This is a guest question by Dr. Knight.
When you read the Genesis story of Adam and Eve, you notice that God tells Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They do, and God punishes them by expelling them from the garden. Notice, though, that the text is pretty explicit that Adam and Eve only learn the difference between good and evil after they eat the fruit. So please respond to the following two questions:
1. Do you think it was fair for God to punish them for eating the fruit? Why or why not?
2. What do you think was the main point the author or original teller of the story was trying to get across by telling the story just the way he or she did?
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I do think that it was fair for God to punish Adam and Eve because He allowed them access to everything else in the Garden of Eden and had a reason for labeling the tree of knowledge of good and evil as off limits. Although God didn’t explicitly tell them what that reason was, they should have obeyed His command. Adam and Eve had everything provided for them in the Garden of Eden and life was made pretty easy for them, so they should have been grateful for what was given to them and accepted that they couldn’t eat from this one tree. I think that main paint of their story comes down to trust. God gave them a command and expected them to trust His word enough to listen. When the serpent came along and tempted Eve, she quickly began to doubt God’s word and broke that trust when she disobeyed. Trust is the most important element of any relationship and most times is the breaking point, when someone disregards it. God expected Adam and Eve to trust that He had good reason for his command and obey this one command in return for the wonderful life He had given them in the Garden of Eden, where they had control over all of the animal and plant kingdoms and had everything they could ever want or need.
Although Adam and Eve did not know the difference between good and evil, that does not mean they should not have disobeyed an order from God. God told them not to eat from the tree but they still did. It was a direct act of disobedience from what God told them to do, regardless of whether or not that act was good or evil in nature. For example, people break laws all the time for both good and evil intentions. Murder is almost always considered an evil act, killing someone for any reason is almost wrong. However, what if killing one person meant saving the lives of one billion others? Could you not say that the person committing murder there had good intentions even though murder is still an evil act? So regardless of Adam and Eve good or evil intentions, they still disobeyed God’s orders and deserved to be punished.
I think that the original author of this story was trying to show how disobeying God’s word is met with hard punishment and that following them is mandatory. The simple fact is that Adam and Eve did something that was wrong (regardless if they knew it was wrong or not at the time) and they paid the price for it. A valuable lesson in any society throughout this world, if you break a rule you must suffer a consequence.
1) I also believe it was fair for God to kick Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden as a punishment for disobeying his direct orders. To begin, Adam and Eve had only one order to follow, which was not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, and furthermore that order was given by the highest of all powers, God. Eve even acknowledges that order, demonstrating her full understanding that she was forbidden to take from specifically that one tree. Although Adam and Eve may not have understood the difference between good and evil until after they had bitten the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, they understood the difference between yes and no, in regards to if they could eat from the tree. Therefore, it was not necessary for them to know that they were committing an evil act; they simply needed to know not to take from that tree.
2) The main point the author was trying to convey goes back to the idea that this is a “J” story and a major theme of “J” stories is promise and fulfillment. Adam and Eve made a type of promise with God when they recognized His command not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. In failing to fulfill their promise, punishment was bound to ensue. I think the story shows that followers of God must have faith in His word at all times.
I agree they should be punished by i disagree that they should be kicked out forever. God pretty much throws them aside after and what then? I have no idea of another fitting punishment, but to throw them aside seems like a waste and God isn’t a wasteful person.
If you maintain this position, then you also press the point that the story isn’t finished, don’t you. There’s some part of it missing - like how God needs to make up for “kicking them out forever.” Good logic you have going there.
Hi Kelly,
I agree that the main lesson from the Adam and Eve story comes down to trust. God had provided for them and made life very enjoyable and all Adam and Eve had to do was follow a simple command. People always seem to be looking for a reason why they can’t do things, but sometimes instead of giving an explanation, it is more a test of trust, like God did with Adam and Eve and unfortunately, they didn’t see that.
I think God was fair in punishing Adam and Eve for eating the forbidden fruit. While in the garden there were only minimal rules for Adam and Eve. It was apparent to them that they were not to eat the forbidden fruit. They went against God’s word. They allowed the temptation to take over. It is hard to not allow other to tempt you. But they listened to the serpent and therefore had to take the consequences. Through out all of my life I knew that if I were to break the rules and follow temptation I would have to deal with the consequences. Yes, the consequences were a little extreme but they learned what they did was wrong.
I believe the main point is that we are to trust in God. He is the one person that we can ALWAYS rely on in any situation. He knows what is good and bad and will give us the advice we need in any situation, as long as we are willing to always keep our ears and eyes open to Him. There is an agreement made between Adam, Eve, and God; which is similar to our agreement with God. If we listen to His answers when we are having trouble we will make it through, without having to deal with consequences.
1.) Adam and Eve were given strict instructions to not eat from the tree of knowledge. God gave to them unlimited access to everything in the Garden of Eden, apart from eating from the tree of knowledge and therefore, his instructions should have been respected. It was wrong for Adam and Eve to go against God’s word after he had granted them with all the necessities of life. Some may argue that if Adam and Eve did not eat from the tree of knowledge then how could God justify there actions and wrong if they did not know the difference between good and evil. This response can be counteracted by evaluating the difference between good/evil and disobedience. All of these are different in meaning, because a disobedient action does not necessarily reflect the intentions of a good or evil act. It is evident in the story that there is a clear understanding from Adam and Eve that they should not eat from the tree. Eve knew that when she took the apple from the tree she was being disobedient to God’s word. I think that it was very fair for God to punish Adam and Eve for eating the fruit because they were completely wrong for disobeying him after he had made such ideal accommodations.
2.) I think that the main point of the story was to show the importance of following God’s word or else punishment will come upon you. Although, this is a “J” story, which reflects God in a more anthropomorphic way it still stresses the importance of following his word. I think that the writers wanted to present God as being more relatable to humans but still wanted to make a point that he was still to be respected and his rules were to be obeyed because after all he is not just human, he is God.
I think you make a really good point in bringing up the fact that this is a j story. We talked about how J stories portray a strong theme of promise and fulfillment. In this story, God warns Adam and Eve that if the fruit of this tree is eaten severe punishment will be the result. By illustrating this theme, it helps us to justify God’s punishment of Adam and Eve.
So, how does it work to say that a promise of fulfillment can be followed by punishment? I wonder.
I agree with all your points Nicole especially the part about disobedience and good/evil. Eve knew that she would disobey God if she ate from the tree and yet she still did. She didn’t know the difference between good and evil and so, this proves that a disobedient act can be void of good or evil intentions.
I think that it was fair that Adam and Eve were punished. Even though they may not have known what the difference was between good and evil, they did know that God created them and told them not to eat from that tree. All they knew was that they should obey God and no one else. Furthermore, if God allowed them to stay in the garden, they would be allowed to eat from the Tree of Life and be immortal as Collins stated in Chapter 3 of his book. Therefore, they would be given the chance to make even more mistakes so long as they stayed.
I think that the main point the author had was to write a story to explain the origin of sin and the reasons why humans now suffer such as the pain a woman feels during labor. As Collins said, “a story that is told to explain the cause of something.” Another point could be that giving into temptation hurts not only yourself but those around you. Every choice that someone makes has consequences and in the case of Adam and Eve, they chose to listen to their desire to eat from the forbidden tree even when they were specifically told not to and as a result they were punished.
I agree with you Kelly that even though they didnt know the difference between good and evil that they did know it was wrong to eat from that tree. Also I like your point about eating the tree of life and being able to forever stay in the garden I did not consider that option of theirs. I also agree with your opinion on why the story was written, you bring up interesting points.
Kelly has a good point when she says that: “..temptation hurts not only yourself but those around you. every choice that someone makes has consequences.” These are valid points, and it is often forgotten by many. I look back at my own decisions and how they effected not only myself, but those in my life as well. The story of the Garden of Eden has a very powerful message. Temptation is a dangerous thing that we face everyday. I often find myself asking the question of not if it is something i could do, but if it (a choice, a act, whatever) is something i should do. Follow God and have faith,for I believe that everything will work out.
Temptation goes hand in hand with curiosity in my opinion. As much as humanity will always be pressured there always seems to be a bit of us that are curious about it ourselves. In the end we’re the ones who have to act, and persuaded as we might be, we have control over our own bodies so the decision has to be agreed on by us too.
Oh yes, but curiosity is also one of the things without which we would be such un-interesting creatures, would it not?
I think that Kelly brings up an interesting point when explaining that this was written in order to explain why something is the way it is, for example as she states “why a woman feels labor pains.” This type of theory reminds me of a fable. In the early days people did not have scientific explanations to explain why things are the way they are and therefore, used myths to reason and explain. I think this is a similar theme that can be used within the Bible. Early humankind probably sought to explain such events and turned to stories of God to help.
Great, Nicole! One of the few comments that talk about this story as more symbolic than moral.
While I do not think it was fair for God to kick Adam and Eve out of The Garden of Eden, I think it was necessary. Yes, one could not expect Adam and Eve to understand the consequences of their actions without having a prior understanding of good and evil. God had created a paradise for the Adam and Eve, one where they did not have to worry about anything, and the only one rule was to avoid the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This solitary order was followed without question until the serpent convinced Eve that eating the fruit of the tree would not cause them to die. It is not hard to convince someone to do something when they have no moral understanding of right and wrong. Regardless of the blissful ignorance that preceded their wrong doing, Adam and Eve still disobeyed the word of God who, being the supreme being he was, could not be shown as wrong, nor could he let this misdoing go unpunished. The vary nature of God demands his power and likewise his commands to be absolute. God punished the Serpent by removing his legs, Eve by having her succumb to the pains of child birth, and Adam by making him slave away for his nourishment. These punishments are more then fitting, however, God realized that with their new found knowledge of good and evil Adam and Eve must not be allowed to eat from the Tree of Life and live forever. So God, out of necessity, drove Adam and Eve out of The Garden of Eden.
I think the author was trying to convey two major points in this story. The first is to illustrate the consequences for disobeying God. He gave Adam and Eve everything they could possibly want, and took it all away for their defiance. The second major point is to describe why, despite the presence of an all-powerful, all-knowing being, we as humans must still work and suffer for our survival. God did not create the rather unpleasant world we live in, he’s too perfect for that. Rather, we brought this upon ourselves by not listening to God.
Derek, this is a very well-written response to the question and I agree wholeheartedly. God gave Adam and Eve a paradise, as you mentioned, and they should have appreciated it and acted accordingly in it. It is interesting you pointed out that God took away a perfect world that we had because we destroyed it. This did not cross my mind but it is a very valid idea that I can agree with.
Derek,
I agree with what you are saying about how God was fair in punishing Adam and Eve. God did give Adam and Eve a paradise, which Adam and Eve took for granted. They should have cherished what they were given, however they took it for granted. Derek I agree with the second part of your response as well. I do feel that the author was trying to show that he is the almighty and he really shouldn’t be taken advantage of.
Yes, I think it was fair for God to punish Adam and Eve. Despite not knowing why eating the fruit was wrong, they still knew it went against God’s will. They proved their unfaithfulness and disloyalty to God by disobeying His direct orders. They should have followed His instructions without question. However, it was not very fair of God to punish them so severely. Not only did Adam and Eve not yet understand right and wrong, they did not yet understand the idea of consequences. It would have been more appropriate of God to administer a lesser punishment so that Adam and Eve could learn from their mistakes. Instead they were banished for life from the Garden of Eden.
Furthermore, God unfairly prevented any future generations of mankind from living in the Garden. The rest of mankind must suffer because of Adam and Eve’s mistakes.
The original storyteller may have been trying to prove the point that we should all have trust in the Lord and not question His will. This is precisely why Adam and Eve learned good and evil after they disobeyed God. The message was that they should have had blind faith in the Lord, understanding that He works in mysterious ways. Also, the author may have been trying to show how mankind has been sinful and imperfect since the very beginning of our existence, starting with the first man and woman.
When looking at the first question of whether or not God should have punished Adam and Eve you have to look at the privileges they were given and the commands that God put upon them. They had full access to everything they needed from food to happiness within the garden of Eden. While the only command that God put onto Adam and Eve was that of not eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Since they had full access to food from other sources within the garden there was not a specific need to eat from this forbidden tree. Also just because Adam and Eve did not know good and evil this does not mean that they don’t know general knowledge such as receiving commands and this is apparent by Eve knowing she shouldn’t eat the fruit from the tree even when tempted. So since there was not a need to eat from the tree and they understood that they shouldn’t I believe it is ok that God punished them.
When the author is telling the story of Adam and Eve they are trying to get across a specific point. This point being that God is not to be tested with and that his commands should be followed even in the face of temptation. It is a story trying to show the importance of avoiding temptation and how it can lead you further from God. Perhaps being sent from the garden of Eden is symbolism for straying further from God. Also by God punishing the serpent it is showing that God will punish evil when it is apparent and will not stand for disobedience against his word. Also the author may be showing that he will provide everything for you in life if you follow his word and do not stray into temptation.
Carl your response is quite good. I agree with you that Adam and Eve should be punished. They definitely disobeyed God when they ate from the tree, though God commanded them to not do this. There should be consequences for bad actions and God was quick to follow up. In that sense God was fair. Though you believe it’s ok, do you think it is fair? God made a big statement with his actions, and it shaped how people viewed him.
Carl! You bring up some good points, most notably the one about how Eve knew she should not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil despite not having a knowledge of good and evil herself. Since Eve recognized that eating from the tree was in some way wrong she deserves to be punished, just as Adam does for listening to his wife. It’s a classic example of “if so and so jumped off a bridge would you follow them?”
To play devils advocate, I do not believe that Adam should have been punished for listening to his wife. She was the only other person that God put on Earth to be with him. If he can’t trust her, then who could he trust? I have read versions of the story where Adam wasn’t present with Eve when she originally ate the fruit. Later, she brought the fruit to him. If this were the case and Adam did not know the fruit was from the forbidden tree, why should he be punished? In the reading, God said that he was punishing Adam for listening to his wife, with punishment for eating the fruit seemingly secondary.
1. After reading the Genesis story of Adam and Eve, I feel that it was fair for God to punish Adam and Eve for eating the fruit. God told both of them that they could eat from any tree expect the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. They did not listen and ate from the tree that was forbidden for them to eat from. Therefore, God punished them for disobeying him like a parent would when their children do not listen to what they tell them not to do. Adam and Eve are like God’s children and God is their parent that they should listen to. Additionally, I feel that God was testing Adam and Eve on how obedient they were to him. For them to disobey him like they did, God lost that trust he had with them. Like a saying says, “do the crime pay the time” so for them to break God’s orders was like doing a crime. Therefore, they must do the time for what they did which was being banished from the garden.
2. I think that the author’s main point of the story he or she was trying to get across by telling the story the way he or she did was to make us really think about our actions before we do something wrong. We needed to make sure that we do not disobey God because he trusts and loves us that losing that trust will result in some sort of consequences. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and lost his trust, therefore, he punished them by expelling them from the garden. Additionally, it seems that the author was trying to highlight how God will test our faith in him as well as our obedience the way he did with Adam and Eve.
I agree with your response Richard and I like the analogy you use with comparing the situation to that with parents. It brings together many of the points that can be made about the story of Adam and Eve. Also I like the points that you bring about with why the story was written and I agree with the topics of keeping Gods trust.
I agree with you Richard and I particularly like your comparison between God, Adam and Eve and parents and children. Parents do and say things to protect and teach their children. If children disobey, they need to be punished otherwise they wouldn’t learn. I also like your points about why the story was written. God cannot be lenient with his trust otherwise it wouldn’t do the world any good. We need to be worthy of God’s trust.
God had given the gift of life to Adam and Eve. Through their actions in opposing God’s wishes they showed that they were undeserving of what they were given. Therefore God was being very fair in the punishment he appointed onto Adam and Eve. Although they were not aware of the consequences that eating the fruit would result in, they were simply asked to not eat it. By disobeying this simple request they had been ungrateful of all that God provided them. The banishment of Adam and Eve may have seemed to be a harsh consequence, however it seems that it had a prolific affect in showing the impact that right and wrong could have in the future. God was teaching a lesson to all mankind.
The message that was being conveyed was to trust in God and fulfill the promise that he is asking. By first contemplating eating from the tree and then acting on that desire shows that they were not only being selfish but turning their backs’ on God. The gift that God had given them was to be cherished. Mankind has been making mistakes since day one and this story shows that trusting in God may be the only way to prevent bad outcomes from happening.
I agree with your points Brittany but don’t you think that if God was teaching a lesson to mankind that he should have given a chance to repay him, and thus rewarding them with perhaps re entry into the garden? Something interesting to think about
Brittany,
I think that you are absolutely right in saying that God gave Adam and Eve a cherished gift and that trust is essential to any relationship. Many times when bad things happen, we look for an explanation and sometimes all we can do is put our situation in God’s hands and trust in him. Human beings can only do so much, and ultimately we have to leave it up to God.
The story of Adam and Eve is one that has many variables. Adam and Eve were just getting used to being alive and being responsible for their actions. The serpent did persuade them heavily to eat from the Tree of Good and Evil. These reasons make judging whether Adam and Eve was right or wrong very hard. Yet, in the end, I feel that they should be held accountable and should’ve been punished by God. God definitely acted fairly. As mentioned before, God provided them with the gift of life and ample food to enjoy in the Garden of Eden. They did not have to eat fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. God strictly forbade this action and they defied it, hence there should have been consequences.
The author was trying to express how there would be definite and quick consequences for disobeying God. If God didn’t punish them there would be no respect for God and his rules. Unfortunately, in order to get respect there usually has to be fear involved. For instance, when you are young, one way you fear consequences is from whether your parents or teachers are quick to punish you or not. If they are, there is respect and usually you do not want to break the rules that are set. I feel this is what the author is trying to go for with this story.
Baloo,
Your point about the many variables in the story of Adam and Eve is very valid. I completely agree that these variables make judging God’s fairness very hard. Not that anyone should be judging the actions of the Lord. At least thats what whoever wrote the story would want us to believe. How could God not punish Adam and Eve after clearly telling them not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. If the happiness God bestowed upon them was not good enough, then they had no business in the Garden anyway.
Big Bear,
I agree with the arguments you made. The points you made about God only giving them one rule and they ended up breaking it gives him ample reason to punish them. Saying he acted fairly I believe is a safe assumption as well, he could have punished him much harsher if he wanted to, so what he did was just make them feel bad for what they had done. I also agree with your view on what the author was trying to tell. This was really the first signs and creation of sin, and this was a great story to get this point across.
So, it’s a story that serves as a metaphor for something else? What is that something else? Or rather, what is “this point” about?
I like your observation about fear. Very astute. It is definitely a problem if fear needs to be involved in order for us to recognize that God is powerful.
I agree, like the Book of Job. Job’s friends believed one needs to fear God and did not understand the relationship with God on the level Job did. We are not to fear God, but to love him and trust him. I think that this story of Adam and Eve is not about fear but about Trust.
So, Frank, do you think it is possible to think of trust also involving some kind of fear? The kind that says “I fear what it would be like not to trust this God.” Then fear takes on a sense of awe, rather than “being scared.”
I don’t think that it was fair for God to punish Adam and eve for eating the fruit. The argument that they didn’t know what was good or evil until they ate the fruit is dismissible. If they did not know what was good or evil, then how can they be expected to know that dying as a punishment was a bad thing? Perhaps if this story had some slight alterations, the punishment could be unjustified.
Death probably isn’t a good example of what their punishment should have been. After the fact, God told them that Eve (and all women) would have painful child birth, and Adam (and all men) would work hard all their lives. Why wasn’t this mentioned first? Surely someone who doesn’t know good from evil can relate to hard work or severe pain.
I believe the main point was to listen to what God tells you, or else there will be some kind of repercussion. In this story, the writer is establishing God as the ultimate higher power who should be listened to. In the end Adam and Eve disobey Him, and are punished and humiliated. According to the Bible, unfortunately they punished the rest of humankind as well.
I can see where you are coming from Steve, however, I have to disagree with you on this one. God specifically told Adam and Eve from the start that they could eat from any tree, but the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. They broke his trust and disobeyed him by eating the fruit therefore should be punished. If God did not originally tell them not to eat from that tree I would totally agree with you that the punishment was fair. For instance, little kids are told by their parents not to do something and they do it anyway without knowing if it is good or evil. Would you say it would be alright for their parents not to punish them for disobeying them? By God punishing Adam and Eve for disobeying him it like parents punishing their kids. It teaches them that they should listen to their parents.
I agree with your stance here and particularly like the analogy with the child and parent. Children do not necessarily know the difference between right and wrong but they do know if their parent says not to do something, they shouldn’t do it. The child does not need to know the different between good and evil, right and wrong; the child only needs to know that their parent said don’t do it. This applies to Adam and Eve as well. Their understanding of what the punishment was, or even the consequences of their actions, is not as important as their understanding of what their orders were. Even if no punishment was implied, they still should have obeyed what they were told to do.
So, Kelly, do you think this principle - “blind obedience” - is applicable to relationships of equals too? Like friends, spouses, or co-workers? Probably you don’t, but then here’s my next question: What quality needs to characterize a relationship in order for blind obedience to be okay?
I think in relationships where one person may be more “dominant” then the other or relationships where strong trust exists, blind obedience may apply. Even though there is no explicit reference to why Adam and Eve may had trust in God, He was the one who made them and thus becomes worthy of trust. I think its interesting though that the dialogue between God and Eve is not given in Genesis 1 when God tells her not to eat from the tree; it is only referenced in the words of Eve herself. That dialogue would perhaps give more insight into that relationship through Eve’s initial response to the orders of God.
I would also have to disagree that it was wrong for God to kick Adam and Eve out of the garden. Yes, they were not aware of all of the repercussions but they were given so many other options that God probably thought they would not deceive Him. God placed them in a the beautiful garden and gave them options of fruit to eat off of the other tree in the forest. Instead, they chose to disobey and thus God realized that He would have to find a way to prove that His intentions are good. God needed to step in and let them know that what they did was disrespectful and wrong.
Right! You’d think there would be other options. I agree.
I feel that God was right in punishing Adam & Eve for eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. God was their creator therefore they should have obeyed him and not eaten the fruit. He provided them with other resources that they could have gotten food from so there should have been no need for them to choose to disobey his commands. Being that God gave Adam and Eve life he could be compared to a parent figure. With that being said, when a child disobeys their parent’s wishes they are usually disciplined for their actions. Adam & Eve were fairly disciplined by being banished from the Garden of Eden. I assume that by God telling them not to eat from the tree he thought they would abide by his commands; he trusted that they would follow along with his orders and consume the other resources provided. By breaking his trust, it was only fair that he make them suffer the consequences.
In my opinion, the point of the author writing the account of Adam & Eve the way they did was to show where sin originated from. This story is a way to try and explain the everyday occurrences that we may suffer through and to provide somewhat of a scapegoat for our problems. Also, I feel that it was a way to show that God is not to be tested with; there are consequences placed on us by him to every negative action in life. It was a way of showing that God is to be trusted and not reckoned with.
Do you think fear and trust can go together?
I do not feel that fear and trust can go together. Trusting is a concept today that not many people do easily, or willingly for that matter. If you are fearful of trusting someone, you will most likely hold back. If we are looking to blame Adam & Eve for our problems we face today then we can look back at them when it comes to our trust issues. Trusting someone is very hard to do, so the idea of trusting God for Adam & Eve could have been a scary one. Why was it okay that they should just trust God because he created them and because he gave them an order? And why did God assume that he could trust them to obey his commands?
Trust is something you gain as a relationship grows. It is not a given the second you meet someone, or create them in this case. Adam & Eve were expected to trust God because he was their creator. They were also expected to abide by his commands out of trust and loyalty to him. As we all saw, with the temptation that came about it made it hard to trust that God was telling the truth about the consequences of eating the fruit. If you are afraid of something or someone it is essentially going to make it hard to trust them. Fear is going to hinder any sort of trust you may develop in a relationship. If Adam & Eve were fearful of God and the consequences he would put upon them how could they trust him?
1.) After reading the Genesis story of Adam and Eve and discussing it in class, my opinion of the story has somewhat changed. When it comes to whether or not I think it was fair for God to punish them for eating the fruit, I’m torn. In some ways, I think that it was fair for God to punish them. He basically gave Adam and Eve control of the garden and only asked that they did not do one thing—eat from the tree of knowledge. It’s not as though there were many rules set in place in the garden; there was only one. The fact that Adam and Eve cannot follow this one rule seems to justify their punishment by God. They did disobey God’s orders and punishment can be justified.
However, I feel more strongly that God’s punishment for eating the fruit was not fair. Adam and Eve were placed on Earth with no knowledge of what is good and evil. Because of this, how would they know that eating from the tree of knowledge would result in them being booted out of Eden? They do not understand what good and evil are. They do not realize that by eating from the tree, they are committing an evil act. When God created humans, He made us perfect. We had no knowledge of what it means to sin. However if mankind has no knowledge of what might be considered a sin—of what is considered to be good and what is considered to be evil– how are we supposed to stop ourselves from sinning? We are taught that God is forgiving. He forgives people of their sins. However, Adam and Eve committed a sin, yet they are not forgiven. They are simply kicked out of the garden with no explanation. It’s almost as if God does not want them to know what good and evil is. Maybe He fears that by knowing this, they will become as powerful as He is. In my opinion, I believe that God should have punished Adam and Eve to some extent, but not as drastically as He did. He has to realize that they have no concept of what is evil and that is because God created them like that.
2.) I believe that the main point the author of the story was trying to get across by telling the story just the way they did is that there are limits in the world and overstepping these limits is a problem. In the Garden of Eden, the only limit placed on Adam and Eve was that they are not supposed to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. However, when they cross these limits, problems arise. They are booted out of the garden. In life, there are also limits. There are certain lines we cannot cross because bad things will happen.
So, the bad things that happen to us in life, would you say there’s a God behind them, and that this God wills them to happen to us as a matter of being disciplined?
After reading your post I somewhat changed my mind about God being fair in his punishment. Your point about God making us perfect and free of the knowledge sin when he originally created us was the point that puts me on the edge of agreeing/disagreeing with his punishment. Although they knew that God did not want them to eat the fruit, they did not know exactly what “good” or “evil” was. Was the reason why God kicked them out just fear? It seems that he could be fearful that Adam & Even would understand what it meant to be good or evil and start questioning him, the way a child would question their parents about an unfamiliar concept.
So very interesting! That God should have fear of the damage humans can cause. And that God would therefore take measure to protect himself against our actions. Very sharp, Taylor.
God gave both Adam and Eve the gift of life and to live in his garden. The only thing God asked in return was to follow his one rule, do not eat from the tree of knowledge. When Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they broke that covenant with God. God had every reason to ban them from the Garden of Eden. However, increasing the pain of childbirth and the leaving me with the responsibility of financial support of the child and his wife could be argued as excessive. God did not instill much intelligence in Adam and Eve, so it could be argued he set them up to fail. On the other hand, Adam and Eve should have had faith in God and knew that he knew what was best.
The message of the story was trust. In order to be a true believer one needs to have trust in God and believe in him. By breaking that trust Adam and Eve were punished and shamed. Just because we do not understand what God asks of us, it does not mean we do not obey it. Sometimes it is best to be ignorant. The story brilliantly conveys how imperfect human beings are.
Frank, you bring up an interesting point concerning the covenant that God makes with Adam and Eve. I think I remember Dr. Knight saying in class that God will uphold His end of the covenant even if the humans break their part. Therefore, shouldn’t God have been more understanding of Adam and Eve’s disobediance? They might have broke their end of the covenant, but God should not have broken his end. He should not have kicked them out of the garden. He should have punished them to some extent, but not as harsly as He did. They should have been allowed to stay in the Garden, which, as you mentioned, was part of the covenant between God and Adam and Eve.
I disagree, I think God should have kicked them out of the garden because it was such a severe distrust and disrespect to him. He provided them with everything they could have needed. I do not believe that God broke his covenant. It was a severe opposition to God and his word and I think that it required a harsh punishment, such as kicking them out of the Garden.
1. I feel that God was right in punishing Adam & Eve for eating the fruit from the tree. The main reason I believe God was right in punishing them is because, he only gave them one rule and they ended up breaking this rule, therefore they were wrong. The only problem with this argument is that the serpent really did persuade both of them to eat from the tree. God was the one who gave them life so I feel that he is capable of giving them any punishment he feel is reasonable. If God didn’t punish Adam and Eve they would be able to get away with anything they wanted to.
I feel what the author of the story is trying to tell us is that, disobeying God could lead to punishments. God gave Adam and Eve one rule and showed that if you disobey him, he will punish you. the writer is establishing God as the ultimate higher power who should be listened to. Also, I believe that this is signs of the beginning of sin.
1.) I think that by eating the fruit from the tree of good and evil went directly against God’s words. Adam and Eve were told that if they were to eat this fruit they were doomed to die. Eve even repeats these words to the serpent when she is tempted to eat the fruit. Therefore, even if she doesn’t know the difference between right and wrong she must trust in God that eating the fruit is wrong. Adam and Eve chose to believe the words of someone other than God to be true. God’s punishment is justified because Eve eats the fruit knowing that that “ the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods.” Eve knew very clearly that this was against God’s will, yet she still acted against God. By hiding, Adam and Eve know that they have done wrong and disobeyed God. Therefore, I think punishment is just.
2. This story shows us that God is all powerful. Even if temptation comes our way we should be cognizant that God is omniscient and his will should always be followed. It also illustrates that some knowledge is off limits to humans. Some knowledge is beyond human reach and stepping beyond these limits is bad because in life there are always limits. There are some things in life that can only be attributed to a higher power. This can be seen as a affirmation in the belief of a higher power.
Why should we follow someone’s will, just because s/he is powerful, even if we are talking about God? I mean, I’d only want to obey someone if s/he is trustworthy, so that I could know I would be treated well by the one with the power. Or maybe I’m asking for too much…
1. I firmly believe that god was right to punish Adam and Eve. Curiosity got the better of the two and they ate from the tree when they were clearly told not to. They learned immediately after eating it was wrong not only because the knowledge was embedded in them but by God directly punishing them and thus banishing them out of the garden. What didn’t help was they continued their “evil” behavior by hiding from God. What better way for someone to learn the meaning of good and evil than by making mistakes and dealing with the consequences? This situation is the equivalent of when i was younger and my mother told me not to touch the hot stove. I didn’t know what she meant by hot, so i touched it, and my crying after taught me not to do it again along with the scolding by my mother. The difference here is i wasn’t banished from the house. I think that Adam and Eve shouldn’t have been banished from the garden, because what then? How will they learn anything else from God away from his garden? Its like a teacher giving up on a student, which should never happen.
2. I believe the point to the way the story was told was that there will always be curiosity and temptation in the lives of humans, and it can be a epic struggle to decide on the correct course of action. I think Andrea S words it nicely that some knowledge is off limits to humans, because we’re not ready for it and possible wouldn’t know what to do with it.
I really agree with your point about temptation. As humans there is curiosity built into us. Therefore, we are more likely to try things that are said to be off limits, especially when someone is trying to pre-sway us. At this point Adam and Eve knew that God was a higher being but how would they know that He was the end all, be all. I am not saying that what they did was right. I am simply saying they were faced with curiosity when they were not even fully trusting in God yet and chose to give it a shot.
I also agree with you. God told Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit and they disobeyed him. Therefore, there should be punishment, but I am not sure to what extent that punishment should have been. Adam and Eve went against God’s word. This should be a lesson as to the consequences of disobeying. Is there a punishment that Adam and Eve could have been given to learn from their mistakes instead of automatically being banished?
Maybe a second chance, Andrea S.? Why did God not give Adam and Eve a second chance? Or maybe there is a second chance hidden somewhere as the story continues?
Yes, I do think that it was fair for God to punish Adam and Eve for eating the fruit. There was only one rule to follow and Adam and Eve could not even follow that. I think that it was a fair thing to do. He gave them many other ways to survive. They had no need to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Just because they were not told the consequences, does not mean that it is okay to disobey God. Eve should have trusted and believed in what God said. Even though the serpent tempted Eve, she should have followed what her creator said, whether or not she was actually going to be hurt by eating the fruit or not. She had no idea of the consequences, yet she chose to believe the serpent. The serpent could have been lying just to trick her, but she chose to follow the serpent instead of her creator. Adam also had a choice whether or not to eat the fruit, regardless of what Eve did or said. God had every right to expel Adam and Eve from the garden.
I think the main point the author of the story was trying get across was that people need to trust in God and follow his rules. This is something that can be followed and it does not matter what the situation is or what time period it is taking place in. God’s wisdom can help us through any situation; we just need to trust in him. This also explains what can happen if we deceive and trick others.
Can you imagine a world where there’s only ONE rule to follow? Very interesting scenario. It would definitely be easier than the many-rules world we live in today. Or maybe not?
I think that all depends on whether or not we know the consequences of breaking that rule or not. Also, how tempting it is to break it. Sometimes it’s a lot easier to follow the simple basic rules that we deal with on a day to day basis, especially if they do not really impact our lives, but if this one rule was something that affected us at all hours of the day it may be much harder to follow.
After reading Genesis I have come to the conclusion that God was absolutely right when he banished Adam and Eve from the garden. God had given them life as well as plenty of resources to sustain life. As a matter of fact, God permitted them to use the earth as much as they’d like, except of course when it came to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Although tempted by the serpent (possibly Satan), Eve was very wrong in eating the fruit. The tree was obviously of great importance as God insisted that it be the only piece of the earth that Adam and Eve not use. One could argue that this occurrence could be the onset of man, and therefore Adam and Eve being the first humans did not understand fully how to conduct themselves in the right way. However I feel that obeying someone with extreme importance such as your creator is an innate characteristic. I believe the point the original storyteller tries to make has to do with the consequences of disobeying God. The original creation story, and subsequent stories in the Old Testament, show that disobeying God leads to punishment.
So, you’re suggesting that human beings develop and become better - because they have other human beings to learn from. Is there a theme of evolution in there somewhere? Very intriguing if there is.
I do believe that humans develop and become better because they have other humans to learn from. Isn’t that part of the reason why we read many of the stories in the bible and study history? I feel so. In the case of Adam and Eve I felt that they had no prior experience to lean on to make the choice to eat in the garden. However I feel that they were still wrong in eating from the garden because human instinct, (which we are born with), tell them to obey someone who had done so much for them.
I think that Dan makes an interesting point. We do read the Bible and study history to learn what other people before us did. Adam and Eve had no one to look upon though. Going along with this idea, they have to learn from their own experiences and mistakes. They are the first humans so they have to create a path for others to follow. They made a decision to disobey God’s orders. They had no one to look upon to know if this choice would lead to harsh consequences. In order to learn from their own mistakes, however, they must be given a second chance; a chance to set things right. God should have allowed Adam and Eve to remain in the Garden. If they do not learn to follow God’s commands, then they should be kicked out of the garden. God is supposed to be forgiving. He should have given them a second chance to prove their loyalty to Him. If God is looking for their loyalty and trust, he should have dealt them a less harsh punishment and allowed them a chance to redeem themselves.
Why is God supposed to be forgiving? With this question, I’m not contesting that God actually is forgiving. I’m just interested to know why we think that is how God should be. For psychological reasons? Spiritual? Logical?
When looking back on this story I do personally feel that God had the right to punish Adam and Eve for eating from the tree. I do think that that punishment was a little to harsh though. God gave both Adam and Eve one rule in the paradise land that they lived in and everything else was completely acceptable. God offered them a life in paradise with no worries but at the same time Adam and Eve had no idea what good and evil was. So when they were tempted by the serpent (satan) to eat from the tree, the only thing they knew was that God said do not eat from that. Now since neither new what good and evil was or you could possibly say right and wrong, how could you blame them for eating from the tree. If God did not want them to eat from the tree, he could have provided them with the knowledge of what would happen if they did. Also i believe that it is part of human nature to what something that you are not allowed to have. I feel that God could have punished Adam and Eve in many other ways besides banishing them out of this paradise and too survive on their own. Overall i feel that punishment was necessary but just not as severe as God did.
I agree with Sean that Adam and Eve should be punished for what they have done. They disobeyed God therefore should be punished. At first, I also thought that the punishment was harsh. However, thinking about it I think that it was ok because I think that God was trying to make a statement that one should not disobey him. It seemed that God was trying to show Adam and Eve as well as others to come the power that he has. It seemed that Adam and Eve was his example for others to come.
I found Sean’s response to be very interesting. It was very similar in what I felt. There is no doubt Adam and Eve were wrong for eating from the tree. God told them to avoid it. However, we cannot necessarily blame them for doing so because they did not know right from wrong. Perhaps had Adam and Eve been surrounded by more people in a later generation, they would not have made the same mistake.
Sean, you point out an interesting view. I agree that because they disobeyed God a punishment should be put in place but I can see how you feel that it was a bit harsh to throw them out of the forest. They did have the life in this “paradise island” and ruined it by going against God’s word. I had previously wrote that they should have known a consequence was coming but now I can see how they would have no idea what would happen therefore, getting kicked out of the forest would be the harshest punishment. I also came to think that if they did not disobey God would our world be different today?
Do you think there even would BE a world today, Dana? If they had not disobeyed. Then they may never have started having children, you know. There was no sexual relationship between them until after they had left the garden.
I didn’t think of it like that but I guess no, there would not be the world we have today if Adam and Eve had not disobeyed. If they listened to God we probably would have not have the world we have today. Although, there is some corruption in our world I think your idea is correct we would not have the life we have today. I had not previously thought about how there would be no sexual relationship between them until after they had left the garden.
1. I think that God should have punished Adam and Eve because he specifically told them not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. There were many other trees for them to eat from that would have satisfied them but their curiosity got to them. I also think it was necessary that God banished them out of the garden because they needed to learn their lesson and know that it was not acceptable to do as they please, against God’s orders. I think that even though the serpent was tempting Eve that they should have resisted the temptation and listened to God’s instructions. However, I do believe that God was testing Adam and Eve with the serpent to see if they would obey his word or if they would go against it. They also did not know what the consequences would be therefore, they probably felt that it didn’t matter if they ate from it. However, they soon found out that they were wrong.
2. I think that the author’s purpose in this story was to show that temptation will always be an option for humans but it is their duty to choose the right way. It is important to listen to God’s word and obey his instructions. Since Adam and Eve made a promise with God to not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil there was some type of consequence that had to come.
But isn’t that a harsh view, Dana, to say that Adam and Eve didn’t know what they were doing but still had to take the consequences? If they didn’t know, how would it be a real option? I’m not pointing to a fault in your thinking, but rather to a problem in the story. It’s not an easy one to settle and your comment demonstrates that.
But in any option do you really know the consequences before they actually occur? Even if someone tells you the consequences, it is up to you to decide if you believe it or not. Adam and Eve were being told different things by different beings. Eve chose to listen to the serpent instead of God. What one person says are the consequences could be completely different than what another person says.
That’s sharp, Rachel, and it means that for Eve to decide whether to listen to the serpent or to God, she would need some reason to believe in one over the other? What would the indication be that God is the one she should have listened to in the first place, rather than the serpent?
I agree with Dana because all Adam and Eve new was that they should not eat from the tree because God said so. At this point though neither of them could distinguish the difference from what good and evil or right and wrong was, so should they have been punished for their ignorance. God wanted them not to know about good and evil and because of this they did not know how to cope with the temptation of the serpent to go against God’s will
1. I believe that it was fair for God to punish Adam and Eve because they directly disobeyed his only order. While they were able to touch anything else in the garden, he specifically told them not to eat from the fruit from the tree. I think the punishment was just because although it is natural that they were tempted to eat from the tree because they did not know why they shouldn’t, they disobeyed the word of God and he needed to make an example out of them. I believe this story is a lesson about temptation and trust because when God instructed them not to eat from the tree he was testing them. God also wanted to see if Adam and Eve would trust him because trust is a very important concept in life and can be the making or breaking point of any type of relationship.
2. I feel the main purpose of the story is to illustrate the concepts of tempation and trust. Temptation is something we face daily in life, but the ability to avoid temptation is something that must be learned. The author demonstrates in this story how that giving into temptation can pose harsh consequences. Trust is the foundation of many relationships and is often hard to regain once broken. God was trusting that Adam and Eve would resist temptation and when they broke his trust, it was decided they could never regain his trust and thus never return to the garden.
Interesting insight about trust, Nick. I’m wondering if you think there always has to be trust coming from both sides in order for there to be a relationship? Also, it seems like what you say implies that temptation really does not have much to do with “breaking the commandment” as “misusing God’s trust.” Which means that the temptation they faced would be a way for God to set them up so they could choose the relationship of trust that God offered. Is that how you’re thinking?
Interesting thought about temptation. I never viewed this story that way. Do you really believe that Adam and Eve could never re gain God’s broken trust? Don’t you think that God loves all of his creations and could possibly see that Adam and Eve have changed and allow the re-entrance?
I do believe that. Yes. But I also know that once you have lost trust, then regaining it does not bring you back to “the way things were.” It is always a new kind of relationship that develops. One where both parts know that trust CAN be lost. It’s more cautious. Perhaps more difficult. Or perhaps, I don’t know - more real and solid if it does turn out that the relationship can be re-established.
Don’t we know this from our own relationships? It’s hard to forget that someone mistrusted you.
I do believe it is possible to regain trust but like Dr. Anette said even if trust is regained, it does not imply that thing will return to the way they were before the trust was broken. Yes, Dr. Anette I do feel trust is important in any relationship but does not always need to be present from both sides. The amount of trust present often depends on the type of relationship and the people involved. For example I would still be friends with someone even if I trusted them to do something and they forgot but if I was in an intimate relationship with someone and she severely broke my trust, it would probably be the end of that intimate relationship but could lead to a friendly relationship over time.
Fair enough, Nick. I think you’re right. It depends on the nature of the relationship. Maybe of how equally invested you are?
I feel that trust is one of the most important things in a relationship, and is necessary from both sides. It is impossible to have any type of healthy relationship with someone unless there is a mutual trust. Otherwise one of the people in the relationship is always going to be second guessing what your doing and if your telling the truth. Also without trust you cant truly enjoy yourself in a relationship.
I agree and, reading your comment, I was asking myself how we know this truth in the first place. It’s from personal experience, isn’t it? Not theory. Which also makes me think about the story of Adam and Eve as relevant to us, only because we can relate to it personally. No story is interesting, unless it has personal relevance for us. Just another thought.
Yes, I agree Dr. Anette that the amount and degree of trust is highly related to how invested you are or how willing you are to be in that particular relationship
1.) I think that God was completely right to punish Adam and Eve for multiple reasons. First of all it was the one and only rule that God gave them in the Garden of Eden. They had the most beautiful and perfect place to live in all the world and all they had to do was not eat from that tree but for whatever reason they could not resist. Secondly, they obviously did something wrong in breaking this one rule and the only trust that god had to give them so why should there not be punishment. There needs to be some sort of order at all times or else things will just be too out of control. By punishing Adam and Eve he established order and that he was a superior sort of figure. This carries through to today with the order that is established in our society everywhere we go.
2.) I think that the main purpose of the story is to illustrate how tempation and trust can play against each other. Quite often in life the things we are most told by people that we cant have is those that are most desirable to us. Obviously the fruit of the tree was greatly desired by adam and eve and they were told they were not allowed to have it. This illustrates trust and tempation and sets an example for every similar situation that precedes it.