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Someone wrote "X'tians connect their concept of their "original sin" to Psalm 58:3 (4 in the T'nach): "The wicked become estranged [even] from the womb; those who speak lies go astray from birth." How would you answer this?"
The verse in question is T'hillim / Psalm 58:4 (3 in Christian versions which often do not print the first line (or when they do print it it is very small and not counted)... which says "For the conductor, al tashchet (do not destroy); of David a michtam."
Can you see why ignoring the first line is itself deceitful to the reader??? Psalms are poems and prayers, primarily written by King David. They were sung in the Temple and are still a large part of our religious services today. Psalms are found in Ketuvim of the T'nach -- meaning they are written by men. They are inspired by G-d but these are the words of a human being expressing his own thoughts. This is part of the problem with the way the Christians have mashed their version of the Hebrew Bible -- taking it completely out of order and thus misunderstanding the level of holiness. The Torah is the word of G-d. It is directly from Him. The books in Nevi'im (Prophets) are messages from G-d relayed in dreams and visions to His prophets. It is holy, but not has holy as the Torah. The messages in Nevi'im all echo messages found in Torah -- along with histories of the Jewish people. Then we come to Ketuvim. This section contains poems (which are what the psalms happen to be), stories, histories, and even fables (Iyov / Job) -- all written by holy men inspired by G-d, but not a direct communication from G-d. So here, in this psalm, you have it beginning with the plea "do not destroy." So this is King David writing - and he is speaking of his enemies -- those who wanted to kill him. David asks his enemies why suddenly they're so quiet. This is speaking of the incidents in Shmuel Alef / 1 Samuel:26. David's enemies didn't hesitate to speak up to criticize him, but now that it's clear that David is innocent, they don't say a word: why is there silence when you should be speaking righteousness?" They say nothing. They are too corrupt. Then comes the passage the missionaries misuse. David is speaking. This is not G-d. This is not G-d saying all people are born with original sin. It is David. David who is angry at the injustice these people have done to HIM. David says that these people who won't speak the truth, but were happy to disparage and criticize him when he was in danger -- these people are wicked and are distanced from G-d -- they must have been this way even while they're still in the womb they are so disgusting, hypocritical and evil David says. They're poisonous like a snake and they refuse to hear the truth if it doesn't somehow benefit them. David hopes that G-d will render them harmless like one would remove a snake's fangs. In other words: David is a bit peeved at these people! But this is not what G-d tells us about people. G-d tells us we are NOT evil from the womb. Br'eshit / Genesis 8:21 . . . "G-d said to Himself, ". . . the inclination of man's heart is evil from his youth." This isn't "Sophiee" telling you something. It is the bible. It is G-d speaking! Man's heart is evil from his youth NOT FROM HIS BIRTH, TAINTED WITH THE IMAGINARY ORIGINAL SIN. Read D'varim / Deuteronomy 30:15: "See! Today I have set before you [a free choice] between life and good [on one side], and death and evil [on the other]. . .30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses! Before you I have placed life and death, the blessing and the curse. You must choose life, so that you and your descendants will survive." We are not born into sin. To sin or not to sin is our choice. Yes, we are inclined to do evil -- to sin. But we are not born evil. We are not born into sin. Sh'mot / Exodus 32:22: "Do not be angry, my lord," Aaron answered. "You know how prone these people are to evil." Aaron doesn't say the people ARE evil. He says they are prone to evil. If we were all condemned to sin (as the concept of original sin asserts) then why would G-d punish us for something we couldn't control? Is the Christian god so cruel that he would let man be so condemned? Throw away your Christian translations -- they are not only full of errors, but the mere fact that they are completely out of order and ignore the level of holiness inherent in Torah-Nevi'im-Ketuvim makes these distortions not only possible but probable! Pointing to T'hillim / Psalm 58:4 where David is speaking of his enemies and ignoring the actual words of G-d in the Torah is done because, in their ignorance, they do not realize the difference between G-d's words and the words of a man in pain (David)....
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