The tree of the knowledge of good and evil has always been the biggest mystery (to me at least) from the Genesis creation story. It seems pretty obvious that nothing that's created in the image/likeness of God could but be destined for the knowledge of good and evil - eventually. Sure, you may have nakedness at first, when there is yet no work of man, but as soon as there's movement forward, there's the inevitable acquiring of knowledge that cannot but include good and evil. In fact, there can hardly be knowledge without also knowing good and evil because even at the most fundamental level, any work can either be done right or wrong. The hand of man, even the hand of God Himself, is not lacking in paradise so called, when He planted a garden in Eden and gave it unto Adam to keep it - garden meaning garden and not jungle, and keeping can only be done by instruments. Humans are not animals therefore animalia is irrelevant. Animals are made clothed with nature; humans are made naked so that they may clothed themselves with works of a higher purpose taken from nature, thus knowledge/mind/spirit. If all that God made is good, than does that not necessarily include the possibility, at the very least, for humanity to have through the very means of acquiring the knowledge of good and evil, avoid the fall by choosing the good?
Now obviously I'm aware of all the divers answers that may arise on an Interfaith Forum, hence why I posted this in Abrahamic Religions, primarily to ask of those who desire to read and understand the creation account in a way that makes sense to itself. Sure, allegorical is understandable, but what then do the allegories mean? To you personally: Can you imagine God having desired for us to actually remain in a state of perpetual ignorance with regard to knowing good and evil? Surely "very good" cannot mean making the world in a way that is impossible to support choosing good to you, can it?
Now obviously I'm aware of all the divers answers that may arise on an Interfaith Forum, hence why I posted this in Abrahamic Religions, primarily to ask of those who desire to read and understand the creation account in a way that makes sense to itself. Sure, allegorical is understandable, but what then do the allegories mean? To you personally: Can you imagine God having desired for us to actually remain in a state of perpetual ignorance with regard to knowing good and evil? Surely "very good" cannot mean making the world in a way that is impossible to support choosing good to you, can it?
