-This is a hypothetical "for the sake of argument"-topic, where we take for granted that the biblical story of Adam and Eve (as it is presented in the Bible we have available today) is literally true. I think it can be an interesting exercise.
Now - let's for this discussion say God did not plant any 'special' tree in the garden of Eden. No tree of Knowledge, and no tree of Life. What would have transpired?
Well - we have to include Satan here, since he is part of the story. -Actually, even that can be debated, but since I think most of Christendom that understands the story to be literal says Satan used the snake, let's say that's a fact.
Now - we are now in a garden of Eden with no apparent sources of temptation. What wrong could Adam and Eve do? Well - they could kill each other and/or a few animals I guess, or destroy the garden, but what would be their motive for doing so at this point?
In comes Satan. He now doesn't have any specific source of temptation, and he doesn't have a statement by God that he can point to in order to call God a lier. So what could he do? Tempt them to have sex? Well, no - they'd been told to multiply, so that wouldn't be wrong. Tell them to kill themselves because then they'd become Gods? Well - that's more likely, but they were already in a paradise, and they had direct contact with God who could tell/show them what's what.
But let's say he did, and let's say they did.
If one killed the other and survived, that person would have to be punished. If they both died, and/or if they had no children at this point, God would have to start over. If they had kids at this point, should those kids be punished because their parents killed themselves?
And Satan. Shouldn't he be prosecuted for his sin and for misleading the humans? This actually goes for this thread's alternative story and for the original. JWs believe there was a question of universal sovereignty, where Satan (and mankind) challenged God's rule. But seriously. God had created the entire universe and life on earth, and - as far as I know the story goes - the angels supposedly watched it all being created (and Adam most likely watched as God formed beasts from the ground in order for him to name them). How could anyone rightly challenge this Creator's right to rule his own creation?
Now - if Adam and Eve didn't do anything particularly wrong, had children, and lived on, one would think that eventually someone would at some point do something wrong, down the line. But would that then mean the (perhaps by then) worldwide paradise would have had to be destroyed, and all of mankind (or at least this person's descendants) cast out into a desert-like existence? Wouldn't it be more logical to prosecute for each and every single offending human (or angel)?
So.
Wouldn't the garden of Eden story and (if you believe it) the story of mankind have been better off if God hadn't planted the trees, but let it all unfold on its own in its own pace? What was really the point of those trees?
-Maybe I'm 'spiritually stupid', but then you can put me straight.