Why did God give man intelligence and then forbid it’s use?

[Greatest I am]

Our purpose was to love God. I stated that several times thru several different answers. A sign of your intelligence.

the serpent was the manifestation of satan.

God does not give eternal damnation as an incentive to follow. That is what you get if you do not obey. Another sign of your intelligence. Even a child knows you only go tell hell if your "bad".

Your other points are not even worth mentioning. It is clear you have a biased view, and only want to talk to other people who agree with you.

Reread what you wrote. You contradict yourself.

If you do not see it then you are a goof. Please do not come back.
If you do come to reason.

Regards
DL

 

[Greatest I am]

An accurate characterization of the mindset most religions desire/require in their adherents - naive, simple, trusting, ignorant, and fearful. Well put.

You forgot impossible to reason with.

Regards
DL

 

[Greatest I am]

Fair enough God and Enoch 1 Atheist 0!

I see that belief in talking snakes and seven headed monsters also screw up the ability to count.

Regards
DL

 

[Greatest I am]

The story has nothing to do with intelligence. It has to do with humanity crossing the line between humanity and Deity. Note that the phrase "become like God" is far more important to the context than "knowledge of good and evil." If we know good from evil, then we have the opportunity to choose evil. We become lords over our own morality.

Remember how Paul said that (paraphrased) where there is no law, there is no sin. When there is no right or wrong, then "right" and "wrong" are not on the radar for righteousness. There is only God's will. But when "right" and "wrong" show up on our radar, then we're forced to choose. That choice constitutes making us "like God."

The fall was a fall up for humanity. It gave us greater privilege, but also greater responsibility that we've always had trouble living up to.

Not bad at all.

I do not call it a fall but a glorious leap into a history that would not exist without Eve eating of good and evil and giving us a moral sense.

Regards
DL

 

[Greatest I am]

I've never heard anyone outside the LDS Church speak of the Fall in positive terms (i.e. "fall up").

It must be so or God's will was thwarted.

Can God fail? Can his will be thwarted?

Regards
DL

 

[Greatest I am]

Personally, I don't hold that the snake is HaSatan.

My kids, I told them what to do and what not to do, like any parent. I tell them these things for their own sake, not mine. I don't explain to them why, if they understood the reason why then I wouldn't need to make rules. I can't explain to a toddler the danger of electricity in the wall outlet, this is beyond their comprehension. I need not explain, just request obedience. Disobedience has consequences, hopefully I would notice any disobedience and punish before the electricity does. I'm not going to tie them up to their chair to prevent disobedience, despite the potential danger.

Now they are older and know the danger, I no longer need to bring such a rule to their attention. They'd think me odd if I did, nu?

Such is the case with all of G-d's rules. They are for us and our own good, we ignore them at our own peril what we do or not has no impact on G-d. The commandments, then or now, are for us. Can G-d force total and complete compliance? yes, but we'd be robots then.

Strange to not educate your children as to why you do things. Oh well, God too works in mysterious ways.

Their motto must then be, I don't know why I don't do things. I do not think, I only do what I am told.

But why daddy? Shut up, you are to stupid to understand.

Why should I hate Gays daddy. Because I say so. Do not ask why, just hate them.

Regards
DL

 

[Zardoz]

Strange to not educate your children as to why you do things. Oh well, God too works in mysterious ways.

Their motto must then be, I don't know why I don't do things. I do not think, I only do what I am told.

But why daddy? Shut up, you are to stupid to understand.

Why should I hate Gays daddy. Because I say so. Do not ask why, just hate them.

Regards
DL

LOL, Straw man argument. This thread = waste of my time. Bai.

 

[HoldemDB9]

I'm speechless, and I'm also disappointed in you, Holdem. Speaking of intelligence, I thought you had more of it than to say something like this. That's as negative a stereotype as I've ever heard and I believe it deserves an apology.

I apologize if I offended you, but I do not apologize for what I said, because I honestly believe that it's true. I didn't call all religious people dumb, I didn't call all atheists geniuses, I said the more intelligent a person is, the less likely it is that they will be religious. Did you see the graph I posted?

 

[Realist]

Why did God give man intelligence and then forbid it’s use?

Adam and Eve are our archetypal first humans. All humans are to emulate them.
They were not to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil that gives us our moral sense.
Without this knowledge we would basically be as dumb as cows because without knowledge of good and evil, we would have no knowledge of most of what we know. Almost no dialog can take place without this knowledge as almost all issues have a good and evil aspect. Intelligence then cannot progress without this knowledge.

Why then would God want more baser animals instead of the intelligent man that has developed thank to Eve eating of the tree of knowledge?

Without moral sense we would not know why we follow God.
Sheeple instead of people in biblical terms.

Why does God want to keep man dumb instead of intelligent?

Why stifle man instead of letting him go to his full potential?

Man chose that route to potential but it seems that some think that God was right.

Was He or was man right to reach for a moral sense?

Would you stop Eve and lose YOUR moral sense?


Regards
DL

God has given mankind intelligence and a heart. We should use both in moderation and not just one or the other as I notice some religionists and atheists try to do.

I think that some of your conclusions are wrong here. God did command Adam and Eve not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil but that is not to say forever. That could've just been a temporary command and perhaps later on He would've let them eat from it. The moral of the story is about obedience, just as a child should obey their parents no matter what. Adam and Eve should've listened to God and ate from that tree when God would've told them to eat from it.

Contrary to another point, I believe conscience should be one of those prominent virtues in life, not just intelligence or knowledge. What good is all the knowledge in the world, if people misuse it due to lack of conscience. Knowledge is power, but with great power comes great responsibility and we've seen through history and our own country that knowledge and intelligence doesn't necessarily correlate with good or moral behavior.

 

[Greatest I am]

God has given mankind intelligence and a heart. We should use both in moderation and not just one or the other as I notice some Christians and atheists trying to do.

I think that some of your conclusions are wrong here. God did command Adam and Eve not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil but that is not to say forever. That could've just been a temporary command and perhaps later on He would've let them eat from it. The moral of the story is about obedience, just as a child should obey their parents no matter what. Adam and Eve should've listened to God and ate from that tree when God would've told them to eat from it.

Contrary to another point, I believe conscience should be one of those prominent virtues in life, not just intelligence or knowledge. What good is all the knowledge in the world, if people misuse it due to lack of conscience. Knowledge is power, but with great power comes great responsibility and we've seen through history and our own country that knowledge doesn't necessarily correlate with good or moral behavior.

Is God known for temporary commands?

" knowledge doesn't necessarily correlate with good or moral behavior"

This is true but moral behavior can only come and or be recognized with the knowledge of good and evil. It was denied so if Eve had obeyed, your wish for moral behavior would be impossible.

Regards
DL

 

[Reverend Rick]

Intelligent or arrogant? I believe it is ignorant to think man is all that when it comes to brain power.

The concept that intelligence some how makes all of your opinions correct is the perfect example of this ignorance.

When it comes to a higher power, the so called smart person is only guessing and cannot be certain they are correct. Absence of proof is not proof positive.

Prove me wrong or I am right? Can someone explain how this arguement has merit?

Back to the OP, God wanted man to display wisdom not intelligence. They are not and will never be the same thing. Wisdom contains patience and restraint which is far more useful to man than intelligence. Intelligence is impulsive and impatient more times than not.

A good example of my opinion is, a child could have an extremely high IQ. We still don't let them drive a car. If a child is smarter than their parents, should they be in charge?

 

[Realist]

Is God known for temporary commands?

" knowledge doesn't necessarily correlate with good or moral behavior"

This is true but moral behavior can only come and or be recognized with the knowledge of good and evil. It was denied so if Eve had obeyed, your wish for moral behavior would be impossible.

Regards
DL

God is known for some conditional commands and others are absolute of course. For instance, the NT makes some of the commands in the OT inactive. Like the ones that have to do with clean and unclean meat, etc. Or better yet, before the Laws given to Moses, incest was allowed from Genesis to that point, but after, incest was not allowed.

For your other point, according to Genesis Adam and Eve had knowledge of one thing that was good and evil or of a command of God, and that was not to eat from 2 particular trees. This is shown even more in Genesis 3: 2-3 by what Eve told the serpent who was tempting her to eat. She even knew their would be consequences. So perhaps the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil only was for an overall knowledge of good and evil, which is more than just that one command Eve and Adam had already received. I've expressed this point before with friends, and they initially thought that it was a contradiction. That's assuming though that there's only one way to obtain knowledge of good and evil which isn't the case. I say that because there could've easily been more than one way to gain knowledge of good and evil, one via God as He did by giving one command to Adam and Eve, and the other is through the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Genesis 3: 2-3 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'

 

[mordorf]

And God gave us free will to and yet he punishes those who not believe in him and not obey him.
and if he is all-knowing why send him self down to our earth and dies for our sins if he already knows what everyone will do and not do.

Use reason and question everything specially the holy scriptures if something doesn't add up it's most likely to be untrue.

And think about this mankind has always tired to use the supernatural when they cannot understand something.
One thing that comes in mind is the vikings for example when there was thunder in the air they claimed it was Thor who was swinging his hammer and now we know that it's not the case it's natural cause not a supernatural cause.

All the time when people can't explain a natural cause they claim supernatural cause, things are what they are an apple can and can't be an apple at the same time.
Like the claim that god is outside and inside our universe at the same time, that is impossible, but if he's real then why can't humans do it??
Why did he made us to live by some laws of physics when he doesn't, or why can't we walk in space or why so long distances to other galaxies or planets why can't we run in the speed of light, or why don't we live as long as Noah for about 900 years.

No it's impossible and things are what they are and no more.

For those who believe in god read the bible and question everything that contradicts itself in the bible, use reasoning...

 

[Realist]

And God gave us free will to and yet he punishes those who not believe in him and not obey him.
and if he is all-knowing why send him self down to our earth and dies for our sins if he already knows what everyone will do and not do.

Use reason and question everything specially the holy scriptures if something doesn't add up it's most likely to be untrue.

And think about this mankind has always tired to use the supernatural when they cannot understand something.
One thing that comes in mind is the vikings for example when there was thunder in the air they claimed it was Thor who was swinging his hammer and now we know that it's not the case it's natural cause not a supernatural cause.

All the time when people can't explain a natural cause they claim supernatural cause, things are what they are an apple can and can't be an apple at the same time.
Like the claim that god is outside and inside our universe at the same time, that is impossible, but if he's real then why can't humans do it??
Why did he made us to live by some laws of physics when he doesn't, or why can't we walk in space or why so long distances to other galaxies or planets why can't we run in the speed of light, or why don't we live as long as Noah for about 900 years.

No it's impossible and things are what they are and no more.

For those who believe in god read the bible and question everything that contradicts itself in the bible, use reasoning...

Your point may be a little off topic for this thread but to respond, I'd say God wants free-will but He also wants it within the context of morality. That means He wants you to "choose" to do good and following God is the greatest commandment according to Christianity.
If you think about it we also punish people for using their free-will or rather for how they use their free-will. I'm sure and I hope that most people would punish a murderer or a pedophile for their acts, even if they're using their free-will.

 

[zenzero]

Friend Greatest I Am,

Why did God give man intelligence and then forbid it’s use?

If you can prrove that god gave humans 8intelligence*; then surely can find a positive response to it!

Await response.
Love & rgds

 

[mordorf]

Your point may be a little off topic for this thread but to respond, I'd say God wants free-will but He also wants it within the context of morality. That means He wants you to "choose" to do good and following God is the greatest commandment according to Christianity.
If you think about it we also punish people for using their free-will or rather for how they use their free-will. I'm sure and I hope that most people would punish a murderer or a pedophile for their acts, even if they're using their free-will.

Now do you follow everything that's in the bible??
If you do then the bible says that it's okay to own a slave would you do that or that it's okay to take the child outside the city walls and stone it to death if he/she is disobedience against it's parents.

 

[Realist]

Now do you follow everything that's in the bible??
If you do then the bible says that it's okay to own a slave would you do that or that it's okay to take the child outside the city walls and stone it to death if he/she is disobedience against it's parents.

Are you here to advertise against the Bible , or to stick to the subject of the thread? For this thread, I'd prefer to answer what the subject was about, which is intelligence and God, not all around Bible Q/A. I've been though threads like that and the original focus and purpose of the thread always gets lost in the off topic details and never answered some times.
Do you agree with my explanation for why I disagree with the subject of the thread? If not, please share why.

 

[mordorf]

Are you here to advertise against the Bible , or to stick to the subject of the thread? For this thread, I'd prefer to answer what the subject was about, which is intelligence and God, not all around Bible Q/A. I've been though threads like that and the original focus and purpose of the thread always gets lost in the details due to this and never gets answered some times.
So did you agree with my explanation for why I disagree with the subject of the thread? If not, please share why.

No i am not here to advertise the bible,but doesn't the bible and god go hand in hand???
In which book is God mentioned???
For every claim about god you make it must have some from some scripture to look at
and make the assumption that he exists.
Am i right or wrong??
And about this thread the intelligence question and free-will goes hand in hand to me.
To make a claim you must have facts and evidence that the claim is true.
What proof have you that supports a god not a natural cause?

It's always the one who makes the claim that has the burden of proving it not the one who claims that it untrue..

 

[Realist]

No i am not here to advertise the bible,but doesn't the bible and god go hand in hand???
In which book is God mentioned???
For every claim about god you make it must have some from some scripture to look at
and make the assumption that he exists.
Am i right or wrong??
And about this thread the intelligence question and free-will goes hand in hand to me.
To make a claim you must have facts and evidence that the claim is true.
What proof have you that supports a god not a natural cause?

It's always the one who makes the claim that has the burden of proving it not the one who claims that it untrue..

I already answered your free-will point but then you moved on to talking about slavery. What does slavery in the Bible has to do with God giving people intelligence?

The Bible is also a wide-ranging book. The subject of this thread was started for a "particular" topic in the Bible, not the Bible overall. Lastly, I'm sure very few people here have said that God is proven or that the story of Adam and Eve and the Tree of Knowledge is proven to exist. That's not to say they didn't exist due to lack of proof neither. We're speaking from a theological standpoint (with some moral philosophy included) which is just discussion or examination of some story of the Bible. We're not speaking from a logical basis here, nor have I or anyone here claimed to from what I see. So I ask again, what do you think of my explanation or about the subject of the thread? Does God punishing Adam and Eve for eating from the Tree of knowledge prove that God didn't want them to have knowledge or intelligence?

 

[mordorf]

Why did God give man intelligence and then forbid it’s use?

That question is easy to answer because god is an evil supernatural thing that seems to love to make something then forbids us to use it.
And then we come directly to the question if he is all-mighty and all-knowing, then why make us intelligent why make us at all...

And another thing if he did how come we have a bible??

And to answer the Realist of this thread that if he did then he is the most evil being of all times.