Rather than go through

the comments portion of the previous post, I’ll continue here. Thus far, as in my class and with SU, the consensus is that man is good. Interesting, especially in light of the audience. It still remains very confusing for me; I’m having a hard time reconcilling the consensus view with the biblical view. It could be just a matter of definition. Answers.com has a good interface, click for evil, sin or good.

I, too, have a hard time convincing myself that I am evil. Sin nature (kind of a far out thing, you know)? No problem, I accept. Tendency to do things I know are wrong? Sure, that’s me. Struggle with doing the right thing (btw, there are some very good articles on this out there)? Yep, me again. Evil? No way. Yet, isn’t that what the Bible says I am? Before Genesis 3, all was good, right? After Genesis 3, all was evil, right? You know, the whole fall of man thing?

I’m not sure what I’ve gotten myself into, what with trying to figure out what I believe and all. In the book, Ragamuffin Gospel, the author maintains that we cannot understand grace unless and until we understand that we are sinners. One of the comments from SC was that all evil is sin but not all sin is evil. Well, then, what is the remainder of sin? Little white lies? Is that a different classification? The point of the author in the book is that when we start to measure sin or set up systems (penances) to offset our sins, we have transformed grace into legalism. I’m starting to understand that, although I still recoil at the thought of declaring myself to be evil. Late.