The First Questions In The Bible

What loss of a relationship?Before they ate from the Tree of Knowledge the relationship was about the same relationship one might have with a squid or a slug. Adam and Eve were just another animal. Huh? Where is that in the story?It looks more like you are trying to twist the story to fit YOUR needs then to read what is really there.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Do you have a point?You can't even keep the stories straight. The story about man created in God's image is not even part of the story of the Garden of Eden.Sure Adam and Eve were just animals, just as a sheep dog is sent out to tend the flock.And folk certainly always look for Lassie when she gets lost.And what my relationship happens to be is totally irrelevant to the story.Are you ever going to post something that has any relevance or importance?

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Uh, again jaywill, what does any of that have to do with the topic?You love to bring in irrelevant, unimportant and frankly false material, but what does any of that nonsense have to do with the thread?The topic is "the first question in the Bible" and "In other words, was the entire scenario meant to happen?"Well, since the various authors of the myths, wrote them that way, then yes, questioning was part of the storyline. But we need to remember that we are analyzing fiction.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Sorry but that is illogical. A work of fiction can have an imaginary creature talking to imaginary people. That has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not real creatures talk to real people. I'm sorry, but is there any logic or reasoning behind those assertions? Why would a myth being human created negate "the potential human opportunities to understand God?"What do we have other than our own abilities to understand anything? Again, where did anyone say that? All I have said is that a Loving Father expects the kids to grow up. Why do you say that God MUST do stuff for you to be a loving father? Why is it always what YOU get out of the deal? Why do you want a sugardaddy skydaddy? Fine, when you find someone who says that the Bible is entirely a work of fiction, please point that out. What does "as they know him" mean? Marshall Applewhite knew God. Charles Manson knew God.The question is not whether someone does know God, but "How do you know it is God?" How do you test God?Unless someone can explain how they know, they have nothing except a bare unsupported assertion.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

You test God against reason, logic and reality.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

What I actually said in Message 9 was: in response to Phat's comment found in Message 8 where he said: My comment is relevant because before Adam and Eve, in the myth, ate from the Tree of Knowledge they were no different than any other animal, unable to understand right from wrong. There could be no more of a relationship between them and God than there was between God and any other animal. God might use them as we use a a dog to herd sheep or like we use good bugs to prevent bad bugs from eating crops, but even the dog often seems to know right from wrong, something that Adam and Eve were incapable of.Further, in the Garden of Eden fable there is no indication of any loss of a relationship with God, rather the relationship increased as the status of Adam and Eve increased after eating from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. God himself in the story alludes to the increase in status in Genesis 3:21-22. The fact that many cannot tell fact from fiction is certainly true, but the fact that people mistake fiction for fact does not make the fiction fact.Certainly you could claim the authors of Genesis were Chinese, and it would carry about the same weight as your other posts. Okay. LOL

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Why do you say "Human Wisdom?" What other wisdom could we have? And where did I say anything about putting God in a box?To test something can often mean to take something out of a box, to say, "Nope, don't fit in that box."

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

And your support for that is found where? And your support for that is found where? And your support for that is found where?

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Except of course, there is NOTHING in the story even hinting at spiritual death and it most certainly does speak of immortality as the very reason God becomes fearful and kicks them out.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

In addition, there are no indications in the GOE story of separation between God and Man. Adam and Eve were run out of the Garden, but nowhere does it say anything about becoming separated from God. In fact, the Garden is not shown as a dwelling place for God, God simply comes and goes, and continues to have direct contact with man throughout the Bible.The separation is NOT from God, but rather from the Tree of Life.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

I'll try and answer both posts in this one. And you see that hint in what verse? Well the story explains that. Since man had become more like God, God feared he would also eat from the Tree of Life and become immortal, live forever.The story is a "Just So Story" and the issues are basically meant to explain life, why we die, why we seem to know good from evil and actually worry about it unlike many of the other animals, why we have to work at growing crops instead of simply foraging, why childbirth seems more painful for humans than for the other animals, why we fear snakes and why snakes don't have legs.God's behavior is a plot device for the author to explain the world.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

That makes no sense at all.Look, you are of course free to make up any fairytales you want, but this is in the Bible Study section.If you read the Garden of Eden story, there is nothing that suggests Spiritual Death or separation from God. According to the story, they were allowed to eat from the Tree of Life as long as they remained like all the other animals, incapable of knowing right from wrong and amoral.Once they have the capability of telling right from wrong, God fears that they will also eat from the Tree of Life and become even more like gods.The Trees are plot devices. That's all. Plot devices. But you do see something that relates to the moral to be conveyed. In this case, the GOE story, there is nothing to even hint at some spiritual death or separation from God.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Are you sure that is what you were taught in your catechism, because it really makes God an idiot.If Adam and Eve were created with immortality then there was no reason for the existence of a Tree of Life or for God banning them from the Garden so they could not eat from it.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

LOL.No, that is NOT what I have said or suggest. You are a classic example of the Christian Cult of Ignorance tactic of misrepresentation.As soon as they ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil they had the capability. Have you ever read the Bible? The Garden is just a small part of the world, one little Garden and Adam just the gardener. Sorry but that is just silly and 180 degrees away from what the Bible actually says. What seems to concern God, silly as it is, is immortality with the ability to discern good from evil.But remember it is a fable, a fairytale. And frankly, the Trees are just a small part, just a plot device to provide a background for the "Just So" stories.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

You have to wonder about those who teach such things, particularly when it comes to immortality.If Adam and Eve were created immortal then there was no reason for God to have created a Tree of Life.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion