Since Adam and Eve did not posses the knowledge of good and evil, how are they accountable?

Question

Should God have taught Adam and Eve about good and evil before placing the tree of knowledge and the serpent in the Garden with them? Surely God knew the nature of the serpent.

I can tell a 18 month old not to play with matches and feel comfortable leaving them lying about, if the child then proceeds to burn the house down thus killing several family members. I guarantee you the law would be holding me accountable, not the child.

As we mature, we gain perspective on why certain actions should be avoided, we are aware of the ramifications.

Adam and Eve had no such points of reference, just like children they were easily influenced, how then are they responsible for the fall of all mankind? Do you think that A and E had any inkling as to gravity of their actions?

As parents we instruct our children, provide guidance and act as rolemodels for them. We don't just impose rules and leave them to fend for themselves.

Pantheist

How can anyone call Adam and Eve adult? They were new creations with grown up bodies, but they were not mature. They did not have the benefit of growth and learning. It takes time and experience to discern right from wrong. Or God had the power to make that knowledge inate in man. God instead put that bit of info into a tree that was off limits.

God denied Adam and Eve a childhood but gave them the responsiblities of adults when they were what......days old? I contend that they were incapable of making an informed decision having been denied the proper tools to do so.

We come into the world with the potential to learn. We are tiny and completely dependent. A and E were dependent on their God for education. Instead of teaching them, he left them to gain their knowledge from a tree.

The education they needed was in the tree of knowledge, but it was forbidden to them.

live E - My baby was opening our door with a key at 8 months old, reading by 2 years, kids can do a lot at a very early age. We didn't keep matches or lighters around, but my sweetie would have figured out how to use them.

Answer 1

My first reaction will be amazement how an 18 month old baby was able to struck the matches, not that he would want to do it.

Adam and Eve were not children, they were adults, and if someone instructed them not to do something, especially who instructed them. They should have known better. They were not stupid. Weak, but not stupid.

Suppose one day you came home and saw that same child broke your favorite vase! what would your first reaction be! You will most likely scream your head off at that innocent child. That means for that moment you will blame that Child.

They were mature adults, and have been advice of the ramification. As parents, they were instruct as the children were, and still children still do things that they shouldn't. What would you do to those children! blame yourself, or show them and teach the wrong they have done! what would you do!

Parents teach their kids what not to do, and they still end up doing what they want! ever wonder why! !!

Edit,
His4life,
I believe you. I believe anything can be possible including your child ability to open doors and read at early age. But, with all due respect, their ability to make the matches work! that is being savant. As I stated, I will be amazed.
How many kids can read like your child!! not many I suppose. Aren't you amazed! I would be proud of my kids as well. You have a smart child.

The were adult, it doesn't mean mature. The problem is that you are comparing them to the adult of today. They were from different time, and they were different. They were created perfect. We are not perfect anymore. As I understand it, they were created perfect and were made masters over the Angels. They were given everything, and that was not enough. They wanted the one and only things that they couldn't have. From everything around they want to have that one forbidden item.
If you take a look at us today. We still do the same thing. We want what we can't have, or shouldn't. The grass is always greener on the other side.

Very well. since you like the child analogy. here is one for you. Take a child put them in a room filled with toys, and tell them you can play with all these toys except one of them.
You as a mother, probably would know. That child would put all their attention and focus on that one toy, and ignore all of them. That is precisely what Adam and Eve did. They just had to know what is it they are forbidden from having.

My dear, when your child open your bedroom door with a key. what is reaction! pride! or do you say no don't that! if not! why didn't you say that to him before! just a few things to think about.
Thank you.

You made a great point, but things are not that simple. Things aren't black or white. In the reality of life it comes in many shades of colors, shapes, and forms, etc.

Answer 2

God's word which is the Bible doesn't go into great detail because He wants you to search for the answer. why? If god just gave you everything you wanted then you wouldn't strive to live the right kind of life, you'd just go around doing your own thing which is what you're doing now. If you are interested in God's way of life then you will be searching the scriptures to find out more about Him. The Bible doesn't spell things out in a constant flow of words. The Bible is a coded book and you won't understand till you learn the code. The prophecies are not only warnings to those seeking God but also proof that he exists because especially now, you can see the prophesies, some written thousands of years ago being fullfilled today. As far as Adam and Eve go, the Bible doesn't give you much detail but Adam and Eve knew the right thing to do. God specifically taught them all they needed to know before they were put to the test. They were taught the ten commandments as well as other statutes and judgments of God before their test. God told them that if they ate of the tree of good they would live forever and if they had obeyed, the Kingdom of God would have been set in place then. They failed the test however so God granted man 6,000 years to prove to himself that he is incapable of ruling himself. Why? Like Adam and Eve, man thinks he knows better than God so God took a hands off approach to show man that he isn't capable of governing himseld. Over the years with wars, skirmishes, bickerring amongst neighbors, hostile nations, violence in the cities and even small towns today, wild partires, drug use, alcoholism and religions that can't agree, has man really proven to God that he can rule himself. Those things are all influences of Satan.

Answer 3

I believe the Adam and Eve story is one in which the basic tenet of most Literealist religions holds the most dear. It is the foundation for their most important statute. "Do as you are told, never question what you are told or you will be punished" What better way to teach that lesson than to show the ultimate story of what happens. Adam and Eve did not obey this tenet and now supposedly all of mankind must suffer on into eternity for their error, so don't make the same mistake. Brutal? Yes, but effective as generations of Literalist followers can attest to.

Answer 4

I agree. If God REALLY didn't want Adam and Eve to eat the apple, he wouldn't have put the apple tree in the garden in the first damn place.

I like your analogy about the matches. Sure, you can tell the kid, "Don't mess with the matches" - but why not just 1) not have any around, or 2) if you need them yourself, keep them locked up where the kid can't get ahold of them?

This is why I dislike Christianity. It makes god look like either an idiot, or somebody who likes setting people up. I think we humans deserve a better god than that.

Answer 5

The problem with your theory is that Adam and Eve were full grown adults, not 18 month old children. Obviously they did have an inkling as to the gravity of their actions or else Eve would not have said no to the serpent at first before giving in. God told them they would die (both spiritually and suffer physical death as well one day). As an adult, if someone tells me NOT to do something that I have never done before in my life and then warns me of the consequences of doing such an act, then if I do it surely I can't turn around them and hold them responsible for MY actions.

Answer 6

God told them not to eat from it. They should have taken Him at His word regardless of how tempting the fruit was. They became accountable the moment Eve listened to the serpent's lies. They are accountable because they disobeyed God.

Since there had never been any evil in the world, there was no reason for God to teach them about it beforehand. And yes, God knew the nature of the serpent. But He also gave Adam & Eve free will. They chose disobedience to God.

Answer 7

The official, and probably the best answer: The sin wasn't eating the fruit, it was Adam saying that it was his wife's fault. Since they had already eaten the fruit, he supposedly knew that it was wrong to blame it on his wife.

That's the explanation I've heard... I don't exactly see how telling the truth about it being her fault was wrong, except maybe it was a lie, because it was actually the snakes fault. I dunoo...
I'm confused again.

Answer 8

Adam and Eve were mature adults. Adam had 100% brain use. He knew right from wrong and disobeyed God when he ate from that tree. Adam knew what would happen before he ate that fruit. He wasn't stupid, just disobediant.

Answer 9

Yes, but ...
until recently, obeying orders released one from charges of doing something criminal, as in the military.
As for knowing about the serpent, God was young, he had just gotten started.
And all that stuff you thru in about kids and lines of responsibility is meaningless back then because that was before Free Will and knowledge of good and evil. Whether you believe we were created the way we are and Religion invented Free Will, etc., to explain our behavior or we were created without sin and God imposed them, within the context you can't impose them on the story and try to build logically.

Answer 10

Exactly. The Bible never puts the blame on yourself, It would rather blame everyone else for the sin you did. They believe Jesus died for their sins, so they are passing what they did to him because they won't take responsibility for what they done wrong. Also the bible in the old testament teaches the sins of the fathers will be passed down to the sons and so on. Would it be right for example, that your friend robbed a store and you got put in prison instead of them when you wasn't even there with them?