Cain and Abel and Reading Between the Lines
In Genesis Chapter 4, we read that Eve had two sons, Abel and Cain. Abel was a keeper of flocks, Cain a farmer. They made offerings to God and God preferred Abel's. 3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord . 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. It matters not to me whether this ever actually happened or not. I have a love/hate relationship with the Bible. It does come with a warning of being a double-edged sword. To believe the Bible is literally true in its entirety has led to unspeakable behaviors throughout history. The literal belief in the Bible is one edge of a sword; the other edge is to read what has been passed down with a discerning eye, remembering that i...