Do you believe in The Blank Slate Theory?

[mikenet2006]

That's not in the Bible. Its a common idea, but there is no Biblical support for it.

It may be controvertial but I wouldnt have said that if I hadnt precieved it from the bible. Luke 1:15 is a good example it states that luke was full of the vertue of god yet still in his mothers womb or something like that.

In fact ill go find it and paste it here.

 

[mikenet2006]

Here it is..

15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.

Now this isnt nesesarily proof that all babies go to heaven, but the kind of sick twisted logic some people conjer up from some other bible quotes amaizes me.

Anyone here beleve a newborn babies place is in hell? Let me ask you this. What exactly were they guilty of ?
Being born?

Ohh I get it oh no no no, they were related to Adam thats right I almost forgot. This kind of theology shows true lack of character, but so many people just proceed to be like, hey yah! now that makes sense to me, babies in hell cool!

I think thats cute I really do, I cant stomach it, and I dont buy it, but I still think its cute. Good job!

any other thoughts on this?

 

[AlanGurvey]

Everyone's born pure and well and you have to add or detract from that over the years.



Was asked that. Never heard of it. Thought it was interesting. Yep.

guess you don't know much bout locke....

Tabula Rasa? Does that ring a bell?

 

[Jerlene]

Why do you say I don't know much about Locke? The other rings a bell, yes. I'm Catholic.

 

[Emmy]

Dear Jerlene, you had quite a few replies, and perhaps if you look at unbiased, it is simple. We are born into an imperfect world, we have genes from our parents, and we learn from our surroundings. Only as we grow older and wiser, we become the people we are. God gave us free will, we choose, and God`s Law is: Do good, and good will be done to you, do evil and you will reap evil. I know from experience that Jesus is a good Teacher, a loving Friend, and a reliable Guide. But I am sure you know the Bible, Jerlene, God`s Word is much more explicit. I say this humbly and kindly, and send greetings. Emmy, sister in Christ.

 

[Pogue]

I believe we are born innocent but with the capacity to do sin. This in itself isn't evil, but it is a human weakness.

 

[mikenet2006]

I believe we are born innocent but with the capacity to do sin. This in itself isn't evil, but it is a human weakness.

There ya go. I agree

 

[MoonlessNight]

Whether people are born evil and corrupt, or born loving and good is just a question of one's world view. I happen to be optimistic about my fellow humans.

I recognize everyone has the capability of doing evil, but that a vast majority people choose do good over evil a vast majority of the time. This seems to go against the notion we are inherently corrupt or evil. Certainly, we are not perfect. But we are certainly not all that bad, either.

Guess I'm just more of a "cup's half full" kinda guy.

The problem is that you are trying to determine the state of being at the beginning of a person's life by their actions much much much later on. This would be all well and good, except that blank slate or not, we all agree that the environment has a tremendous effect on us. In particular we are all taught and we all learn.

It's easy enough to say that we all were born evil but that many of us learned be good (at least somewhat).

And really, what is more selfish and uncaring than a child? To get past that stage most kids have to be taught. That's suggestive to me that they were born evil. If they were born good they'd have to learn how to be evil, but there's usually no one trying to teach them to be evil. I guess you could say that "being bad lets them get what they want easier" but a good person shouldn't become evil just because evil is easier. I mean, if it worked like that who would stay good?

 

[Stinker]

B The New Testament teaches that we are all born with an animal nature. Psuchickos (#5591 Strong's).

The word psuchikos is translated natural in 1Cor.2:14 and in this verse is compared to a spiritual person. In other words, an unconverted person is compared to a converted person.

"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

So at what point does an animal nature become an evil nature?

 

[MoonlessNight]

B The New Testament teaches that we are all born with an animal nature. Psuchickos (#5591 Strong's).

The word psuchikos is translated natural in 1Cor.2:14 and in this verse is compared to a spiritual person. In other words, an unconverted person is compared to a converted person.

"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

So at what point does an animal nature become an evil nature?

It is not an exactly an evil nature but it is certainly an unreasoned nature. In humans we have the choice to eventually develop our reason or to ignore it. When people become willfully ignorant, that is, when they cultivate their animal nature instead of their rational nature, that is where immorality comes in. Really I mean immorality, but in this thread people seem to be using evil and immorality interchangeably and I went along with it.

Really there isn't much difference between evil and immorality anyway. I see it as a matter of degrees, is all.

 

[Merlin]

Children are born without having sinned (Broken any of God's laws).
However, they are born with a tendancy to sin.
Much of the tendancy to sin is by imprinting.
Even while in the womb a child imprints from the parents.

 

[ReluctantProphet]

Everyone's born pure and well and you have to add or detract from that over the years.



Was asked that. Never heard of it. Thought it was interesting. Yep.

The word "pure" indicates the lack of anything "else". So the question becomes, "Pure in what sense?"

All blank slates are not the same. It could be said that all are born relatively blank in that they can learn and adapt to a large degree as per their environment requires.

But all are born with a degree of ignorance as to what their environment WILL require and thus have no choice but to err as they learn.

Error, even from ignorance, is sin, thus "all are born in sin".

In reality, all are born with propensities in a variety of directions. These propensities affect the direction of their subsequent errors to come.

Error, or sin, cannot be avoided during learning simply because the timing of consequence requires that all knowledge must be considered before any decision can be made. The only way to avoid this situation would be to be born already endowed with all knowledge. But that wouldn't be a "blank slate."

In general, the concept of a "blank slate" is skewed and useful only as comparative term.