Who lied, God or the serprent? And why did God subject man to pain for seeking knowledge?

Question

What's the big deal about eating of the tree of knowledge? Not that I believe scriptures are literal. But ok, God sits man in front of a tree then tells him not to eat from it, for no reason at all. After Eve comes about the serpent tells her that her eyes will be open if she eats and that this "Group" that refers to themselves as "us" was actually lying telling Adam on the day that he eats of the tree he will surely die, which was a bold face lie. The serpent actually told the truth if we get technological, their eyes were opened and when they ate of the tree they DID not die, what happened afterwards was by this "groups" own doing. They then shortened Adam/Eve's life spawn and put suffering on them, because they knew that the tree of knowledge lead to the tree of life, so in order that they would not BECOME LIKE THEM, become greater then they, they casted them out of paradise.

So how lied? Who did wrong? Again I am just speaking reflective to what is written, this story is allegory

Imo if you ask me, the Gnostics got it right. I have my own interpretation of this part, but I won’t bore you guys with it, since that isn’t the point.

Jane wrong. The serpent said, "Ye shall surely not die: For God doeth know that in the day ye ear thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:4-5) And this is what "God" or they said, "And the Lord God said, Behold, the man IS BECOME AS ONE OF US...." (Gen 3:22). The serpent never lied in any point. Adam and eve DID NOT die because they ate from the tree and became wise. Think about, no where before then did it ever mention that Adam/Eve was immortal before eating of the tree, one thinking that is a theory. They did not die in the day they ate from the tree. That was a lie. The serpent never lied.

Sickpuppy, I believe I made the point in my question that the story is allegorical. All of scripture is, but I am speaking REFLECTIVE of what is written for the sake of the point, who lied!

It was the tree of knowledge, or why else would Eve see that it was a tree that could make one wise?

This is knowledge through observation. To see the duality, its not GOOD and EVIL, its the duality of all things. You can't know Good without evil, you can't know male without female, you can't know light without darkness, and so forth.

Answer 1

Passerby, I find the tone of I lot of your questions rather brusque and condescending.

The serpent said, "You shall not surely die"; this is a lie, because if they ate of the tree they surely would die.

But hey, I'm just a seeker. You know it all, so please excuse my ignorance and loss of Christian demeanor. Sometimes it's go time.

PS, with love-

If you don't see true evil and true good in this world, then you are a blind man. Sorry, but 'tis so.

Answer 2

The tree of knowledge was a temptation placed in front of adam and eve, it was a test to see if they could do what God wanted them.They had an entire garden filled with the best fruits in the entire world and yet they still couldn't stop thinking about one bad tree. When God said they would die, he didn't mean physically die he meant spiritually. To be dead in the bible is to be seperated from God, spiritually, and they no longer had a relationship with God because they disobeyed him. The tree of "knowlegde" is sin, Adam and eve did not know sin so their eyes were open to disobedience and sin for the first time. The serpent, who was the devil, told adam and eve that they would be like God if they ate the fruit. Which was a lie because God does not know sin, he is pure. So, the devil mislead adam and eve and because they disobeyed the creator of the universe then they were cast out of the garden.

Answer 3

I've heard all the excuses-that it was the knowledge of good and evil-which, when you ponder on this all things can be termed as good or bad/evil. Therefore, it is knowledge.
If this story was somehow implying immortality before the incident, how could Eve possibly know death was a bad thing? Throughput history, there have always been people who believe it is merely a change-not a bad thing-so, it is not unreasonable to think she would not see it that way. Would she even know what it was? BTW, if humans were immortal beforehand, then wouldn't all animals be? Was their immortality taken away b/c of what the humans did?
I've noticed that this story is similar to the Greek tale of Prometheus (in their creation story): he disobeyed the gods by teaching man about fire (which I relate to light, which is also interpreted as knowledge) so they punished him.
This story should be taken as allegory ONLY. It's absurd to think of it as literal.

Answer 4

Take a deep breath! Even Bible scholars get this wrong.

Consider that the story is NOT allegory, but psychological 'metaphor.' Quite different things. You can see how many different reactions people have to the fairly simple, straight-forward story. It is the story of our 'fall' from innocence, unity and peace into shame and lack.

In older pictures the serpent has the face of an 'old woman' representing defensive non-productive ideas, like many of the people (at the mercy of their defensive egos) we encounter during early development when we are at our most vulnerable.

The moment we are convinced by anyone that we lack power which resides in duality (ingesting/Tree of Knowl. of Good/Evil) - i.e. "believing" in THEIR version of right and wrong - we are screwed. Now, having tried our hardest to 'get it right' according to what we've been taught, we are open to being shamed and losing our innocent aliveness and joy. Adam and Eve represent aspects of mind - reason versus openness/creation respectively. Psychological shaming is the most caustic damage we can do to a child and they rarely recover their former Self except through tenacious internal effort as adults.

To protect mankind from eating the Tree of Eternal Life (aliveness) and existing permanently in that miserable (fallen) spiritual experience, the story says that God protects us by placing the Cherubim with flaming sword at the entrance. This is the authentic, innocent Self holding the symbols of ego purification. Our learned ego beliefs about 'undeservedness' have to be destroyed psychologically before we will ever again experience "eternal aliveness."

Every religion is filled with these kinds of powerful stories about psychological transcendence of the little learned identity and rebirth of or return to being the authentic Self.

Answer 5

My understanding of the Universe is that "God did do it" and that in no way interferes with my investigation into the Creator's machinations, that is the inner workings or quantum physics for any pseudo intellectuals out there. Life is a mystery to be lived not a problem to be solved, therefore mysteries are a part of my life. Many things I can not even know, as my brain doesn't have the capacity. Some things like non-physical reality, my brain CAN conceptualize.I would like to know what god did that so enraged you. if god is everything, he must be of the dark side too. without wars there would be no generals or brave soldiers, no disease? no doctors or famous surgeons, death and birth are just two sides of same coin,

Answer 6

A few observerations about your argument...

First, it wasn't the tree of knowledge, it was the tree of knowledge OF GOOD AND EVIL. Adam and Eve were innocent not ignorant.

Second, he did have a good reason for warning them not to eat it...once you have knowledge of good and evil (right and wrong if you will), you become compelled to choose between them. ...and it is virtually impossible for a human being to always make the right choice expecially when our own senses/feelings tell us something is good when it is really harmful.

It was also a test of obedience. God didn't create slaves or robots, he created children (in his image). He wanted his children to love him and to follow his instructions. However, without the opportunity to choose disobedience, obedience is meaningless. An earlier question suggested that putting candy on a low table was just asking a child to steal it...but how can you possibly know if your child will listen to you and obey if you never allow candy in the house!

Third, Adam and Eve DID "die" on the day they ate of the tree! For one, in that moment, their innocence died! Furthermore, the original plan didn't say anything about death...I believe that death was not part of the original plan for life on earth. If God made man "in his image", part of that image included immortality. God knew that if they chose to disobey him and chose to make their own decisions about right and wrong, that they would become mortal in that moment! The consequences of making the wrong choice was death (i.e., "the wages of sin are death").

They were cast out of paradise because God knew that, as a consequence of their disobedience and their choice to make their own decisions about right and wrong, that they were no long suitable stewards of the rest of his creation. ...and I think when you look at what man has done to the earth since that time, you can't help but know that he was right. If you gave someone instructions for caring for your pets or your house and that person didn't follow those instructions, would you let them keep working for you?...the rational employer would FIRE them...and that's exactly what God did when he cast them out of the garden!

Finally, you suggested that God shortened their lifespans...really? I don't recall seeing that...shortened lifespans were a result of sin...the natural consequences of making the wrong choices in life. If I point out to someone that jumping off a bridge will kill them, am I causing their death? Gravity (combined with their own actions) is what killed them!

Answer 7

People used to believe that the story of Noah & the Arc was th word of God. Increased knowledge informed mankind that 2 of every species of living things on this planet weighs over 100 million tons. Noah would have needed an Arc a few miles long. That's only the tip of the iceberg. Knowledge is the enemy of religion.

Answer 8

The big deal is God said not to. Is Adam alive, I have not seen him, so , well , I guess, that must mean, oh I don't know, maybe that he is DEAD, that he died? And no the story is not speaking in a allegory, your understandin of it may be, but God has a tendancy to say just what he means, When he says don't you better not. When he says hell is hot, you better believe it. You don't haft too, just like Adam you can do your own thing, but you will also answer for your own thing as well.

Answer 9

This question came to me 50 years ago when I learnt bible in school. None could explain to me and I though god played us a joke or he did a mistake. Until I meet a priest who had been a Toaist. He said the tree fruit can make people divide sin and holly was sin. Once people divide sin and holly will go to holly and false to be holly if they cannot fill. This is the original sin. Once we know and have our standpoints to support right or wrong then will argue with other, fight for the right and kill. It will sin.
This is not all the priest can tell. Usually they will tell you the commitment with god.
All the religious in the world are telling us the hollyman said. and never really understand the reason.

Answer 10

The tree of knowledge wasn't the only to learn good and evil it was a forbidden short cut. He didn't lie when he said they would surely die because instead of living in paradise for eternity they had to work for a living then die.