Original Sin and Free Will

Could free will exist before knowledge of good and evil?
If so, does that mean animals have free will?

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Christianity
• Religion
• Christ
• God
• Free
• Will
• Original
• Sin
• Bible
• Scripture

[thecommonsenseguy]

The answer youre looking for...perhaps a simple contradiction not noticed by the authors, or perhaps a mistranslation throughout the ages. This is an interesting question, but you are correct to recognize that it doesnt really make sense. The key is not to think too in depth about speculated statements, the answer is right in front of you.

[twothlesswonder]

Right, I see what your saying and I would have to agree. The only sense I can make of it is that original sin was merely a metaphor for when we acheived sentience for which to establish morality. It morphed into doctrine as we began to record these early cosmologies.

But that's not really an answer, is it?

[twothlesswonder]

That's a great logical assertion!

"What if by placing it at the edge, adam and eve would not have eaten from it? By placing it where he knew they would eat from it, didn't he ensure the event?"

That's one of my favorite points to raise when discussing such matters with willing Christians.

[crazypills2]

(3 of 3)

Now, why did god put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden? What if by placing it at the edge, adam and eve would not have eaten from it? By placing it where he knew they would eat from it, didn't he ensure the event?

[crazypills2]

(2 of 3)

Lets suppose that I gave you two envelopes, A and B, and I told you that one had a check for one million dollars and the other had nothing. Then, I instructed you to choose one envelope. Now, if I knew you were going to choose envelope A and I didn't want you to have the money, I would simply put it in envelope B.

Now, maybe I didnt predestine you to take envelope A, but the result was the same.

[crazypills2]

(1 of 3)

I actually think scripture supports both free will with foreknowledge and predestination. This contradiction is yet another reason why it cannot be the word of god.

However, I assert that foreknowledge has very little difference from predestination when the being with the foreknowledge is also the manipulator of things. Let me demonstrate.

[thetacogangsta]

ive thought about this allot my self...all i can say its a contradiction and obviously the people who invented this fairy tale didnt put much thought into it. heres a another question for you to ponder on:

If free will came after the original sin...then who was guiding Eves Will to commit the sin? The devil? well who allowed the devil into the garden? God? Then whos to blame for the original sin? :-0

[unseenstrings]

At nearly 62 years old, I have dwelt on the question many times. What is free will in the absence of any knowledge of good and evil? We are talking about two people who were supposedly no less innocent of true ill intent as two toddlers. How can two people who were so naive that they were less blameworthy than a baby be blamed for being talked into eating an apple? How can punishing the whole human race be justified for the actions of two individuals who were totally ignorant of right and wrong?

[johnhart30]

I have watched the video, and looked at the comments of others based on the information within the video.

Great question, and in my opinion this goes to showcase the constant contradictions within the bible itself.

The ancient lexicons used were constantly misinterpreted, and that part of the brain which gives us reasoning is special indeed and is found throughout the animal kingdom, though much, much smaller.

This question may never be answered, however, perplexing indeed.

[thecommonsenseguy]

/watch?v=Q88r9jUarCc

[jebus6kryst]

Nice question.  I have never thought of it that way before. How would creatures have free will, to choose good or evil, if they did not know what good or evil was to begin with.