“Tree of good and bad” means what?

by venus 42 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  deegee

  The only meaning I see in this story is that God's "imperfect" creation has a keener sense of justice and empathy than their so-called merciful God.

  God did not create Adam & Eve with a fully developed brain. They were like children whose cognitive development was incomplete so their brains were not able to perform certain functions such as distinguishing between right and wrong. They were also like the animals in this sense.
  

  Yet, despite their being created without moral sense, we are told that God did not forgive them. He blamed them, and their billions of descendants anyway, demanding the ultimate penalty many times over.
  

  This contrasts with courts around the world which show mercy to those who do not know right from wrong. A "Not Criminally Responsible" designation is a fundamental principle of many justice systems. Accused persons must have the capacity to understand that what they did was wrong - otherwise they cannot be found guilty of an offence; such persons are not fit subjects for retribution or punishment.
  

  Children who commit wrong cannot be prosecuted as they are under the age of criminal responsibility.
  

  In the U.S. brain science has been reforming juvenile justice policy and practice. They have abolished the death penalty for crimes committed during adolescence, found mandatory life-without-parole sentences for murder in violation of the 8th Amendment, and eliminated life-without-parole sentences for crimes less than murder. Opinions have started to change, providing the opportunity for reform and rehabilitation of juveniles.
  
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  Irishdub

  I think the whole point of the storey (real or myth) is who do we trust ?
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  deegee

  What Irishdub said:

  Eve’s view: ‘God created everything. He is my father and I trust him to protect me. God would certainly not create, or allow to exist, anything evil that would threaten me or my family. Therefore if this snake is offering me something – it MUST be a good thing’.

  Gods view: like the villain in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade – ‘don’t trust anyone’ – ie you shouldn’t have trusted me.
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  Irishdub

  so EVE was confronted with two different statements, in a normal cognitive mind that would create a choice, a decision, unless you are brain dead like deegee !
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  deegee

  Not brain dead Irishdub.

  Just offering another perspective on who to trust.

  Think about this:

  JWs & other believers are strongly and specifically instructed to avoid people of bad influence. Why? Because these people can deceive, spread false doctrine, twist words and bring ruin.

  Yet God allowed the snake into the garden and DID NOT ALERT ADAM & EVE TO ITS PRESENCE OR INSTRUCT THEM TO AVOID IT especially given their naive state as they were created without moral sense; so what reason was there for Eve to not trust the serpent?
• 

  waton

  DID NOT ALERT ADAM & EVE TO ITS PRESENCE OR INSTRUCT THEM TO AVOID IT dg:

  or instruct Abel & Cain to do any worship, nor inform Abel of the coming danger.

  an non-interventionist creator up to that point.

  Up to the point of the serpent speaking all was good, why even consider the knowledge of bad?

  is good so boring we need the "bad ", to dominate the news even today?
  
  
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  Irishdub

  What was said about the *tree* previously, before Mr. snake eye showed up ?

  ms deegee ;)
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  waton

  What was said about the *tree* previously, before Mr. snake eye showed up

  not to touch it. a sure invitation to do so.
  
  
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  Irishdub

  sorry... is this a threesome now ?
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  deegee

  not to touch it. a sure invitation to do so.

  God went out of his way to make sure that the fruit would be tempting to A&E.
  

  God made the fruit “desirable to the eyes” and “pleasing to look at” (Genesis 3:6).

  The fruit could have been made stinky, slimy and repulsive, therefore helping Eve resist. That way the only virtue it would have had is the wisdom it could give, but even that was a temptation since god made Eve with desire to want to be like gods further decreasing the chances of her resisting the temptation.

  Why was the Tree put there in the first place? Why not put the tree out of their reach in Alaska?

  Didn't God realize that without a moral sense, Eve and Adam would probably eat the fruit sooner or later? Any parent who puts a plate of cookies in front of their 12 month-old infant and tells them not to eat any is aware of what the infant will do.

  Satan didn’t require temptation by fruit. He fell all on his own so why was there a need to put the tree of good and evil in the garden?