A few days back I came across a status on facebook which criticised Adam and Eve for eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. One of the commenters said something about "If Adam and Eve had not done what they did we would still be in the garden of Eden chopping good fruit and better vegetable". At first the comment was funny to me, but afterwhile I started to analyse that comment.
Many of us have made or even heard jokes/insults that castigated Adam and Eve for eating from that tree, because according to the bible the world was perfect before they ate from that tree abi? But if we look at it from another perspective, we find that Adam and Eve at the end of the day chose knowledge over ignorance. When before they were ignorant and living a blissful life, they let their curiosity and thirst for knowledge lead them to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Now when people castigate them for eating from that tree, are those people not in essence supporting IGNORANCE in every shape and form? Let me break this down for the people who might not understand this post.
Before FRUIT CHOPPING, ADAM AND EVE = IGNORANT
AFTER FRUIT CHOPPING, ADAM AND EVE = KNOWLEDGEABLE
Now why would anybody feel that Adam and Eve did us wrong, when infact they should be seen as role models and viewed as Heroes? They sought knowledge when they had no reason to, they were leaving a perfect lifestyle but they were ignorant, they let their curiosity lead them to knowledge that was forbidden to them by their creator. If we view Adam and Eve as Villains for seeking knowledge, why then do we send our children to school to get an education and be knowledgeable? Afterall one might say if you abhor the actions of Adam and Eve, you should practice what you preach and let your children or even yourself wallow in ignorance.
For example, lets say Adam and Eve represent Fredrick Douglas and God represents the White Man.
During the slavery era, slaves were forbidden to read or write or get an education, disobedience with that command could get you killed. Fredrick Douglas a black slave knowing the consequences of getting an education took the risk and educated himself, he sought knowledge because at the end of the day knowledge is power. Ignorance is bliss but ignorance also makes you weak as a terminally ill patient. Lets not forget, the almighty did not throw us out of the Garden of Eden because we ate from the Tree, he threw us out because he did not want us eating from the second tree which was the tree of Life which again would have made us immortal and put us on the pedestal of the Gods. By eating from the first tree, Adam and Eve had become like God knowing good and evil, by seeking education/knowledge Fredrick Douglas had become like his white master by knowing the same things his White Master had forbidden him from knowing. The only difference in my opinion between the White Slaveowner and God is that God had one level of knowledge that he stopped us from attaining and that was the second Tree which was the "Tree of Life".
In conclusion, Adam and Eve should be seen and viewed as role models not castigated by pastors/comedians etc as Villains. They were ignorant and living in the most blissful world one can ever find, yet they did not let the blissful nature of their surroundings stop them from seeking knowledge.
