A bible passage which declares the mind evil?

[emanon]

Instinct of self preservation is what man does not possess: Man has the power to act as his own destroyer. A living entity that regarded its means of survival as evil would not survive. A plant that struggled to mangle its roots would not survive. A bird that struggled to break its wings would not remain for long in the existence they affronted. But the history of man has been a struggle to deny and destroy his mind.

I need a passage from the bible for a creative project that represents the view that man's mind/rationality is evil.

The better known the passage, the more effective it will be. The intention is to link the passage to the bird struggling to break its wings.

If you can help me, then that would be great,

Thanks!

[DanLane]

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" -Proverbs 3:5

This is repeated hundreds of times throughout, I'm sure there are better ones too.

[fountainhead777]

If you want a more figurative one theres the Garden of Eden. They ate from the tree of knowledge instead of blindly following the command of god and were banished for it.

[Maximus]

If you want a more figurative one theres the Garden of Eden. They ate from the tree of knowledge instead of blindly following the command of god and were banished for it.

That's an allegory for mankind gaining consciousness. The Bible can not be taken literally, it's written in metaphor. It's also full of astrological/astronomical references.

[softwareNerd]

That's an allegory for mankind gaining consciousness. The Bible can not be taken literally,...

That is exactly what fountainhead777 said: that it was figurative. It is the allegory and symbolism that makes that episode such a terrible lesson. If Allah merely said "don't eat that fruit", and they did, we would have a sin of disobedience, and perhaps some specific restriction related to eating fruit. Instead, we have a message that eating fruit is not sin. Rather, the attempt to gain consciousness, self-consciousness and knowledge is sinful.

[SapereAude]

Isaiah 5:21

Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and clever* in their own sight!"

*(sometimes translated as shrewd or prudent)

[Tom Hall]

I need a passage from the bible for ...

Try this: on line searchable bibles

[Drregaleagle]

In the Bible, thinking is usually identified with the heart. I can't recall a verse that mentions the brain. The absence or at least paucity of verses mentioning the brain suggests that the mind was identified with the heart. Keep this in mind. The first one that comes to mind is Genesis 6:5, which read And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Proverbs 21:27 reads The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?

I understand that this verse doesn't suggest that all minds are evil, but this next verse sure does:

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9.

Remember, the mind is identified with the heart in the Bible.

Edited July 27, 2010 by Drregaleagle

[SapereAude]

In the Bible, thinking is usually identified with the heart. I can't recall a verse that mentions the brain. The absence or at least paucity of verses mentioning the brain suggests that the mind was identified with the heart. Keep this in mind.

Remember, the mind is identified with the heart in the Bible.

This is a digression though, the OP asked about the mind, which knowing the definition of mind it would be irrelevent if any given religion thought it to be seated in the brain, heart, lips, or pinky-toe. No one here used the word brain to begin with so why is particular relevent?

[bluey]

Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"; and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile. So then, no more boasting about men!" (1 Corinthians 3:18-21)

These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:13-14)

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, (1 Corinthians 1:2528)

These are all from one book. There are others as well--I think in Romans and Timothy, although I don't remember exactly where or the words.

You might also find what you're looking for if you do a search of verses about "faith"--which is belief without evidence or proof--and how it is essential to life. So in other words, trusting in your own mind is a hazard to your life. There's lots about that in Hebrews.

[emanon]

Genesis 6:5, which read And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" -Proverbs 3:5

These could work.

---

If it helps, think of the question like this:

"________________________ [insert Biblbe Quote]" is like saying that a bird can only live properly by breaking its wings, or a tree by mangling its roots.

The quote can be anything which regards man's nature (as a thinking animal) as evil, unworthy, insufficient etc.

Thanks for your help so far. The reason I asked rather looking myself (which I have already done) is that like someone pointed out, it almost never refers directly to the mind which makes it hard to do any search

[volco]

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." (1 John 2:15-17)

Thought that passage might be of interest. By declaring the evil of the human mind, as pointed out, you have to go no further back than Genesis; but I have another interpretation, for see, I consider the Bible the oldest fiction text in history which, albeit the evil it has caused, it is maybe the oldest reference I have for knowing how early humans thought.

The history of Adam and Eve is not, in my opinion, about the evil of the mind, but a story about not being able to have your cake and eat it too, or rather: not being able to be an animal with a human mind, and still enjoy the "carfree" life of an animal.

"and they bit the fruit and realized they were naked" the creation of the first taboos coincides with the "civilization" of the homo sapiens sapiens animal into MAN.

It is fascinating topic, really.

Edited July 28, 2010 by volco

[Drregaleagle]

This is a digression though, the OP asked about the mind, which knowing the definition of mind it would be irrelevent if any given religion thought it to be seated in the brain, heart, lips, or pinky-toe. No one here used the word brain to begin with so why is particular relevent?

There was no digression. If I didn't mention that the heart was identified with the mind as opposed to the brain, then numerous quotes would be taken out of context. Without my preamble, the meaning of verses that concerned the heart would be lost. If someone said "thoughts of the heart" today, I'd have no idea what he was talking about unless he mentioned that he thought the mind was in the heart.

[Dante]

If it helps, think of the question like this:

"________________________ [insert Biblbe Quote]" is like saying that a bird can only live properly by breaking its wings, or a tree by mangling its roots.

The quote can be anything which regards man's nature (as a thinking animal) as evil, unworthy, insufficient etc.

Well I've always felt that Matthew 19:23-24 was an indictment of man's nature as a productive being. Man lives by altering the environment around him and turning previously wild objects into wealth. The verse states:

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." "

This immediately follows a conversation where Jesus tells a rich man to give away all his possessions. To anyone who understands the nature of man, this verse basically says that if anyone dares to be successful in living like a man, he is giving up an eternal reward. It's either success in this life, or riches in the next; you can't have both. This inversion is stated by Jesus quite clearly a few lines down. Matthew 19:30: "But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first."

[SapereAude]

There was no digression. If I didn't mention that the heart was identified with the mind as opposed to the brain, then numerous quotes would be taken out of context. Without my preamble, the meaning of verses that concerned the heart would be lost. If someone said "thoughts of the heart" today, I'd have no idea what he was talking about unless he mentioned that he thought the mind was in the heart.

You are correct.

Everyone I've known who has taken philosophy formally knows about the mind/heart thing from Abrahamic religious texts.

I was taking that for granted.

Point taken.

[ZSorenson]

" He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

"

Translation: He that is, must not be. He that is not, I am.

This means your mind and YOU are evil. Knowledge, self, are illusions, evils, diseases, sins to be healed. God, Jesus, death, are what is real.

Matthew 10

" And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

22 ¶ And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

24 Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?

26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?

"

Luke 12

The idea I guess is that there is a supernatural afterlife. And the message is that God created man's nature to possess volition - not to provide for himself - but to choose to obey. So the 'rational animal' survives by obeying, whereas the bird has to work... I'd personally like to see what Jesus would say if I donned one-cubit heels. And answering his inevitable response I'd say: "Can God created a stone so large that even he cannot lift it?"

In other words, is A, A? Or is it not? Going backwards: When dealing with omnipotence, 'can' is not the right question, rather 'will' is the correct question. Thus, God with all his omnipotence still must abide the law of identity. (Jesus would ask: "But who created the trees that provided the wood for your shoes?") And so I would end up saying that God created man with volition - a rational mind and hands to build. Therefore, it is man's nature as such that demands he provide for his life by these tools. To say otherwise - to say that the tools are just temptations to use volition in disobendience - is saying that man should use his mind to curse his mind. It is to say that the fowls of the air were given the gift of flight, so that they could reach a height sufficiently dangerous whereby falling would break their own wings.

Whooo, I'm starting to get drawn over to the Inception thread with this train of thought.