Fair test?

Question

Why did God test Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, knowing that they would fail and sin and death would follow?

Couldn't every person who has ever gone to hell since then have been safe and happy in heaven if only God hadn't gone through with the test?

Since God knew in advance that the test would be failed, yet he gave the test anyway, does that mean he wants people to go to hell?

If Adam and Eve had passed that test, would God have given other tests later "just to be sure"?

Answer 1

The usual response is that Adam and Eve failed the test because of free will. Of course any person of at least average intelligence knows that free will doesn't actually exist. Every thought and action is the result of something, and if God existed he would have no trouble predicting behaviour with absolute accuracy.
For some reason, theists have a hard time understanding the concept of omniscience.

Answer 2

It's called freedom to choose. God could have made it where man was forced to love and serve Him, but He chose not to. How would you feel if the only reason your children loved you (if you have children, just an example), was because you twisted their arm and made them love you? No one wants that type of love, not even God. God wants us to serve Him from our hearts, sincerely. It's amazing how many people point out that God knew man would fail the test without realizing that He had already provided the solution in Jesus Christ.

Answer 3

But smiley, god already knew all that.

Randyken: Really? Then are you saying that god does NOT "know all, past present and future"?

Morkie: Are you saying that a freagin SNAKE had the situation figured out but god didn't????

TOLTEC: So if something makes no sense to us through our god-given reasoning ability, then it must be because god didn't give us enough reason to figure HIS reasoning out.

Tao:
Reported for speaking in some strange foreign language containing many big words.
Reported for thinking fundies are capable of considering well reasoned arguments.
Reported for thinking fundies can read more than 3 lines of nonbiblical text without becoming confused and falling asleep.

.

Answer 4

Define "fair" in God's description (not man's). It's God's world, God's test, God's will.

Answer 5

If you believe in a God who is a loving parent, you start to understand that he didn't set them up to fall but just understood them so well as to know what they would do. I believe one of God's greatest gifts to us is the gift of agency. He lets us "try" things for ourselves. I am always a stronger being when I have "tried" something for myself. Being "safe" all the time doesn't necessarily mean you are growing and developing or learning. Learning takes some hell and some heaven.

To me it is parenting -"testing" not lab rat-"testing" that God does with us. He knows in the end we will be beautiful, strong, healthy beings for lessons learned.

Answer 6

They were lied to by the serpent and they decided to believe him. It was a conscious choice they made.
Why do you think God was so pissed?

God has given every person since Adam and Eve a chance to do the same thing: Believe or not.
Those who believe(d) get eternal life. Those who don't get eternal death.
If you're God, you get to make the rules. He's God, we're not.

Answer 7

Yeah. And it was a snake that got the blame.
Even if God existed to give humans free will, being omniscient, he'd still know what they'd choose.
Sigh. The simple minded will refuse to use common sense if it leads to further thought.

Answer 8

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Answer 9

God didn't test Adam and Eve. He allowed them to make their own choices. If you love someone, you do not want them to be robots, to obey you after you program them, do you? Even our children are allowed to make their own choices, after they can, in order to learn and love others. Love that is forced is not love at all. God bless

Answer 10

The pivotal moment was not when the serpent entered the garden, it was when God gave Adam and Eve free will. He knew when he gave them free will that they would turn from Him, so why did he give it to them? The answer is that we would not be fully human if we did not have free will. The ability to accept or reject God is what distinguishes us and the angels from the rest of creation.