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kester99 t1_j0gww52 wrote

These observations would seem to be in agreement with the Genesis story in the Old Testament, wherein Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise for presuming to attempt to take the knowledge of good and evil to themselves, that knowledge being reserved to God, and beyond humanity's ability to comprehend...one of the first lessons from the Bible, and one much ignored.

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jackatatatat t1_j0h6sju wrote

And a lesson most misunderstood, for falling to temptation and desire wasn't the original sin. It was thinking they knew better, with pride.

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j4_jjjj t1_j0ks3mt wrote

The sin wasnt about knowledge, it was about breaking the rule.

"You disobeyed. So you are cast out"

Yet another form of control.

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kester99 t1_j0kv34z wrote

We should keep in mind that this is a myth. You may take what message from it you like, I suppose. I'm sure there's more than one thread of meaning in there. I agree that it wasn't about 'knowledge' in general at all. It was about 'the knowledge of good and evil' and our inability to judge good and evil because of our limited mortal understanding. (This aligns with the later observations that 'we know not what we do', 'judge not, that ye be not judged', etc.) Thus the stricture enjoining them to not eat of that fruit, eh? If it was about obedience and control, any kind of tree would do for the story, I would think...the tree of really tasty cookies perhaps...'Don't touch' thunders God. 'Those are my cookies!' Instead, the tale specifically refers to the knowledge of good and evil. Every time we declare an enemy to be evil, as they declare us to be, we taste that fruit: war and conflict and the loss of paradise.

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j4_jjjj t1_j0kvl6a wrote

Fair point, the tree of knowledge (imo) seems to extend beyond just good and evil though, and may even refer to a heightened state of consciousness where we are aware of our actions (ie having a conscience and other attributes)

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unripenedboyparts t1_j0kwewt wrote

Maybe I've read too much gnostic literature. I thought the moral of that story was that knowledge itself is a fall from paradise because ignorance is bliss, and you can never reclaim innocence once it's lost.

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