Friday, May 29, 2015

Knowledge of Good and Evil: Good or Bad?

Is eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil good or bad?  I personally love eating from that tree.  I like to grow in knowledge so that I can become wise and discerning, so that I can make moral decisions that benefit me and others.

And as for your little ones, who you said would become a prey, and your children, who today have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in there. And to them I will give it, and they shall possess it (Deut. 1:39)

We have on one hand the teaching that we are conceived in sin (Psa. 51:5 ) and that sin has fallen on all mankind due to Adam's and Eve's so-called "sin" (Rom. 5:12 ).  But here we see the teaching that little children do not possess knowledge of good and evil.  If the "sin" of Adam was that he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and this is the sin that has been passed on, why is it that little children do not in fact know good from evil?  And of course we know this is true.  Modern psychology has come a long way, and it's known that until around the age of seven, give or take a year, a child does not possess his own concept of good and evil and can only rely on what authority figures tell him until that point in development.  This goes back to what I demonstrated in a previous post, namely that once you reach a certain age and a certain circumstance, you will "know good and evil."  And knowing good and evil is a good thing, because then it allows you to make a moral decision, to choose either good or evil. 

For my people are foolish, they know me not; they are sottish children, and they have no understanding; they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge (Jer. 4:22).

This speaks on the bible god's behalf that his people are foolish and don't know to do good, because they have no understanding and no knowledge, that they're only wise to do evil.  First of all, since when is it wise to do evil?  Knowledge is the first step.  A person needs knowledge.  Then the person can make a moral and wise decision or a foolish and evil decision.  From these learning experiences and observations of others' experiences, persons obtain understanding.  Secondly it seems apparent that the so-called "sin" of Adam didn't befall these people.  They were "wise to do evil," because they did not possess the knowledge and understanding of the difference between good and evil.  There is entirely too much nonsensical double speak in the bible.

And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs (Ecc. 12:9)

This teaches that someone is wise if he teaches a person knowledge.  I agree with this.  I believe it's wise to teach knowledge to people.  Knowledge greatly benefits mankind and enables them to make moral decisions and obtain wisdom and understanding.  This statement in Ecclesiastes is completely contradictory to the notion that it was bad to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  It basically teaches that the bible god is not wise, because he refused to teach Adam and Eve knowledge.  It teaches that the serpent was wise.

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom (Jam. 3:13).

This statement exalts the man who is wise and knowledgeable.  It teaches that people should pay attention to those who are knowledgeable and have shown by his works that he is wise.  Here we see one more instance that the bible god is shown to be unwise and wicked for wanting to keep people in the dark and to punish them for finding out something.  Today there are millions of "Christians" and "Muslims" and "Jews" who beat faith into people, commanding fellows to not dare question what their holy texts say, to never read other texts, to never listen to science, to never question anything.  They beat fear into people, teaching that they will burn forever in hell if they stray.  They do not want them to grow in knowledge and become wise and full of understanding.  They go to strong measures for their fellows to "just believe" and "keep the faith."  If you do dare to question anything and choose knowledge, they often will shun you, reject you, condemn you, and hate you.

Source: Uncertain, perhaps demotivation.us

Butter and honey shall he eat, when he knoweth to refuse the evil, and choose the good. For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land whose two kings thou abhorrest shall be forsaken (Isa. 7:15)

Here again we see that there is a time before a child is old enough to know good from evil and know to refuse the evil.  Children of a certain age, if they are doing evil, it's because they do not know it.  They can walk out in front of a moving car (evil/bad) and not know the horrible result.  They can take another person's possession and not understand that they are transgressing the other person's property rights.  This once again makes it clear that eating from a tree has absolutely nothing to do with knowing good and evil and that knowing good and evil is actually a good thing so that one can "know to refuse the evil." 

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment; so that ye may approve the things that are excellent (Phil. 1:9-10).

In order to exercise good discernment and to approve the things that are excellent, one must abound "yet more and more" in knowledge.  You're not going to be able to be endued with knowledge and discernment in order to approve good things if you do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (symbolically speaking)! 

Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish justice in the gate (Amos 5:15a).

It's impossible to hate evil and love good if one does not possess the knowledge of good and evil.