OK...seriously, how were Adam and Eve held culpable?

Question

for eating the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, if they did not have the knowledge of good and evil to know it was a sin to eat it?

Yes, God told them not to--but again, if they didn't know right from wrong, how is this sinning? And why would it affect me?

Lord Vader--I think walking around naked is a wonderful thing. RUNNING naked, however...eww.

Answer 1

A careful read of the story (i.e., myth) exposes some interesting facts. First, god never told them of the punishment for eating. Second, god knew when eve was being tempted by the snake. Yet, god did not step in to warn eve or tell tell her of the punishment for disobedience, Eve ate first after being tempted by the snake. god could have stepped in and banished her from the garden. Did s/he? NO! god allowed adam to eat also without warning him of the punishment. Question? Who had the greater knowledge and experience here? Was it the two bumbling naked idiots with no life experience? Or was it god? This is perfectly analagous to putting a child who can't swim next to a swimming pool and telling it not to get in. Who is to blame if the child drowns? The adult of course. The person who wrote the story of adam and eve made god into an utter monster.

Answer 2

Below is my response to a question about original sin, which linked me to your question:

The concept of original sin has to rank up there with being one of the most asinine ideas in all of history. First, Adam and Eve, having no background knowledge about sin, should not be held accountable for deeds that they couldn’t have known were wrong. For example, we don’t arrest a 3 year old child for playing with a loaded gun, and then accidentally killing someone, because that 3 year old child is not cognizant of the inherent dangers of wielding a loaded pistol around. We do, however, in many cases hold the parent responsible for the child, as being culpable because, through their negligence, they provided the environment that allowed for the catastrophe to happen. In fact many parents are charged with negligent homicides for scenarios like what I mentioned.

I think the same standards should apply to God. If God did not cultivate the mind of his first two innocent children (Adam and Eve), so that they will be aware of the full repercussions of their actions, and he being omnipotent, placed a forbidden tree (i.e. a loaded gun), which would ultimately lead to their demise, when he could have just as easily removed the tree in the first place, being all powerful, then God is the true guilty party in this scenario.

There is no way around this problem. And of course to compound the absurdity of the story, according to Judeo-Christian theology, we all must suffer for Adam and Eve’s transgression. Nothing can be more indicative of an unjust Creator than the act of consigning everyone to eternal pain, due to the sins of our first ancestors. Whatever angle you look at the fall of Adam and Eve myth, it is patently absurd and immoral. Thankfully, is pure fiction.

Answer 3

The bible says that a sin is whenever you know the right thing to do and do not do it. However, I understand your concern about Adam and Eve in their ignorance. Personally, I believe that God set it up this way on purpose so that we would all have the chance to truly choose or reject Him. God wants our Love for Him but He also wants us to actually decide that for ourselves because this is a much greater Love than if we were just automatically programmed to Love Him.

Answer 4

The only way to know if someone will truly choose to honor your command is for a test to reveal what is in your heart. Lip service doesn't get it. Preventing choice by not allowing it will not show what is in the heart of a free thinking being.

The test was there, temptation enters, the choice to disobey was made. Now there are two types of people. Those who live the way they want and those who honor God. Do you think God was surprised? Not at all. He provided a way of restoration that again requires choice... Jesus.

We are tested all the time in both the physical and spiritual realm. It shows what you know and how you will react.

Answer 5

I dont think that Adam and Eve were culpable at all, they were just children in their ideas and understanding...

case and point:
After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing he said was, "Don't."

"Don't what?" Adam replied. "Don't eat the forbidden fruit," God said. Forbidden fruit? We got forbidden fruit? Hey, Eve...we got forbidden fruit!"

"No way!"

"Way!"

"Don't eat that fruit!" said God.

"Why?"

"Because I am your Father and I said so!" said God (wondering why he hadn't stopped after making the elephants). A few minutes later God saw his kids having an apple break and was angry. "Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit?" God asked.

"Uh huh, " Adam replied.

"Then why did you?"

"I dunno" Eve answered.

"She started it!" Adam said.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"DID NOT!"

Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed.

Answer 6

God gave them everything they needed. The serpent put into Eve's head she could be wise like God if she ate of the fruit therefore making her want to disobey and sin.

Answer 7

Adam and Eve were representative of the entire human race. They were given a choice. To believe God (with only ONE tree to avoid out of RESPECT to His revealed wishes.)

The issue isn't that they didn't know right from wrong, but that they were to trust Gods wisdom in giving them ALL the trees in the garden EXCEPT ONE. God never intended them to have the knowledge of "evil"...as long as they trusted HIS instructions, they would know only Good. That was the point...to trust God and not themselves.

There are only two kinds of people in the world today. Those who are "in ADAM" (and we are ALL born with this distinction) or those who are "IN CHRIST") God gives US the choice to reverse the damage done by Adams decision, thru trusting in the ONE who paid the ultimate price for ALL sin , for ALL people, for ALL time.

Simply taking God at His Word that He has made right what Adam passed down to all of us, is what gets us back into a right relationship with Him. It all comes down to trusting God instead of ourselves.

Have you trusted Him?

www.graceteacher.com

Answer 8

The way i see it is , they didn't know good or evil , had they not ate the apple we would all be like them not knowing good or evil, but since they did eat it , we all know now.

Answer 9

I agree with you. Seems god set them up to fail, and then punished them for it. Why put the tree there in the first place. Shouldn't he have known ahead of time they would eat from it?

Answer 10

Not only did they disobey God but Adam or Eve didn't take responsibly for their actions.
When God asked Adam, he blamed Eve and Eve blamed the snake.
So there was more then one sin