THE TWO TREES TM Peter Brohier
An alternative approach to understanding Christianity
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Copyright PN Brohier 2010 all rights reserved
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For a Christian or atheist to understand Christianity, an initial step would be to read the Bible. Belief in the contents of the Bible at this stage is not critical.
After reading the Bible then apply the commandments of Christ and do good for others. This results in an outwardly focused life, not self focused as described in the stages below the "self actualisation" category on the Maslow pyramid of needs.
If the outward focus becomes a full time life journey, then I believe that the hand of God will be seen assisting with that campaign or journey. The harder the journey the more the relationship with God grows. This hand of God may be seen in a way similar to the stories of characters described in the Bible.
It will seem that a participant in this process is adopting a parallel journey to that embarked upon by many characters described in the Old and New Testament, including the life of Christ.
The story of Eden and its two trees, in Genesis (The Bible), can be regarded as fiction or true but its principles still apply.
God charges Adam to tend the garden in which they live, and specifically commands Adam not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Eve is quizzed by the serpent concerning why she avoids eating off this tree. In the dialogue between the two, Eve elaborates on the commandment not to eat of its fruit. She says that even if she touches the fruit she will die. The serpent responds that she will not die, rather she and her husband would "be as gods, knowing good and evil," and persuades Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Eve eats and gives the fruit to Adam, who also eats. At this point the two become aware, "to know good and evil," evidenced by an awareness of their nakedness. God then finds them, confronts them, and judges them for disobeying. God expels them from Eden, to keep Adam and Eve from also partaking of the Tree of Life. The story says that God placed cherubim with an omnidirectional "flaming sword" to guard against any future entrance into the garden."Wikipedia"
The experience of a participant could be expected to be similar to that experienced by the great biblical characters.
The reader of the Bible is then likely to be a greater believer in the contents of the Bible and may apply it to his or her life.
The reader may sin, but their understanding relates to the concept of the Tree of Life, still allows for sin as the reader will still they have exposure to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, as was the case with many of the Biblical characters.
The aims of life would be akin to that provided by the Tree of Life.
Sins are associated with the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" and the Lord's prayer seeks to provide a mechanism for forgiveness. The consequences of sin still remain relevant.
This approach is different from those that believe in the saving power of Christ, as an individual as distinguished from the value of the message of Christ, and belief that Christ will help with more than basic earthly needs and will provide an extension of heaven on earth with eternal life and rigorously believe in the need, at all costs of a sinless life, or that Christ death expunges the sins of a believer in Christ.
This view also differs from those that wish to turn God or Christ into a physical or "word described" statue, whilst downplaying any real journey of applied Christianity or using Christianity with a mainly self focused life.
Also those that rigorously interpret scripture leave themselves and scripture open to scrutiny and opposing points of view without understanding the Bible in the context of a personal journey.
Proverbs 3
Happy is the man that findeth
wisdom,
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| 14 | for the merchandise of it is better
than the merchandise of silver,
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| 15 | She is more precious than rubies:
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| 16 | Length of days is in her right hand;
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| 17 | Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
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| 18 | She is a tree of life to them that
lay hold upon her:
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| 19 | The LORD by wisdom
hath founded the earth;
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| 20 | By his knowledge the depths are broken up,
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may have application.
The two trees in Eden are separate and a view of Christianity based on trying to not commit sin and self interest, including an interest in grafting the two trees together to describe Christianity does not seem to work.
The approach suggested is one of individual discovery and allows for theology to be discussed in the context of the journey with God and not directly as a weapon to convince or based or just a focus on a form of service.
It should be recognised that the Bible stories include high level stories of major religious and political change and the experience of the writer as a political lobbyist has demonstrated the relevance of such stories in current high level of public interest lobbying.
Peter Brohier LL B
Individual experiences will vary and are entirely up to readers.
ABOUT PETER BROHIER
Prime
Ministers, Keating, Howard and the Rudd Government have responded to Peter
Brohier’s vision, influence or lobbying for low cost access by sea to and from
Tasmania.
Uncapped
federal funding for Bass Strait has dramatically improved the economy of
Tasmania and offered greater transport equity for people and vehicles.
Peter
was awarded a major AHA Tasmania award for outstanding services to tourism and
for bringing the nation a National Sea Highway. Peter graduated in law from
Monash and won the CPA award for top accounting student from RMIT.
Peter,
you can, and should - take personal credit for the improvements in Bass Strait
fare equality. The campaign you and the National Sea Highway Committee have
waged over many years has succeeded in delivering better fares for Tasmanians.
Peter, I thank you for your hard work
on behalf of this State. All Tasmanians must salute you for your
achievements. Bob
Cheek, MHA, a Former Liberal Leader of the Opposition Tasmania.
Mr
Brohier has been a very strong advocate for a better deal for people on Bass
Strait. I think he has done a terrific job over the last few years.
Through his efforts he is probably more responsible than anybody else for the
introduction of the vehicle subsidy, I would think. Paul Lennon, former
Premier of Tasmania, Hansard 12 April 2002
"Senator
Barnett, I and a few others met with the restaurant and catering representatives
of the Australian Hotels Association-tourism and hospitality being a growth area
in our home state because of the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation
Scheme initiated by the Howard Government".
Senator
Abetz, Hansard 6th December 2004
Senator
Colbeck said the scheme, combined with the Spirit of Tasmania ferries, was the
next best thing to a highway link with the rest of Australia.
He said the figures confirmed that without the decision to introduce the
scheme, the ferries would not be the success they have been. The
Mercury, 13th
July 2004
Van Diemen's Reborn Land “Tourism is soaring, the economy is growing (the forecast is 3.5% next year), unemployment is falling and Tasmanians are no longer leaving home. Introduction of two daily ferry services from Melbourne in 2002, have fed the rush" The Economist, 17th January 2004
“Many new ideas are dismissed, considered too costly, or may just never happen. The status quo is usually maintained and defended. However, the cost of not implementing some new ideas can be very great. This cost is often never measured. Some ideas however transcend accepted policy and can be implemented. The idea for a “National Sea Highway" was just one of those – some others appear in this brochure.” Peter Brohier 2009
“My experience as a legal
practitioner, designer, manufacturer and retailer, continues to be valuable.
More valuable is my experience a parliamentary lobbyist.
Many of the world’s great and timeless stories are about the “pursuit
of purpose”. I believe that these stories contain the secret to an
extraordinary life. Taking ideas that can change a nation from nowhere to the
highest level in the politics is very hard. Key elements of such stories are
still just as highly and personally relevant today as on the very day they were
written.” Peter Brohier
2009
Authorised
and printed by Peter Brohier