In the light of these facts would it not seem possible that Cain's
character and conduct are the reason why his offering was not
accepted?
What is the meaning and purpose of Jehovah's question, Where is
Abel thy brother? Is it probable that in the question, Am I my
brother's keeper, the writer intended to assert the responsibility
of society for the acts of its members? In China where to-day, far
more than in the West, there exists the responsibility of
neighbors, those who fail to exert the proper influence over the
character and conduct of a criminal neighbor often have their
houses razed to the ground and the sites sown with salt. Is
society responsible for producing criminals? How far am I
personally responsible for my neighbor's acts?
II.
THE MAKING OF A CRIMINAL.
Paul said, "All men have sinned." Are all men therefore criminals?
What constitutes a criminal? Was Cain a criminal before he slew
his brother? Legally? Morally?
Was Cain's motive in the worship of God truly religious or merely
mercenary? This portrait of Cain illustrates the fact that formal
religious worship does not necessarily deter a man from becoming a
criminal.
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