Adam and Eve

[Klaufi_Wodensson]

So most people are familiar with the Adam and Eve story. My question is this, if the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil gave Adam and Eve the ability to choose right from wrong, how would they have known that disobeying god and eating from the tree was wrong? Now yes, god told them not to, but they did not know what wrong was until after they ate from the tree. So why should they have been punished?

 

[Storm]

They couldn't. Yet one more reason a Literalist interpretation of Genesis just doesn't work.

Eve picked a fruit, Eve bit the fruit
Juice ran down her chin
Babies will put things in their mouths
Never heard of sin
~ Joan Osborne, Lumina

 

[Klaufi_Wodensson]

They couldn't. Yet one more reason a Literalist interpretation of Genesis just doesn't work.

Eve picked a fruit, Eve bit the fruit
Juice ran down her chin
Babies will put things in their mouths
Never heard of sin
~ Joan Osborne, Lumina

What is your interpretation then?

 

[Storm]

What is your interpretation then?

LOL, I'm not remotely Abrahamic, so my interpretation doesn't count for much.

That said, I think it's a masterpiece of a myth.

 

[Klaufi_Wodensson]

LOL, I'm not remotely Abrahamic, so my interpretation doesn't count for much.

That said, I think it's a masterpiece of a myth.

Oh haha. Neither am I, and I agree with you.

 

[WayFarer]

Genesis 3:3 KJV
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

So they knew that they shouldn't eat from the tree (they were told) and that there was consequences if they did (they may not have understood the "lest ye die" portion or even what death was). Eve knew that it was a bad deal though because that was her argument to "the serpent". Of course in this case it was not a physical death, but the death of innocence.

Not my thing (I'm not Abrahamic either) but bear in mind that the God of Abraham did not need much of a reason to punish someone. Remember Job. A good guy, God liked him and yet He let Satan step all over him just to prove a point... to Satan who God should have told to "shut up and leave my people alone" instead of letting his adversary put one of his followers through the grist mill for no reason.

 

[Klaufi_Wodensson]

Genesis 3:3 KJV
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

So they knew that they shouldn't eat from the tree (they were told) and that there was consequences if they did (they may not have understood the "lest ye die" portion or even what death was). Eve knew that it was a bad deal though because that was her argument to "the serpent". Of course in this case it was not a physical death, but the death of innocence.

Not my thing (I'm not Abrahamic either) but bear in mind that the God of Abraham did not need much of a reason to punish someone. Remember Job. A good guy, God liked him and yet He let Satan step all over him just to prove a point... to Satan who God should have told to "shut up and leave my people alone" instead of letting his adversary put one of his followers through the grist mill for no reason.

And to add to your Job point, he did similar to Pharoah. Pharoah gave in every time, if I am not mistaken, and then god "hardened his heart" and changed his mind to prove his power. He killed innocent firstborn children to prove a point, even though the Pharoah wanted to let the jews go.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

So most people are familiar with the Adam and Eve story. My question is this, if the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil gave Adam and Eve the ability to choose right from wrong, how would they have known that disobeying god and eating from the tree was wrong?

What a novel question! :clap

 

[RomCat]

Adam and Eve had the use of reason and the free will
to choose good or evil before they ate the forbidden
fruit. God directly commanded them not to do so but
they freely chose to disobey.

 

[Storm]

Adam and Eve had the use of reason and the free will
to choose good or evil before they ate the forbidden
fruit. God directly commanded them not to do so but
they freely chose to disobey.

They couldn't choose between good and evil because they didn't understand either. Free will and reason are worthless without knowledge.

 

[Caladan]

There are Jewish traditions which describe eating from the tree as an essential event in Adam and Eve's quest for expanding their consciousness.
perhaps in this tradition, God was knowing what he was doing when he placed a tree right in the middle of the garden with a big neon sign: "DONT EAT"!

 

[AxisMundi]

So most people are familiar with the Adam and Eve story. My question is this, if the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil gave Adam and Eve the ability to choose right from wrong, how would they have known that disobeying god and eating from the tree was wrong? Now yes, god told them not to, but they did not know what wrong was until after they ate from the tree. So why should they have been punished?

Perhaps it would be better to point out the pure sadism of Jehovah in this myth.

Said alleged omnisentient being put said tree in said garden already knowing that his two creations would eat of said tree.

IOW, Jehovah put the tree in the garden knowing that the fruit would be eaten, and knowing he would then kick A&E out and punish them.

It's like putting a cookie on a coffee table and telling a hungry toddler don't eat it or you'll spank them.

 

[RomCat]

Loving draws us more to things than knowing does.
Love wants the substance. Love wants the thing,
not the idea of the thing.
Love, then, supplies for a lack in knowledge in its
human and rational condition in the lowest rank of
intelligence.

Summa Theologiae Vol. 1; Appendix 2 "The Dialectic
of Love In The Summa"

 

[Storm]

Loving draws us more to things than knowing does.
Love wants the substance. Love wants the thing,
not the idea of the thing.
Love, then, supplies for a lack in knowledge in its
human and rational condition in the lowest rank of
intelligence.

Summa Theologiae Vol. 1; Appendix 2 "The Dialectic
of Love In The Summa"

Wow. A non sequitur conatining a non sequitur. That's got to be some kind of record.

 

[Just_me_Mike]

So most people are familiar with the Adam and Eve story. My question is this, if the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil gave Adam and Eve the ability to choose right from wrong, how would they have known that disobeying god and eating from the tree was wrong? Now yes, god told them not to, but they did not know what wrong was until after they ate from the tree. So why should they have been punished?

What a novel question! :clap

I disagree. Why are we to presuppose right and wrong equals good and bad?

There is no indication, they did not have the ability to understand right and wrong, in fact there is indication they could follow directions.

Good and evil are something entirely different. :yes:

 

[LittleNipper]

So most people are familiar with the Adam and Eve story. My question is this, if the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil gave Adam and Eve the ability to choose right from wrong, how would they have known that disobeying god and eating from the tree was wrong? Now yes, god told them not to, but they did not know what wrong was until after they ate from the tree. So why should they have been punished?

A very simple Clue comes from the very words of the devil possessed serpant, "for God doth know that in the day of your eating of it -- your eyes have been opened, and ye have been as God, knowing good and evil.'

This is the very evil of satan ---- to become GOD. Adam and Eve are tempted to distrust GOD and that they can become GOD themselves. GOD created them. GOD talked with Adam. Adam saw GOD, and yet he came to distrust GOD's word.

 

[Klaufi_Wodensson]

A very simple Clue comes from the very words of the devil possessed serpant, "for God doth know that in the day of your eating of it -- your eyes have been opened, and ye have been as God, knowing good and evil.'

This is the very evil of satan ---- to become GOD. Adam and Eve are tempted to distrust GOD and that they can become GOD themselves. GOD created them. GOD talked with Adam. Adam saw GOD, and yet he came to distrust GOD's word.

What is wrong with becoming a god?