Isn't "Original Sin" actually the fault of "Satan"?

Question

Look at it this way. Adam and Eve did NOT have free will. They had to live by "God's" law. They were told NOT to go eat the apples. They had free run of the place, except the apple tree, right? They were told that everything in the garden was at their disposal. They had never known lies. They only knew what they were told by "God". The snake sidles up to Eve and tells her to go ahead. Eve assumed that the snake, being in the garden, was of "God" and trusted it. So that means that Eve was deceived. Why did they have to pay for what the freakin' snake did?? Why didn't "God" kill the snake and forgive Adam and Eve, rather than do what he did in the book? Oooh, right - it explains why people die, right?
You Christians really believe this stuff, huh?

I've read the entire bible through several times - it filled with more incest, war, death and torture than anything on the bestseller lists. Don't assume that since I'm atheist I know nothing of the bible, please.

Apples, pears, oranges.. who cares? In most religious imagery, it's an apple.

I'm just trying to understand why you believe what you do. Guess that makes me blind and stupid.

Answer 1

are you sure it was an apple tree? isn't that giving the apple a bad rap, i like apples and do not feel that I am sinning ever time i eat one.

but you are right the original sin was satan's.
but God did not kill him, he gave him the same sentence that he gave Adam and Eve. separation from God, the difference is that God gave Adam and Eve a way to reconnect with God and He is giving you the same opportunity.

Answer 2

As a Christian agreeing with an atheist, you're right, Adam and Eve did not have free will. It wasn't an apple tree though. And we don't know that it was a snake. Not sure whether this was a question or a statement though. Sin and physical death entered the world through the fall.

Answer 3

What ruins your theory:
Adam and Eve DID have free -will. That's why all people on earth ALSO have free-will.
God said no, the snake said yes.
Well guess what? The snake wasn't God.

Real life examples:
You live under your government's laws: but you still have free-will. You can still steal if you want, you'd just get in trouble for it.
If your mom told you not to.. I don't know, eat a cookie, but your brother told you to go ahead... same thing. Your mom didn't okay the eating of the cookie, someone else did --- who, although created by your mom, wasn't your mom. You had the choice not to eat the cookie, but did anyway. Who will mom punish? Probably both. Satan was already in hell, so Adam and Eve got thrown out of Eden.

And yes they did not know lies; but they knew God told them to honor what he said, and he said not to eat the special fruit. The snake went against the will of God. Doing what the snake said would be ignoring what God told them.

Like someone said earlier: God gives them a little break because it wasn't entirely their fault. He gives them (actually us) Jesus Christ.

Answer 4

I have lots of problems with that story myself. Let's see...

These are people without shame, or sin. Have been born as they are, hence, without a chance to grow up and mature, have lived their whole lives provided for, in some sort of paradise where everything is beautiful and safe. These may be people in the body of adults, but they are children. Little children, with no knowledge of things like deception, lies and ultimate motives. That they would be deceived is a matter of course. they have no protection against deceit or even any reason to expect it. they wouldn't know how to recognize it if they were expecting it. They have not been taught right from wrong, they are just supposed to know, somehow.

they have seen nothing but lavish generosity and praise from this god, and they have no reason to believe he will actually feel so strongly about this tree that he would seriously harm these creatures he loves so much. they also have no way of knowing this god operates on a one strike you're out basis.

the way i see it, if i am to take that story at face value, god is frankenstein (the scientist, not the monster). he created something incredible, walked away from it without accepting the fact that he had created life and was responsible for teaching it what it needed to know to be productive and positive, and when the actions of others and survival instict caused the creatures to break the law of their creator, they are killed, without appeal, without preamble, without a chance to learn from their mistakes and do better next time.

i was born and raised a catholic, though i am not a believer (don't think i ever was). I can look at this story metaphorically, and see truth it in. if i take it literally, then i have to say, no it was not the fault of satan, or at least not only of satan. god himself has at least an equal share of the blame.

Answer 5

No, he was only the tempter. He could not make them do anything. It was not an apple tree. It was the tree of Knowledge of good and evil. God warned Adam and Eve if they ate of this tree they would die. Yes the serpent did deceive Eve, but it was her free will that chose to eat and it was Adam's free will that also chose to eat, and their eyes were opened. They disobeyed God by choosing to eat from this tree. Actually it wasn't the serpent that was evil, but Satan entered into the serpent and used it as a pawn to get to Adam and Eve.

Answer 6

I agree with Stanbo. According to the story, Adam and Eve were sufficiently warned that eating of the Tree of Knowledge was forbidden, yet they chose to eat anyway, knowing that there would be a punishment. The serpent (which later tradition identified as Satan in the form of a serpent) was punished for tempting them, and Adam and Eve were punished for disobeying the law.

Adam and Eve did have free will. Being given laws that one must obey does not mean that one does not have the freedom to disobey them.

In Milton's retelling of the Genesis story, Adam and Eve even receive a visit from Raphael. The angel is charged with warning them about Satan, who is known to be lurking about Eden. Yet, even with this specific forewarning, Adam and Eve still choose to eat of the forbidden fruit. The temptation of Eve by the Serpent in Book IX is fascinating reading.

Answer 7

God gave mankind the free will to choose their coarse of action. To obey Him or not. Yes, Satan did deceive Eve but Eve did not have to disobey what God had told her. Being deceived is not an excuse for disobedience to God's commands even though I understand what you are saying.

If you know the history of Satan, then you know that he was once God's favorite in heaven. He was cast down to the earth to live as God's newest creation lived.

I know I am going to get some heat from fellow Christians on this but I do not believe that God knows everything that is going to happen before it happens. I don't think he knew that Lucifer (Satans old name in heaven) would deceive Eve and I don't think that God knew that mankind would sin. Eden was supposed to be a perpetual paradise for them.

And yes, I do really believe this stuff.

Answer 8

You show how little you know of the Word of God by each letter you type into this question of yours.

There is no mention of an apple or apple tree in the first book of the Bible. You need to read it sometime for yourself instead of believing others.

You also say that Adam and Eve did not have free will. Of course they did. They have free will just as you and I have free will. Yes they were told to not have nothing to do with Satan in the role of the serpent. They blew it and did go against God's Will using their free will.

Again, you know nothing about God's Word. Not to worry though, as you still have time to repent and get educated.
Good luck in whatever you choose to do.><>

Answer 9

Please take a closer look at the passage - you will see that God curses the snake for what he did to Adam and Eve but he does not curse Adam or Eve for what they did! Instead, he promises them that a child will be born from the woman who will "crush the head" of the serpent.

That child is Jesus - God sent Jesus so that evil would no longer have any power over mankind.

Did you know that Jesus died so that we could have a loving relationship with our creator? You see God did kill the snake and God did forgive Adam and Eve.

There is more to the story than you know... It goes on for thousands of years...

Answer 10

Satan never lied. He told them that if they ate of the Tree of Knowledge they would be like God and have knowledge. God had told them they would die. The tree did not bring death only knowledge, God gave them death. Original Sin is God's fault, why did he put the tree there in the first place? He expected people with no knowledge of right and wrong to know not to do wrong. Adam and Eve did nothing wrong, Satan never lied. God lied, then punished people who did not know wrong for being wrong.