special knowledge
When I finally decided I was done with organized religion, one of the many sticking points that I just couldn't justify was the whole business with the tree. Not the tree that became the cross- the first tree. This showboating tree with special, forbidden knowledge in the middle of the garden, how rude to set such a stage as that. Introduce the gun to the story and it will be used etc etc... This irritating, broader idea of creating creatures with curiosity and logic and then expecting them to suspend it when the big voice from the sky says "because I said so." It is the opposite of Montessori. It is a pyramid of ego. I do not find this creator character to be loving or kind or deserving of deference. In my sincere attempts to understand or find some land that I could anchor my belief system to before drifting away altogether, conversations almost always ended with, "it's a leap of faith... that's what makes it special." Even in matters quite se...