THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT

According to the biblical book, named Genesis, the first two humans created by God were named Adam and Eve. As the story goes, the LORD said, "You may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden, except the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad. You must not eat the fruit of that tree; if you do, you will die the same day." 

In the story, a snake asked Eve, "Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?" 

"We may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden," Eve answered, "except the tree in the middle of it. God told us not to eat the fruit of thaty tree or even touch it; if we do, we will die."

The snake replied, "That's not true; you will not die. God said that because he knows that when you eat it, you will be like God and know what is good and what is bad."

Eve saw how beautiful the tree was and how good its fruit would be to eat, and she thought how wonderful it would be to become wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. The she gave some to Adam, and he also ate it. And the eyes of them both were opened.

Then the LORD God said, "Now the man has become like one of us and has knowledge of what is good and what is bad. He must not be allowed to take fruit from the tree that gives life, eat it, and live forever." So the LORD God sent him out of the Garden of Eden and made him cultivate the soil from which he had been formed. Then at the east side of the garden he put living creatures and a flaming sword which turned in all directions. This was to keep anyone from coming near the tree that gives life.

As a young boy, it puzzled me to read that God ordered them not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and that if they did, they would die the same day.  I just couldn't reconcile what I was being taught--that God is love, God is good, and God is perfect--with what I was reading; it seemed to me like God did not want them to think for themselves.

Later in life, however, I reconciled those perceived differences by focusing on the word "evil" --that is, I rationalized that the tree was said to bear fruit of "knowledge of good and evil." So, I resolved what I thought was my confusion by thinking that it was only the evil that God didn't want them to know. I also rationalized that God meant a spiritual death as opposed to a physical death; and, estrangement from God is to die spiritually.

Now, however, since I've learned that the so-called church doctors selected, edited, revised and censored what was included in and what was omitted from the bible, I'm inclined to believe that those words were included in order to promote blind faith rather than critical thinking; and, because what God was alleged to have said did not really come true, they were preparing the readers to even accept lies.