If Adam & Eve ate from the tree of knowledge, is religion mankind's way of handing back that apple?

Question

Please understand. I do not believe in god or the creation myth. It is just a poetical story, a device, originally to keep simple folk abreast of the great works of god. Of course, the angle I employ is literary/cultural. I am just asking to see what people say, not to be enlightened on the motives of a non-existent god!

Answer 1

according to Karl Marx "Religion is the opium of the masses"

have another bite

Answer 2

There is no evidence that it was an apple they ate. The bible just says they ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge. There are many fruit bearing trees. There's no evidence that Adam and Eve existed either, or for that matter the garden of eden. Also if god is all knowing, then he knew if he created adam and eve then they would take the fruit, thereby he never gave them free will and this was clearly entrapment because god knew it was going to happen. So only one guilty in all this is god!

Answer 3

Why would they return the apply back, eating of the tree of knowledge leads to the tree of life. Perhaps the bible is allegory, and not for Eastern traditions such as Buddhism but for the mind of the seeker, as the gnostics and ebonites said? Perhaps, perhaps the tree of knowledge is the mind, and the tree of life is that same mind in perfection. The reality of mind and the different levels of being and how they manifest within the mind, and the laws that work upon the mind.

Answer 4

Saying that the bible story was originally for 'simple' people shows a lack of knowledge and wisdom. It wasn't and it isn't. Take it literally or take it symbolically, it's a great plot with meaning. But you have to take a step towards humility to understand what it's about...and unfortunately these days...that's a word which isn't in man's vocabulary.

Answer 5

If they ate from the tree of knowledge then the first thing they would have realised is that religion is FICTION, and they would have lived happily ever after from then on.

But they didnt exist because humans evolved from prior species, and continue to evolve to this day.

Answer 6

LOL. The story is a symbolic representation of humankind's development. In one interpretation, it symbolizes our development from pre-sentient beings to sentient beings. The fact that the story is talking about evolution is emphasised by the serpent's change from a legged creature to a legless creature. This is confirmed by evolution.

Answer 7

pl be matured and be discerning. its a metaphorical story that has been changed. whatever the story dont waste time. if you're a no-God person, do other meaningful things to bring peace, security and education to the peoples of the world. there is so much to do in this world and yet we engage ourselves in useless discourse [myself too]. in your own small ways, u can do that. start now!

Answer 8

Are we punished for Adam’s sin? Will God hold us accountable for what Adam did in the Garden of Eden? It doesn’t make sense that we should be punished for something we didn’t do. After all, we weren’t there in the Garden. We didn’t do anything. So, are we punished for Adam’s sin?
The answer is yes and no.
On one hand, we suffer the consequences of Adam's disobedience and have inherited a sinful nature from him (Rom. 5:12-23). The Bible states that ". . . through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned," (Rom. 5:12 - all Bible quotes are from the NASB). Adam sinned. We didn’t. He was in the Garden of Eden. We were not. When we face God on the day of judgment, the Lord won’t say to us, "Adam sinned, so you are going to pay for it." We are responsible for our own sins, not the sins of others.
On the other hand, we are affected by Adam’s sin. This is how. Before the fall, Adam was sinless, perfect, and good (Gen. 1:31). He had a ‘good’ nature. But, after the fall, he became a sinner. His nature was changed from ‘good’ to ‘bad.’ Since we are his children, we inherit his sinful nature (Rom. 5:12). In this sense, we suffer for what Adam did; that is, he caused his descendants to have sinful natures and all of us suffer because of it. This is called original sin. It means that we have inherited a sinful nature and that all of what we are as individuals (mind, body, soul, spirit, emotions, and thought) is touched by sin. But this does not mean that we are as sinful as we can be. After all, God has written His Law on our hearts (Rom. 1:19; 2:15).
In addition, creation was also affected by the fall. God had given dominion of the world to Adam. Adam sinned and sin entered the "world" as it says in Romans 5:12. That means that death entered the world along with disease, pestilence, earthquakes, famine, etc. They all have their root in the fall. That is why the Bible states that creation is longing for its redemption (Rom. 8:18-22).

Different Views on Original Sin

Calvinism
Generally speaking, the Calvinists maintain that the sin of Adam was imputed (made to count for) to the whole human race. This is maintained largely in regard to the concept of Federal Headship. This is a theological term for one person representing another person or group. Consider Hebrews 7:7-10,

But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8And in this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. 9And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, 10for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

Levi was a descendant of Abraham, but because he was still in the loins (seed) of his Father Abraham, when Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek, Levi is said to have paid them also. The concept is that Abraham represented his descendants and the tithes were counted to Levi as well.
Therefore, if Adam's sin was imputed to his descendants, all of them are guilty of sin and justly deserve punishment.