Instead of The Fall

A. Unabashed Pacifist:

Loss of innocence need not mean a fall into the depravity of war.

B. Unabashed Christian:

Holy One,

You allowed my biological parents to name me. You knew me first and know me most intimately, but they named me. You cared for me in ways they could not, in fact, even cared for me through them. Strange as it sounds, I think you gave me up for adoption to them.
They proved to be good parents, and I love them and appreciate what they did for me. At the same time, I realize that much of my life I spent searching for, finding, and then relating more openly and more freely to you, my spiritual and, in an ultimate sense, my natural parent.
Amen

C. Unquoting Jesus:

"I don't do guilt or shame, because I'm into forgiveness. Interested?"

[Maybe a paraphrase of His response to the woman caught in adultery? Or even His overall message? But He did not say it in English...]

D. Blog: Instead of "The Fall"

I have, perhaps, an unorthodox view of the Eden story. The imposition of the concept of a "fall" (not in the text) and the church's subsequent theory of a fall and redemption plot line in the biblical story do not persuade me.

I see, and find more persuasive, a loss of innocence in the garden. The world no longer looks like paradise, in part because of our own acts, and after our loss of innocence, we cannot return to a perfect place.

Loss of innocence is a natural part of living as human beings. It requires no additional punishment, because it is punishment enough to recognize being placed in a good yet imperfect world.

The good news that Jesus so vividly - and controversially - presented is that God forgives us. Forgiveness according to Jesus comes not because we (or Jesus) offer some ritual sacrifice of atonement for sin, but because forgiveness comes naturally from God, who understands lost innocence as part of what it means to live as God's image in the world.