Why Did God Have to Make Evil?

[LegendarySandwich]

That's not even the most troubling part of the Genesis creation story, to me. Not only did God deliberately place a tree in the garden that would "make them die" when they had no knowledge of good and evil, and he knew they would since he's omniscient and all, but the result of eating from that tree was knowledge of good and evil. So God punished them for seeking knowledge (he also punished them for being tricked by a being he created too...the absurdities continue).

Likewise it is so absurd that humans procreate with full knowledge of death coming to all...logic amazes me.

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What.

[AnimatedDirt]

Why wouldn't God take some extra steps to make sure his message was clear and easily understandable?

Seek and ye shall find.  It's not hidden.  It is easy.  Even a child understands.  Some simply require absolute evidence where none will be given.  You can understand now, can't you?  You just choose to disagree and so poke fun at.

[AnimatedDirt]

Likewise it is so absurd that humans procreate with full knowledge of death coming to all...logic amazes me.

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What.

Are you having trouble understanding the "logic" of procreating simply to die?

[LegendarySandwich]

Likewise it is so absurd that humans procreate with full knowledge of death coming to all...logic amazes me.

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What.

Are you having trouble understanding the "logic" of procreating simply to die?

I'm having trouble understanding the "logic" of your argument.

"We die; therefore, we should not have sex."

[LegendarySandwich]

Why wouldn't God take some extra steps to make sure his message was clear and easily understandable?

Seek and ye shall find.  It's not hidden.  It is easy.

You don't believe in a literal Genesis, do you? If you don't, and believe it's metaphorical or some shit, then why is it there? Why couldn't God have said that there was a Big Bang, life got created on Earth, and then, billions of years later, humans appeared as a result of evolution? Why would he have chosen to make a bullshit Creation story?

That's just one example out of probably hundreds.

Even a child understands.

A child also understands that Santa Clause exists. It's not hard to abandon logic, rational thinking, and reasoning (which is what you have to do to become "like a child).

Some simply require absolute evidence where none will be given.

I don't require absolute evidence to believe something.

You can understand now, can't you?

No, not really.

You just choose to disagree and so poke fun at.

...What.

[Sophus]

That's not even the most troubling part of the Genesis creation story, to me. Not only did God deliberately place a tree in the garden that would "make them die" when they had no knowledge of good and evil, and he knew they would since he's omniscient and all, but the result of eating from that tree was knowledge of good and evil. So God punished them for seeking knowledge (he also punished them for being tricked by a being he created too...the absurdities continue).

Likewise it is so absurd that humans procreate with full knowledge of death coming to all...logic amazes me.

Sorry, but I think you're deflecting. Why would God expect Adam and Eve to know what is wrong before eating from the tree of knowledge which makes it possible for them to know what is right and wrong?

[Gawen]

Sorry, but I think you're deflecting. Why would God expect Adam and Eve to know what is wrong before eating from the tree of knowledge which makes it possible for them to know what is right and wrong?

This is something that I cannot understand why a Christian, who knows it, refuses to understand. If God knows everything everywhen, he knew A&E had no knowledge of right and wrong before they ate the fruit. He knew they would eat the fruit and then know right from wrong. And he knew what the consequences would be beforehand. It was a set up. It's disgusting and not a very good way to trust a god that wants one to obey him.
It also destroys the Christian free will argument.

[Gawen]

Yes, thank you.  If then the interpretation is wrong, the whole idea derived from that interpretation is wrong.

A text without context is a pretext.  I guess Legendary Sandwich understands this well and thus the list of pretexts Gawen lists does nothing to support his/her claim.

I KNEW the issue of context would come up. Apologise for us Ad; you have the pulpit. Show us the CORRECT context and interpretations of the above inconsistencies.

[Voter]

Sorry, but I think you're deflecting. Why would God expect Adam and Eve to know what is wrong before eating from the tree of knowledge which makes it possible for them to know what is right and wrong?

Er, maybe because he told them not to eat from the tree?

[LegendarySandwich]

Sorry, but I think you're deflecting. Why would God expect Adam and Eve to know what is wrong before eating from the tree of knowledge which makes it possible for them to know what is right and wrong?

Er, maybe because he told them not to eat from the tree?

How would they know it was wrong for them to disobey God's commandments? They didn't have knowledge of good or evil.

[iSok]

for the answer, check my topic.

'Islam - why are we here? '

[Voter]

God is omnibelevolent, all-good, and omniscient yet he can't create something that can be all good too? Just doesn't make sense.

The Bible doesn't portray God as being omnibenevolent.

So he has some evil in him?  

No, but he is a righteous judge, and judgment certainly doesn't seem benevolent to the convict.

[Voter]

Silly Gawen, you're just interpreting it wrong.

See...I didn't have to say anything.

I love making the other side's arguments for them.

Most people don't admit they love making straw men. Go figure.  

[LegendarySandwich]

Most people don't admit they love making straw men. Go figure.  

Straw men? AnimatedDirt just said that that was exactly the argument he was going to use.

[Voter]

Sorry, but I think you're deflecting. Why would God expect Adam and Eve to know what is wrong before eating from the tree of knowledge which makes it possible for them to know what is right and wrong?

Er, maybe because he told them not to eat from the tree?

How would they know it was wrong for them to disobey God's commandments? They didn't have knowledge of good or evil.

As noted previously, you must consider the context. There is more than one kind of knowledge or understanding. They knew they weren't supposed to eat from the tree because God told them (BTW, Adam wasn't deceived), so they had an intellectual knowledge, but not an experiential knowledge. A virgin might intellectually know all the steps of lovemaking, but if someone with experience said to him "you don't really know sex until you've experienced it," you wouldn't chastise that person for making a nonsensical statement.