…1. Is it possible for a person to distinguish between right and wrong, without knowing the difference between good and evil?
a. If the answer is no: How do you justify that God punishes Adam and Eve when they don't know the difference between them? And what reason would Eve have to assume that the snake is trying to deceive her?
b. If the answer is yes: Can you give an example of it?
Right and wrong, or good and bad seems to be very subjective matters. I think it was enough for Adam and Eve to know what will happen, if they eat the fruit. Also, if they didn’t understand something, they had chance to ask directly from God anything, so there is really no excuse to act “without knowing”. The goodness of the act was not meaningful and actually it depends much of the point of view.
2. It is written in the Bible Genesis "3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made."
Why do you believe God made the serpent more crafty than all the other animals? Why is it important for it to be highlighted in the text?
I don’t really know why people wanted to add it to the text. Perhaps humans added it so that it would look that their own choice was not so bad? Also, I don’t know why serpent was made craftier. Luckily for me, it is not any problem.
3. The above text say that God created the serpent and its believed that this is Satan why do you think God allowed Satan do to evil in the Garden of eden?
But is it really evil to tell person what he wants to hear? I think Eve had already decided that she wants to eat the fruit, the serpent only gave here the excuse. People knew what God had told, but they rather listened the serpent’s version. I think it was not bad to allow the serpent to be there, because people had also the right information and could have asked more from God, if they would have wanted to be loyal to God, who had given everything to them.
But obviously serpent didn’t do nice thing for the people, because he told the truth in such way that it deceived people, like Tony in Scarface who says, “I always tell the truth even when I lie”. Many atheists actually use the same tactic and I recommend to be careful with their claims.
I think the serpent was allowed to be there, because he didn’t actually lie. God had not said only that they will die, God had said that with death they shall die.
4. The following is from Genesis 1 6,6: "6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled."
if God knows everything and can do anything he wants, how is it possible for him to regret, wouldn't he be able to foresee this?
When regret means that person is sorry, it doesn’t necessary mean that person thinks what he chose was not good in the beginning. It also doesn’t mean God didn’t know what happens, because God had also prepared salvation in the beginning.
5. God is commonly referred to as being ultimately good and unable to lie. In Deuteronomy 21,18-21 the law says the following: "18 If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him,19 his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. 20 They shall say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.” 21 Then all the men of his town are to stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid."
Given the ability to distinguish good from evil, do you think this is a good way of dealing with such issue or a bad way?
Why do you believe that God, which is all good, thought that death were the best solution to this problem?
Do you agree with the statement that a son per definition should obey their parents, regardless of how the parents might behave?
Do you consider the punishment of death for being stubborn and rebellious towards your parents, justified or a murder?
a. If you consider it murder, doesn't it conflict with one of the ten commandments?
b. If you believe it is justifiable, why do you think that such law is not in effect today, at least in most countries and would you support such law, knowing that God is only good and unable to do evil?
Murder means unjust/unlawful killing and it is against the ten commandments. Killing itself is not necessary wrong, if there is good lawful reason for it, in the Bible.
In the case of God, He has given life, therefore He has right to decide how long life He gives. There is no reason why He must give eternal life for all.
People have not given life, therefore they have no right to decide how long it lasts.
I think there is no Biblical reason to think son should obey and do evil things. In the Bible, the son is evil and therefore deserves death penalty. I think death penalty is not wrong, if given to evil unrighteous people, because those would make life eternal suffering for all, if they would be allowed to live eternally.
6. Also in Deuteronomy 25, 11 it says the following: "11 If two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from his assailant, and she reaches out and seizes him by his private parts, 12 you shall cut off her hand. Show her no pity."
Of all the things God can do, why do you think this topic were so important that it needed to be added to the law? And do you think that the punishment for it is justifiable?
Difficult to say, what is the value of hand versus private parts. In that age private parts could have been even more valuable than a hand. Perhaps more correct would have been to give their children to the person who lost the ability to get own offspring? I think the price Bible gives is fair. However, I think the one who gives the judgment, should evaluate the situation and be merciful, if there is good reason for it. I think it is important to understand that the Bible gives the allowed judgment, but it was judges job to decide the right judgment in different situations.
7. Deuteronomy 22, 28-29 it says the following: "28 If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, 29 he shall pay her father fifty shekels[c] of silver. He must marry the young woman, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives."
Do you believe that a women or father experiencing something as described above, would agree with this being the definitely best way to solve the issue?
Do you think rape (only if discovered) as a crime ought to be considered worse than being stubborn?
In the case of stubborn son, it meant that the person was evil and did bad things. Rapist is not necessary as evil, all though I think it is wrong. But if he would have been killed, it would have been bad for the child, that is why I think the solution was acceptable. Also, how often virgin men rape virgins?
8. Based on the previous questions and given the ability to know the difference between good and evil, can you explain why God is considered ultimately good?
Good seems to be very much subjective opinion. I think good is good, because He is merciful, just and righteous. I think it would not be good to allow evil to continue forever and by so make life eternal suffering for all.
9. Regardless of whether the law is in effect or not, can you explain how something that is considered all knowing and all powerful decided that this were the best laws, what do you think is his reasons for them to be like that?
It depends on what is the purpose of the law. If the purpose is to prevent crime and to give what people deserve, I think it is very good. If the purpose would be to make evil to flourish, then it is not very good.
10. Can you think of any more reasonable laws with more justifiable punishments than those God made in the laws mentioned above, even though you are not all powerful and ultimately good?
Actually, I think there is no more justifiable laws. The ones people usually nowadays make, serve the evil criminals and despise the victims.