Why Did God Even Bother?

[Skwim]

Genesis 2:8-9, 15-16
8 Then the Lord God planted a garden in the East,in a place named Eden. He put the man he made in that garden. 9 Then the Lord God caused all the beautiful trees that were good for food to grow in the garden. In the middle of the garden, he put the tree of life and the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil.

15 The Lord God put the man in the Garden of Eden to work the soil and take care of the garden. 16 The Lord God gave him this command: “You may eat from any tree in the garden. 17 But you must not eat from the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil. If you eat fruit from that tree, on that day you will certainly die!”​

My question is, what purpose did it serve to put the tree of knowledge in the garden?

Why did god bother to tempt A&E anyway? Did he not know they would eat its fruit and bring all kinds of calamity upon themselves and everyone who followed?


And if you believe the story is only an allegory, what is its message?



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[Mister Silver]

If he didn't put the tree there, then Adam and Eve couldn't have sinned by breaking his one commandment.

As fiction goes, it was poorly executed. It's not the only illogical inconsistency, but only those willing to think critically can see the discrepancies.

 

[bobhikes]

Genesis 1:8-9. 15-16
8 Then the Lord God planted a garden in the East,in a place named Eden. He put the man he made in that garden. 9 Then the Lord God caused all the beautiful trees that were good for food to grow in the garden. In the middle of the garden, he put the tree of life and the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil.

15 The Lord God put the man in the Garden of Eden to work the soil and take care of the garden. 16 The Lord God gave him this command: “You may eat from any tree in the garden. 17 But you must not eat from the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil. If you eat fruit from that tree, on that day you will certainly die!”​

My question is, what purpose did it serve to put the tree of knowledge in the garden?

Why did god bother to tempt A&E anyway?

Did he not know they would eat its fruit and bring all kinds of calamity upon themselves and everyone who followed?


.

My interpretation of the bible is that God wanted humans to have a choice. The tree allows humans to have choice. Throughout the bible God never forces anyone. It is always your decision, God may punish you for your decision but never forces the decision on you.

 

[Laika]

Perhaps the original (human) authors of Genisis didn't subscribe to the view that God was "all-powerful" and "all-knowing" and that was a later invention? God could therefore be fallible and in the context of earlier religions such as Roman and Greek Polytheism, the God's weren't meant to be perfect but flawed (I think?). it is literally the first book of the bible so in terms of the historical evolution of Jewish, Christian and Islamic doctrine the later theology wouldn't have been figured out yet. (the oldest book in the bible is apparently the book of Job).

Just a thought.

 

[Skwim]

My interpretation of the bible is that God wanted humans to have a choice. The tree allows humans to have choice.

Gotta ask, why this particular choice? Certainly A&E were choosing other things in the garden; choosing where to roam, choosing what to eat, choosing when to sleep, etc. etc..

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[DavidFirth]

Genesis 1:8-9, 15-16
8 Then the Lord God planted a garden in the East,in a place named Eden. He put the man he made in that garden. 9 Then the Lord God caused all the beautiful trees that were good for food to grow in the garden. In the middle of the garden, he put the tree of life and the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil.

15 The Lord God put the man in the Garden of Eden to work the soil and take care of the garden. 16 The Lord God gave him this command: “You may eat from any tree in the garden. 17 But you must not eat from the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil. If you eat fruit from that tree, on that day you will certainly die!”​

My question is, what purpose did it serve to put the tree of knowledge in the garden?

Why did god bother to tempt A&E anyway? Did he not know they would eat its fruit and bring all kinds of calamity upon themselves and everyone who followed?


And even if you believe the story is only an allegory, what is its message?



.

What does the text say? The text itself answers all of those questions.

And God did not tempt anyone. Read it again.

 

[Skwim]

If he didn't put the tree there, then Adam and Eve couldn't have sinned by breaking his one commandment.

Why do you think it was so important to god that A&E sin? And if it was paramount that they do, why not simply create them as sinners?

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[DavidFirth]

Why do you think it was so important to god that A&E sin? And if it was paramount that they do, why not simply create them as sinners?

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Who is god? There is no "god" in those verses you quoted.

 

[Mister Silver]

Why do you think it was so important to god that A&E sin? And if it was paramount that they do, why not simply create them as sinners?

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From a literary perspective, Adam and Eve had to sin in order for the story to continue in the direction the writer wanted it to go. The writer couldn't have created them as sinners from the beginning for the message of sin to be conveyed properly.

 

[Skwim]

What does the text say? The text itself answers all of those questions.

No it doesn't. Read my OP again and point out where the text answers my questions.

And God did not tempt anyone. Read it again.

If god didn't create the tree to tempt A&E then what was his purpose in putting it there?

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[Tumah]

My question is, what purpose did it serve to put the tree of knowledge in the garden?

They were meant to eat from it after the Sabbath.

Why did god bother to tempt A&E anyway?

The purpose of any Divinely given test is to justify the reward one would eventually receive. Everyone gets tested, they're not different.

Did he not know they would eat its fruit and bring all kinds of calamity upon themselves and everyone who followed?

Calamity?

 

[Tumah]

From a literary perspective, Adam and Eve had to sin in order for the story to continue in the direction the writer wanted it to go. The writer couldn't have created them as sinners from the beginning for the message of sin to be conveyed properly.

What is the message of sin?

 

[Skwim]

From a literary perspective, Adam and Eve had to sin in order for the story to continue in the direction the writer wanted it to go.

I don't see any "had to" at all.

The writer couldn't have created them as sinners from the beginning for the message of sin to be conveyed properly.

And this message is ____________________________________________________________ .

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[Sanzbir]

Genesis 1:8-9, 15-16
8 Then the Lord God planted a garden in the East,in a place named Eden. He put the man he made in that garden. 9 Then the Lord God caused all the beautiful trees that were good for food to grow in the garden. In the middle of the garden, he put the tree of life and the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil.

15 The Lord God put the man in the Garden of Eden to work the soil and take care of the garden. 16 The Lord God gave him this command: “You may eat from any tree in the garden. 17 But you must not eat from the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil. If you eat fruit from that tree, on that day you will certainly die!”​

My question is, what purpose did it serve to put the tree of knowledge in the garden?

Why did god bother to tempt A&E anyway? Did he not know they would eat its fruit and bring all kinds of calamity upon themselves and everyone who followed?


And even if you believe the story is only an allegory, what is its message?.

Well since you placed it in "general religious debates" I might as well answer from a Baha'i perspective:

Because the whole story is a allegory, as the Writings dictate. The story isn't literal, that would be silly.

The tree's fruit is the concept of a good/bad value judgement. Eden is the same as this world, just viewed from a state of contentment. "Eating the fruit" is embracing the false knowledge of a good/bad divide and applying that to one's view of the world. Being banished from paradise is due to them being unable to see the world in a state of contentment as before, and instead viewing it in terms of positives and faults.

 

[Mister Silver]

What is the message of sin?

The biblical message of sin is to make people feel worthless and as though the only conceivable cure is through the same method of salvation that was created by the one who invented sin. I cannot personally subscribe to such an unreasonable notion of sin; considering that my personal view of sin is that it is invented nonsense.

 

[DavidFirth]

No it doesn't. Read my OP again and point out where the text answers my questions.


If god didn't create the tree to tempt A&E then what was his purpose in putting it there?

.

God put the tree there to give A & E the freedom of choice to choose to disobey Him or to choose to obey Him. Without the tree and the one simple command A & E were like robots destined to follow God without choice. God doesn't want robots. He wants people who love and appreciate Him.

God tests us but He never tempts us. The devil is the tempter.

Of course God knew what would happen. He knows everything. He also had planned Christ's death on the cross and His resurrection to save Man from his dreadful choice.

If you will read the Bible you will learn that we are created for His glory. This is our purpose and this is the purpose of creation.

 

[Mister Silver]

And this message is ____________________________________________________________ .

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Why Did God Even Bother?

 

[Skwim]

They were meant to eat from it after the Sabbath.

They had a Sabbath back then? Really? And how do you know that they were meant to eat from the tree after it? And, why would this change something?

The purpose of any Divinely given test is to justify the reward one would eventually receive.

Where is this written?

Everyone gets tested, they're not different.

Well, they certainly were. They were two individuals whose answer to their "test" had ENORMOUS consequences.

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[Tumah]

The biblical message of sin is to make people feel worthless and as though the only conceivable cure is through the same method of salvation that was created by the one who invented sin. I cannot personally subscribe to such an unreasonable notion of sin; considering that my personal view of sin is that it is invented nonsense.

You must have misunderstood my question.
I asked "what is the message of sin?" not "what is an effect of the message of sin?"

 

[Mister Silver]

You must have misunderstood my question.
I asked "what is the message of sin?" not "what is an effect of the message of sin?"

I suppose the biblical message of sin in this instance and in fact throughout the bible is essentially disobedience.