« Earth, the Whistleblower on Cain and Multi-Earthers »

(This blog entry continues the Cain and Abel story from the previous entry.)

Like many a murderer, when Cain was confronted about the one he’d killed, he denied knowing where the dead person was. Ironically, the very ground which Cain tilled became the whistleblower on his actions. YHWH appealed to Cain, “Listen; your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground! And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it will no longer yield to you its strength; you will be a fugitive and a wanderer on Earth.” 

These were heavy words for Cain to hear, a greater punishment, he said, than he could bear. The soil, foundational to the life choices he’d made, would not yield at full strength for him.

But the consequences of his murder went much further.

• His relationship with YHWH would be less immediate and personal.
• He would be less settled on the land than he desired to be.
• He felt threatened by others — especially herders, hunters, and gatherers — fearful that they would want revenge. 

YHWH, not wanting to see reprisal for Abel’s murder, put a mark on Cain to send a clear signal that violence by herders and hunters against agriculturalists could not make things right – not for Abel, not for anyone. In this way, YHWH rejected the notion that one act of violence could be made right by committing another.

Despite this clear rejection of redemptive violence by YHWH, Multi Earthers continue to espouse it to this day. Military reprisals and war continue to be chosen as a primary way to end conflicts and bring peace. Cain, having received his divine mark, went away from the presence of YHWH and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

I’d like to see your comments on two questions:

1. What is your experience of how Multi Earth ways repeatedly kill One Earthers and their practices?
2. In your experience how is Earth now whistleblowing Multi Earth’s denial of responsibility for murder of One practices?