was that tree "real" and exactly what state of existence were a&E in before they ate from it? were they "robots" without free will?
2006-12-31 04:11:12 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Genesis 3:5
5 For [Elohim] doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
KJV
Perhaps this is spiritually - speaking. They were given a command to refuse something that was "pleasant to the eye" and perhaps good to the taste and it says the reason was because they would know good and evil. Before doing this act they apparently only knew good. It's obvious that they had free will, otherwise they never would have eaten the fruit.
2006-12-31 04:19:07 · answer #1 · answered by Elisheva 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, Adam and Ever were very much given free will which is very evident as that is what they used to eat of the fruit!
The tree of knowledge represented (yes it was real also!) God's Right To Rule or his Universal Sovereignty.
In essence God said, "This is my tree and if you love me and want to benefit from my further directions don't eat of it because it's mine not yours"
They did have a choice: Obey or disobey
They chose the later or Adam and Eve would have a house down the street from you and there would be no Cemeteries and Hospitals as they wouldn't be needed.
If they would have obeyed God from the outset when would they have went to heaven??? Ah, are you thinking now?
Restoring the Earth to Paradise is STILL a prophecy that is to be fulfilled. The same one that Adam & Eve didn't fulfill, namely Genesis 1:28
Free Will is also evident in the exchange between Jesus and Satan at Matthew 4:1-11
2006-12-31 12:22:04 · answer #2 · answered by Livin In Myrtle Beach SC 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The tree was real and very literal. As for Adam and Eve, they had free will, but they were also pure in heart completely so that they could have lived their whole life (for eternity) without sin. After they ate from the tree, they became sinful, and all of their descendents (all of human kind) are sinful too. In a way, they actually had more freedom before they ate from the tree, because it was easier to avoid sin when they had never done it before, although by their actions, they have proven it was not impossible.
2006-12-31 12:17:19 · answer #3 · answered by Lady of the Garden 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I thank they screwed up and got the wrong tree. They should have chose the tree of life. That's where the Christians have it wrong believing man may have eternal life. In Genesis God has said the days of man will be numbered. Of course they had free will how could they have eat the apple without free will. Good and evil has nothing to do with free will. Good and evil has to do with right and wrong.
2006-12-31 12:28:47 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (eating forbidden fruit) is a sexual metaphor. Think about it. Adam & Eve were naked, and sex is always an issue when it comes to religious matters, so do the math.
2006-12-31 12:20:57 · answer #5 · answered by SB 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They already had free will because they eventually chose to disobey. I don't know if the tree was real. Perhaps it symbolized their disobedience. Before, they were innocent, but afterward they had knowledge of good and evil, meaning they were aware that their choice was wrong and now there would be consequences.
2006-12-31 15:39:52 · answer #6 · answered by out of the grey 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Before the Tree of 'knowledge', the idea of self-consciousness or ego was not a situation to inflict upon the Human Creature. Ego represents the 'need' for free will... True Will is a lot harder to comprehend than just stating 'God's Will'... and True Will was divided by the manifestation of self-consciousness, or Ego.
2006-12-31 12:24:03 · answer #7 · answered by Invisible_Flags 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Adam and Eve were in a state of innocence before the encounter with the "serpent." They were not robots but people of free will. They used their free will to make a decision to listen to the serpent and not Jehovah's instructions. I often wrestle with whether the tree is literal or not. But it comes down to the lesson to be learned.
Once you open the door to a particular sin or temptation, it's harder and harder to resist. Once you've gone on various websites and filled your head with images, it's hard to forget them. You can't unsee or unhear or unsay something. Once innocence is lost, it's lost.
2006-12-31 12:19:33 · answer #8 · answered by Merry C 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't think the tree was real (or adam and eve for that matter).
As the story goes, they were human and they were naked. They had free will, but they were completely innocent and incapable of understanding what a sin is, so being punished for committing one is a little unfairy in my opinion.
If they understood sin then they weren't innocent.
It they were innocent then they couldn't understand sin.
2006-12-31 12:15:49 · answer #9 · answered by A 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It was Adam and Eve's free will that got them to partake of the forbidden fruit.
I believe in evolution and that the story of Adam & Eve is symbolic. No less important to humanity than if it actually occurred.
2006-12-31 12:16:31 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋