Tree Of Knowledge Of Evil And Good Represents Evolution From Animal To Human

[DayLight]

The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil represents evolution from animal-like state to more human.

 

Genesis (the Bible) states that Adam ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and then the trouble started.  I think the story of the Garden of Eden is a symbolic representation of humans going from animal like state to becoming more aware, more human.  (Not all points fit, but that's how it is with all the stories, but there is something in it nevertheless).

The knowledge of good and evil is knowing the difference between good and evil.

Animals don't know the difference between good and evil. And I guess Adam was like an animal (he was not aware either). And I guess that's why he was considered perfect and innocent (because animals can't be held accountable for their bad actions).

And then the story had this idea: "if you know the difference between good and evil then you will be like god"

So, in order to become like god, you need to learn the difference between good and evil. In other words, you have to do this as a first step of evolving. (To become like god means to evolve to the highest possible level).

They say that ignorance is bliss. Well, when Adam evolved and understood the difference between good and evil, then he shed the blissful life of ignorance and entered into the troubled life of knowledge and evolution.

To know the difference between good and evil means you have to evolve beyond animal and you have to be able to observe and analyze your own actions.

Emotions (like fear or regret or satisfaction or lack of satisfaction) happen because of human's ability to analyze the situation and feel something in response to that analysis.

If you just do something, without thinking about it, without analyzing it, you won't feel anything about it. Before, Adam could just quench his desires and be ok. But now, when he analyzes his behavior, he may feel regret or guilt or a sense of "wrong doing" about his actions.

So the evolved ability to analyze actions brought "bad" emotions with it.

So how to meet his need, quench his desire for something, and not run into "I feel regret about my action" emotion?

So he would have to calculate the odds: is it going to be better if he quenches his desire now but feels regret later, or is it better that he keeps suffering with an unquenched desire, but then he wouldn't have to feel regret?

We know from experience, that to this day, some people choose one way and some another way.

So Adam ate from the knowledge of good and evil, and as a result brought suffering upon himself. Adam evolved and the blissful ignorance has ended. Adam lost his animal-like innocence. AND YET, it's the road to "become like god" (aka: to evolve to the highest degree).

[bornagainathiest]

http://www.ex-christian.net/topic/64305-gods-secret-law-in-eden/#.VHYrntKsXzI

 

 

[mymistake]

While there is nothing wrong with you finding parallels in a story keep in mind that when Genesis was written everyone was ignorant of evolution so it is simply impossible for any of the writers or editors of Genesis to have intended to include meaning they knew nothing about.  You can draw a circle around an arrow after it lands but that doesn't mean the arrow was aimed at the circle.

 

The men who wrote Genesis found slavery, rape, genocide and wars of conquest to be perfectly acceptable as long as it was done in their favor.  This proves they had a long way to go in the morality department.  The gods they created were in their own image and had the exact same flaws regarding morality.

 

 Good and evil have to do with humanity's social nature.  We survive by working in teams.  So most of our instincts about "good" further that team (family) strategy.  Other mammals (not human) have been caught on camera doing things that are moral on this scale.  For example cats and dogs have been known to risk their own lives to save another animal, even when it is not a blood relative.  Of corse it is even more common for an animal to risk it's life for its own young.

[♦ Fuego ♦]

"You can draw a circle around an arrow after it lands but that doesn't mean the arrow was aimed at the circle." Yes.

 

I've heard stories recently about Genesis being an early parable of humans being genetically altered to change them from mere slaves to beings that could think like their alien overlords. Same thing as above. People read into it what they want. I've seen several books now related to that one idea, and the authors sell it to conspiracy theory fans.

[duderonomy]

If the OP is correct, DayLight will have to show how the rest of the book of Genesis makes sense. That'll be one huge allegory, and I could do the same with the book "Moby Dick".

[DayLight]

If the OP is correct, DayLight will have to show how the rest of the book of Genesis makes sense. That'll be one huge allegory, and I could do the same with the book "Moby Dick".

 

I believe that there are some true ideas within many systems of belief and thinking.  They are hidden among the rest of the stuff.   It's like an Easter egg hunt.  So, the rest of Genesis does not have to be true in any way in order for that bit to represent a true idea.

 

It's not about finding truth there and saying: oh, see it must be this way.   It's more about finding truth else where and then looking back, and saying: oh, see it's in there too, I didn't realize it as was in there until now...

[Ravenstar]

I think that allegory is quite plausible…that it is some remnant of a species memory, or at least a story trying to explain why we are seemingly different from the animals... no reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

 

Myth has been used forever to explain things mankind doesn't understand.. that's where it comes from - of course then it gets twisted and embellished and given all sorts of meanings it wasn't originally meant to.

[DayLight]

This forum is about science versus religion.  I like seeing parallels between religious ideas and ideas that we believe to be true from a more scientific point of view.  I know about the creative interpretation problem and the conspiracy thinking.  But still, I find it interesting that there was this idea hidden in the Bible, that knowing evil and good leads to suffering.  People who wrote this didn't know what they were saying, and yet, they spoke something that's true.

 

From observing life and learning about life,  I think that knowing evil and good is knowing the difference between evil and good.  It means to understand morality.  Animals don't understand morality.  So that means that when you know the difference between evil and good, you have evolved beyond animal thinking.  So eating from the tree of this knowledge is the process of evolving. The moral of the story was that when you eat from the tree, you will bring suffering upon yourself.  And that is what happened.  When people evolved beyond animal thinking, when they learned about morality, that brought suffering.  As animals, they were carefree (like living in a paradise and not having to worry about anything). 

 

I just wanted someone to see this point that I was making.  But I guess no one did.

[FarflungWanderer]

Really, the Genesis story doesn't represent anything. Anyone who is looking for some kind of deeper meaning is going to be disappointed.

 

It's a re-imagining of the Enuma Elish of Babylonian tradition (sort of their Creation story) that fit the narrative the writers of the Old Testament wanted to create. Same goes for the story of the Flood (also taken from the Enuma Elish--Pardon if I'm misspelling that).

 

While other interpretations are interesting, they're merely coincidental. The writers of Genesis had no intention to create anything resembling how we see it today. It was meant to put the blame for everything wrong in the world on man, and have an angry, judgmental God hanging over their heads that, also, agreed with just about anything a "good" priest said.

 

It was a control mechanism, through and through. Nothing more, nothing less.

[midniterider]

What's wrong with right now, unless you think about it? :-)

[Ravenstar]

I don't know if it's a truism that knowing 'good and evil' (which presupposes that there is a difference between good and evil.. i.e.: a judgement factor is necessary to discern or label things 'good' or 'bad') is 'bad'. There are consequences to anything (cause and effect) and innocence has it's own downfalls. 

 

Maybe that's where the concept of "Ignorance is bliss" comes from. In the human case knowledge brings greater responsibility - this can be a burden, yes… but it can also enhance the experience of life. I wonder sometimes if some people really don't crave the simplicity of a child's view or even an animalistic existence… sure, it's simple - but for myself I can't imagine it. Although responsibility and awareness can be uncomfortable I am happy with it.

 

It's a complicated psychological, and maybe evolutionary topic. It makes me wonder about the fundie propensity for embracing and promoting willful ignorance.

 

hmmm….

[seven77]

http://www.ex-christian.net/topic/64305-gods-secret-law-in-eden/#.VHYrntKsXzI

 

Lots of good reading on BAA's thread. Highly recommend that anyone who has serious questions about Adam, Eve, the tree, the snake and the rest of it read that thread.

 

Also of interest: http://www.ex-christian.net/topic/64142-free-will-is-it-the-trickster-god-of-the-christian-pantheon/

 

in which a few of us discussed the characters of Satan and Yahweh and how these characters got their start, as well as some speculations related to Genesis.