The Problem of Original Sin

It's easy to believe and act on the power of good intention and co-creation; yet history and personal experience painfully demonstrate that life just isn't that easy. There is a restraining force that thwarts the co-creative powers of positive intentions and its been present as long as history has been recorded.

We  find this force labeled "original sin" in Biblical doctrine. It's a favorite concept for those who wish to argue against Biblical teachings to attack; however, it does seem to explain what happens; so a second look at the mechanics of original sin is in order.

Cognitive scientists study the brain in an effort to understand the mind. Humans have this distinctive ability to be self-aware. We can observe and therefore can also encourage, love, criticize, or despise ourselves. It doesn't appear that other life forms can (or want) to do this. While all life has some form of intelligence, it just usually doesn't have the capability of self-awareness.

In the cognitive studies of the human brain, self-awareness appears to be in a special area of the human brain known as the prefrontal cortex. Unlike a mechanisms subject only to Newton's Laws, humans are not limited to a fixed reaction to an action. We use the prefrontal cortex and its capability of  self-awareness to change our response.

Wonderful as self-awareness might be, the thousands of operational details required to maintain human life would simply over-whelm it. Never fear, a subconscious mind rises elegantly and efficiently to meet the need.While the prefrontal cortex is a small part of our total brain, the rest is busy operating all our life functions in an automatic fashion with any conscious direction.

A small portion of this subconscious intelligence is instinct. Most of our automated behaviors are learned. Researchers believe this larger area of our brain takes-in all it experiences as truth from birth until about the age of 6. While this system gives each succeeding generation the opportunity to receive updated lessons in living, the subconscious dutifully records with reason or judgment, often misinterpreting childhood experiences and forming false and/or destructive beliefs. These beliefs primarily come from our parents, who received them from their parents, who received them from generations of parents going back in time until the beliefs associated with original sin were started.

Defining sin is important. It was originally a term used in archery to mean "missing the mark." Original sin is the programming we receive from our ancestry that through our subconscious mental automation causes us to miss the potential we all were given. This definition is not meant to take away the use of the word sin to refer to missing out on God's grace; rather it includes that and more.

Neurologically, 95% of the brain is dedicated to the subconscious. While the remaining 5% can choose to be different, this doesn't happen easily. Corrective beliefs, in the form of new habits, are needed to re-program the subconscious. Forming those habits take the repetitive, powerful, and gentle actions  this blog has discussed for Active Investors. Biblically, it is what the work of the Holy Spirit is all about for all of us.

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Sixty and the Pursuit of Happiness

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Since Freud, our parents and our upbringing have been popular targets of blame. We'll never really know our parent's inner struggles, only that parents are given a miraculous gift of unmerited love for their children. No matter how graciously or obscurely that gift was expressed, the bottom line is always that our parents did the best they knew how. As children we also can share in this family gift. Love, respect, and appreciate what we can and forgive them for anything else.

Who outside our family doesn't also deserve the same? Nothing ever turns out the way we imagined. Stopping our Imagination, depicted in the picture posted here, is to stop living. It's only from imagination we enable creativity, growth, and hope. We can't go far on sheer will power; but our imaginations can fuel anything. The inevitable frustration and disappointment that an active imagination will cause requires we also extend our forgiveness to all involved. Anything less permanently disables our future happiness.

This is a lot easier to understand than to practice. The root of unforgiveness seems of reside inside of us. The fundamental attribute error that plagues our relationships with others is also nurtured in our self-recriminations. Ridiculous as it sounds, we take the position that we're not worthy of ourselves. With that absurdity firmly in place, we're now perfectly aligned to ruin our lives and the lives of those around us. Self forgiveness requires a large degree of self respect.

In the history of humanity, nothing has lead people to acknowledge their self-worth more than a belief that God resides within them. We know ourselves too well to completely trust us; but we can trust God within us.

I've just turned 60 and that called for some reflection. Before 30, happiness was found in experiences. After 30, the experiences needed meaning, so goals and growth processes became more important. Today the meanings need to be significant, that is from God within. Being able to forgive what's not that, seems to free all that is.