Gweedo: You said >>>>>>>>But he did give Adam and eve eternal life. He permitted them to eat of a tree and live forever.
No, he didn't. He was only going to let them eat of that tree if they passed their test which they failed. He never gave them eternal life. What book have you been reading? You cant give someone eternal life and then take it away. That's not possible. If they had eternal life they couldn't die. That's what having eternal life means. They died. So they obviously had never been given eternal life.
So your cookie jar analogy falls flat.
>>>>>>>>>Did God not punish the talking serpent also. The serpent seduced eve into eating of the tree they were told not to...As PUNISHMENT, as a consequence of this bad act God got angery at this highly evolved talkng serpent and made it crawl on its belly for the rest of its life.
The serpent was a belly crawler to begin with. Thats what serpents do. God probably just used a low down belly crawling serpent to picture that liar Satan. Then afterwards its belly crawling would act to remind us of his lies.
>>>>>>>>>> But a god that tells us he is a God of love and yet allows people to suffer disease and all sorts pain and suffering in this world, animals included...is hardly a god of Love, hardly lacking in darkness, hardly perfect. He's a tyrrant.
So you never allow your kids to suffer any pain to learn a valuable lesson for the future? I know you will say - "Well he didn't have to let us suffer so long." Compared to eternity these past few thousand years will seem like an instant. Guys like you and Joe always think you are wiser than God and are never humble enough to admit that maybe God understands things that you don't.