How come god created the tree of knowledge?

[FictionJunction]

Re: How come god created the tree of knowledge?

Hell was created by God as punishment to Satan and his followers for rebelling. Satan is no ruler there in the idea that he has extra magical powers. He is a ruler in Hell simply because the others follow his lead, much like we follow leaders in the human world for being good with words and quick-witted (ideally for us, anyhow).

FictionJunction: Explain how I'm ignorant for following a Christian denomination. I don't draw a direct link between the state of ignorant bliss we imagine Adam and Eve having been in and that somehow magically making all Christians ignorant themselves.

The thing you are rejoicing about? Being able to differentiate between good and evil and therefore having things which cause joy rather than mere happiness in your life? That was God's intention as I see things from my standpoint.

It comes down to perspective. I believe the snake was a third party, unaffiliated to the devil. It tricked Eve into taking the fruit. Adam ate at Eve's suggestion. God came by, punished all three. Adam blamed Eve. Eve blamed the snake. The snake doesn't blame, but if it had, it would've said "I just told them to eat the apple, I didn't eat it myself." I don't see where God played a role in the making this all come to happen. Assuming that the actions taken place at the Garden of Eden did occur, Adam and Eve, human beings like us, put humanity where it's at. If that moment hadn't occured, we'd all be equally as innocent and ignorant as they were. I just don't see God's role in Eve's decision. She deliberately chose to follow the snake's suggestion. Why would God want her to eat from it, if he told them not to? To teach them a lesson? wouldn't that make the snake, who is often affiliated to the devil, God's catalyst to get the lesson started?
I repsect people's right to follow whatever they please. I just don't fully agree on the reason's some people follow their religion of choice. I never mentioned that you were an ignorant for following a certain denomination of Christianity, and if I came off as generalizing, I apologize.
I'm certain you are aware of how many co-followers you have who haven't the slightest idea of what they 'believe' in, right? That I dislike.
Also, I stand corrected on the God didn't create Hell statement. You're right; however, he didn't plan on creating it. He didn't expect Lucifer to rebel. Also, I'm aware the Devil isn't the ruler of Hell. My views of Hell/Purgatory/Heaven come mostly from The Divine Comedy (I find it fascinating =D) and the Devil is merely trapped there as the rest of the sinner are.

[Laharl]

Re: How come god created the tree of knowledge?

I agree; the Divine Comedy is an amazing piece of literature. I suggest you read the first couple books of Milton's Paradise Lost if you want another take on Hell, and maybe the whole entire book if you want to get into Milton's views on this entire subject we're talking about.

I personally believe the story of Adam and Eve is a parable or an allegory or some kind. They might very well have existed, but this partaking of the fruit thing might be a way that helps turn the specifics into a story to make it easier to grasp for unlearned people (which the vast majority of humanity was up until a few centuries ago, anyway.) Or, if there really was a fruit of life and such, the knowledge of good and evil might simply have been the realization they broke God's commandment. To put it into terms we use, they realized they went rebelled against their creator and felt guilt for it.

I've said before I think the story of the creation is rather vague and people who know the words written always seem to argue against that. The reason the story is vague is because it's specific about things which are largely allegorical! and we're never given the interpretation of the story in actual scriptural texts.

[FictionJunction]

Re: How come god created the tree of knowledge?

An allegory to what, though..
we'll never know =(
It's all really perspective in the end..and niether party is absolutely right. If there was an absolute answer to all of our issues, we'd all follow the same belief, and there wouldn't be debate.

[kylehaas]

Re: How come god created the tree of knowledge?

yeah... the whole story of Eden, and lots of the Book of Genesis is called a "Allegory." That means that everything in the story means something else. I dont really know why the tree of knowledge existed in the first place, but i think that is just a part of the story. what is done, IS DONE...
did you know there was also a tree of mana (life) in the garden of eden?!?!!?!?

[megaxxx]

Re: How come god created the tree of knowledge?

There was also a Tree of Wisdom if I am not mistaking. Also, a little off topic, but again if I am not mistaking, there was also the tower of babel I think that many people climbed, and it sent all of the people in different directions across the world. I think there is more to that story also.

[MalReynolds]

Re: How come god created the tree of knowledge?

Are you SERIOUS?

I believe the Babel story goes something like:

Everyone spoke one language and used this to build a tower take over heaven, 'cause Heaven had the mother of all WMD's, GOD. God went, "WUT! N0!" Then he jenga'd the tower and confused the speech all up so people couldn't try anything like that again.

[korny]

Re: How come god created the tree of knowledge?

JENGA!

[FoJaR]

Re: How come god created the tree of knowledge?

well something like that, they actually wanted to take over heaven LOL.

so it was more like "you guys are prideful idiots, MAKE YOUR TIME! JENGA!", than "you cant come up here, JENGA"

[Laharl]

Re: How come god created the tree of knowledge?

An allegory to what, though..
we'll never know =(
It's all really perspective in the end..and niether party is absolutely right. If there was an absolute answer to all of our issues, we'd all follow the same belief, and there wouldn't be debate.

Allegory to the real story of how mankind broke their direct link to communication with the divine, perhaps. I could come up with lots of theories on what, exactly. Maybe simply the start of civilization (as in people working together as communities rather than being lone nomads).

Who knows? It's a question I plan to have answered when I get to the other side.

[jewpinthethird]

Re: How come god created the tree of knowledge?

The Bible is not to be taken literally. It's to provide stories that are ripe with wisdom passed down since the beginnings of civilization.

[Chromer]

Re: How come god created the tree of knowledge?

So Jesus was never crucified? I find that hard to believe when there is actual historical evidence of the crucifiction. Now whether you want to believe that he rose up from the dead 3 days later is entirely up to you.

[GuidoHunter]

Re: How come god created the tree of knowledge?

I question that historical evidence of crucifixion.

--Guido

http://andy.mikee385.com

[Megmo]

Re: How come god created the tree of knowledge?

What historical evidence? You cannot prove that Jesus even existed (though I think he did). If you're talking about documents, they prove nothing because how do you know they weren't some piece of fiction, that it hasn't been altered in others' hands to conceal truths, or that the author is even who they claim to be? If you think about it philosophically, history could have been rewritten to make cover ups or something and we now believe lies as fact. How would we know the difference? Like I said before, who controls the present controls the past.

[MalReynolds]

Re: How come god created the tree of knowledge?

So Jesus was never crucified? I find that hard to believe when there is actual historical evidence of the crucifiction. Now whether you want to believe that he rose up from the dead 3 days later is entirely up to you.

Your arguement just defeated itself.

[megaxxx]

Re: How come god created the tree of knowledge?

How about we leave it like this. If you believe it, thats you. If not, good for you. If your still undecided, pick a side and get on with your life. If you have no life, why are you reading this then.