation is a unique source, but the OT has to be read with an awareness that although a great deal is at least a history of the Jew it must be remembered that it is highly partial (as opposed to being impartial) and the earlier the books the more that they must be read in context with the contemporary events and circumstances. That is why I brought in the Midrash as a work that must be used to better understand especially the early books. What do I think? Was Adam the first man? No, but he is presented as establishing of the Jew faith. Was the serpent a real snake? No. It could be a representation of lust for knowledge that possessed Eve and that she passed on to Adam and it was the knowledge that Adam and Eve (or their tribe they led?) that saw them take to exploring the world and move from a position where they were ignorant (and ignorance can be bliss) to where their thirst for knowledge led to --- There is also the question of The Lord. Do I see Him as something like the famous ceiling painting in the Sistine Chapel? Absolutely not. Look, this can go on and on, it's a fascinating subject and no doubt there will be those who will ridicule so very much, often because they simply don't, won't, or can't even start to see beyond what they think that they know and so won't even look. But that's OK. What really matters is that the message from The Lord that salvation is possible and there for the asking has been communicated to Mankind. Now the ball's in Mankind's court. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbie Bobster Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 What is the difference between a snake and a serpent? About six months if you start waving it around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmanx Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 the message from The Lord These days when people say that "God" talks to them, we lock them up for being insane (or we let them run for the office of President of a nuclear nation). The message of "God", as inspired by man, told to another man, written by another man, translated by man, etc, etc is what ever the author or the guy in charge of the author wants it to be. The universal rule trumps the bible/Koran/torah/whatever in everyway and leaves no room for religious extremism or confusion..."Don't be an arsehole". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 the message from The Lord These days when people say that "God" talks to them, we lock them up for being insane (or we let them run for the office of President of a nuclear nation). The message of "God", as inspired by man, told to another man, written by another man, translated by man, etc, etc is what ever the author or the guy in charge of the author wants it to be. The universal rule trumps the bible/Koran/torah/whatever in everyway and leaves no room for religious extremism or confusion..."Don't be an arsehole". The Lord speaks to people today through The Holy Ghost which can be best understood by thinking in terms of having learned 'What would Jesus do' having studied and understood the message that He brought knowing the answer. People who really DO hear voices, and there are some who because of a number of abnormal mental conditions, and associate them with God are in an entirely different category, they are unwell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmanx Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 the message from The Lord These days when people say that "God" talks to them, we lock them up for being insane (or we let them run for the office of President of a nuclear nation). The message of "God", as inspired by man, told to another man, written by another man, translated by man, etc, etc is what ever the author or the guy in charge of the author wants it to be. The universal rule trumps the bible/Koran/torah/whatever in everyway and leaves no room for religious extremism or confusion..."Don't be an arsehole". The Lord speaks to people today through The Holy Ghost which can be best understood by thinking in terms of having learned 'What would Jesus do' having studied and understood the message that He brought knowing the answer. People who really DO hear voices, and there are some who because of a number of abnormal mental conditions, and associate them with God are in an entirely different category, they are unwell. If you can't tell the difference between regular voices in your head and "God" voices in your head...maybe... Ah you know where this is going... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted July 9, 2015 Share Posted July 9, 2015 the message from The Lord These days when people say that "God" talks to them, we lock them up for being insane (or we let them run for the office of President of a nuclear nation). The message of "God", as inspired by man, told to another man, written by another man, translated by man, etc, etc is what ever the author or the guy in charge of the author wants it to be. The universal rule trumps the bible/Koran/torah/whatever in everyway and leaves no room for religious extremism or confusion..."Don't be an arsehole". The Lord speaks to people today through The Holy Ghost which can be best understood by thinking in terms of having learned 'What would Jesus do' having studied and understood the message that He brought knowing the answer. People who really DO hear voices, and there are some who because of a number of abnormal mental conditions, and associate them with God are in an entirely different category, they are unwell. If you can't tell the difference between regular voices in your head and "God" voices in your head...maybe... Ah you know where this is going... Do you always have problems with understanding what you read? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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