Monday 6 October 2014

660 - Adam and Eve

I'm not sure I understand the story of Adam and Eve. Mainly I don't understand why a loving God would load additional punishments on the two first humans besides death, which is I suppose fair enough, after they eat the fruit of the Tree of Good and Evil. These include pain in childbirth and exile from Eden. Perhaps they should be considered somehow as death itself or inevitable consequences of death. But they do seem to be sprung on Adam and Eve after the event. I'm not sure I understand why future generations should have suffered either.

Why should this matter? It's just a story. But even if it is just a story it is the lens through which the New Testament makes sense of the actions of Jesus. If it is, somehow, true, then concerns like mine become problematic.

My second 'don't get it' is related. If God hadn't exiled Adam and Eve from Eden, He could presumably have forgiven them and given them the chance to make good their actions. Instead He waited two or more millenia, then allowed his Son to sacrifice himself.

Can anyone please help me?


3 comments:

Unknown said...

Surely, it is simply a story made up by men to put women in their place. After all, we had goddess worship before Christianity. We were matriarchal. Women needed putting in their place - the three patriarchal religions have done a great job of keeping women down ever since. I'm a man, and I think it's shocking.

Steve Lancaster said...

Maybe you're right, Richard.

Steve Lancaster said...

Thanks for commenting! It is shocking, I agree.