Adam & Eve's Temptation

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So what are trying to say - that God foresaw the consequence of His creation? It is a given. God knows everything. So why did you bring that up?

I am trying to explain perhaps to the readers, not you, what God in creation foresaw, was the consequence of freewill, which in his love He gave to mankind.

It is not that God wanted disobedience even though it happened. He wanted obedience because that is what God is. Obedience to God is to love, which is what God is, and with that obedience we get to be with Him forever in heaven.

When God gave freewill, it is like He was taking a risk, and He did. This is the only thing that God did not do - He did not force anyone to obey or love Him.

Still, to Him, it is worth the deed, because there would be people who choose to obey and to be with Him in heaven.

Basically the creation results in good versus evil, the light against the darkness, which ultimately the former prevails.
 
I am RC. But I was also thought that “Original Sin” was either sexual relationships outside of marriage with or without variants of that act. Or ( maybe laugh) Adam did not think how ask God to Bless him into a full marriage with Eve. eg Like RC Priest in Marriage Matrimony. But all God wanted was Adam to ask & Bless him into Matrimony…but Eve went too fast…Adam took the easier way… and “Original Sin.”
 
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This is the best post I have EVER read regarding Adam and Eve’s temptation and I have never heard of of “I am God and you aren’t” What a wonderful summary of the First Commandment…

Thank you so much for this Post Deacon Jeff.

God Bless.
 
I would say (based on Jewish belief) that it is precisely the FREE WILL given to Adam and Eve that made them “very good.” That is, they were given a choice whether to obey or disobey G-d, and they exercised that choice (free will) in the wrong direction; but they still were considered “very good” because they had the human will to choose as well as the temptation to do so.
 
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Thanks for sharing the Jewish belief. That is interesting and you have helped many of us learn more about the Jewish beliefs.

God bless.
 
A lot of Non Catholics or non Christians, say it MUST have been sex. (or variants} Do touch/eat tree in the MIDDLE of the garden. And The serpent tempting Eve first. But a lot of thousands or theorys with that.
 
Jessica - Being born with innate spiritual perfection Our Lady was always completely protected from those ‘temptations’ by Satan. Adam and Eve were not with innate spiritual perfection - so being burdened/gifted/liberated with free will to obey God or not, temptation became much more of a challenge - minefield.
 
I don’t think it was sex. I think it was more subtle. Wanting to be God I think is the subtlest sin. They had no kids and no urges that would disturb them. A body that doesn’t die, doesn’t need to survive. They had bodies that they were in complete control of. They had no egos. They were a whole gift of self to one another. their thought were always focused on the other. Their mode of knowing was intuitive. They had what St. John Paul II called the ‘internal gaze’. Nothing obstructing the interior view. Naked with no shame.
Experiencing life without death is profoundly different to this life. The experience of time is different. Imagine generations of people that end their earthly lives assumed to heaven. No need for history books. Their is no past or history when life is immortal. The people of the past are present. Where is your sting o death.
 
Great post.

I’ve looked at the account in a Bible study and we noticed how Satan twists God’s words into the temptation, something that a lot of us deal with in regards to temptation today.

“Did God say…?”
I can apply this to the moment in which actual temptation begins, when I am reminded that my action would be wrong. For now, let’s examine someone considering a petty theft. Their temptation probably begins when they see an attractive item, and begin imagining themselves with it. He don’t have the money to pay for it, so he begins imagining the way he could swipe it without anyone noticing. But then, the moral law sweeps into the man’s mind and he is reminded of what God directed, that he shouldn’t steal.

“You won’t die…”
Or, you won’t be caught. Or, it’s not a big deal, it’s only a an inexperience bracelet. And it’s your anniversary soon, and you can’t afford something nice. This is the “mortal’ effects of the sin, and how they can be diminished by temptations. This doesn’t deal with how your relationship with God will be affected, simply the worldly consequences.

“God knows… You will be like God”
God’s mercy is infinite. You could always just go to confession. God always has open arms. Here is where the final decision must be made. For, it is easy to sin against the world, but once on attempts to sin against God, it becomes serious. Most often, my temptations relate to testing God’s mercy.

Sure is interesting how the first temptation bears much resemblance to temptations of today.
 
Benadam said:
I don’t think it was sex. I think it was more subtle. Wanting to be God I think is the subtlest sin. …
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I think of how Jesus expiated this sin of Adam and Eve whenever I read or hear the following Scripture passage:

Philippians 2:6-7 Have this mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
 
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In my community we actually have an ancient Judeo-Christian practice called Mylanchi. On the night before the wedding of the bride, she is smeared with henna to cleanse her of the original sin of Eve. It’s an ancient practice but very interesting in regards to the first sin of Eve.
 
Thanks everybody for your answers. I’m afraid I still haven’t got the answer I was seeking. Everyone keeps shouting “free will”. Yes I got that part. Let me phrase my question another way. If they were created good, why didn’t the very idea of rebellion against God repulse them, period?
 
Augustine3 said:
I’m curious…

Adam and Eve were created from God, hence they were very good. If they were very good, why on earth were they tempted by the fruit of the tree of knowledge in the first place? Why won’t they repulsed by the idea of disobeying God?
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Adam & Eve are good because they are created by God. They are “very” good because they are created in the image of God.

Satan is also “very good” for the same reason: he is created by God and he is made in the image of God.
“Very good” refers to their nature and ontological value, however, a person can become evil through the exercise of the will.

Peace.
 
Short answer: Because, as is so often the case, we can try to delude ourselves, no matter how good we are.

Look around you. I know that I personally know dozens of good people --kind, caring, feed the homeless, love God, generous, blessed people–who do bad things for all kinds of reasons, because they tell themselves that the bad are somehow ‘better’ than the good.

For example, when a daughter becomes pregnant these people, who otherwise love life, again, spend much money and time on supporting homeless shelters, missions, etc., take her for an abortion because they love her and ‘don’t want her life ruined’. “God will forgive us”, “It’s just a clump of cells”, “It’s more loving not to bring a child into poverty” blah blah blah.

So they aren’t ‘repulsed by the evil’ because they try to convince themselves that in thiscase, the evil is ‘canceled out’ by good, or ‘circumstances’, or ‘not deliberate’ or ‘God will understand’. It is precisely the fact that they --that we-- know what we are doing is wrong that we feel the need to ‘justify’ our actions.
 
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God permitted the fall into ignorance to allow for the beautiful journey back.
 
Augustine3 said:
I’m curious…

Adam and Eve were created from God, hence they were very good. If they were very good, why on earth were they tempted by the fruit of the tree of knowledge in the first place? Why won’t they repulsed by the idea of disobeying God?
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They were given the gift of free moral agency, which made them capable of disobedience.

You may find some relief to your problem in blaming the serpent that tempted them. He presented the argument in a way that made them obviously feel that the cost was worth the perceived benefit.
 
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Benadam said:
What if you found out 75 percent of human life was screened for sin and not created? I would think God is imperfect and tried to hide it.
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Respectfully opinion only in pondering, 🤔

Which God or god are you talking about?

Do we seem to fail, mention or know there is a false God, recorded many false gods worshiped? False prophets? Children of the false God?

Written in Matthew, is it not? You are the children of the Father of Lies?

Do we seem, to place all the imperfection on the wrong God maybe?
He has a > Name < does he not?
Jesus tells us I gave them your name?
Ask in his name?
Baptize in his name?
I came in His Name?
No other greater Name under the Heaven’s or below then His Name?
What is his Name?

God and Lord are Titles, not Names, there were many god, gods, Lords throughout out the old Testament and within the beliefs of others also?

He has a Name, so all will know Him?

Written?

There are many false god, gods?

A false god does not even want us to know > he exist,why?

Prophecy? >He will deceive the whole world, the greatest deceiver of them all?

He can perform great lying signs and wonders?

He can perform many miracles?

He can transform himself into a beautiful angel, even goes around masquerading as being God himself?

He seeks to destroy by entering the hearts souls and minds, with temptation and lies?

He seeks to destroy the goodness and peace, unity of Human Beings, The Human Family, etc?

He takes great pleasure in destroying innocent suffering, etc does he not, read OT smell of burning flesh, destroying innocent animals, why did Jesus get so angry at the merchants on the Temple porch?

He can even make fire fall from the sky, do not believe him even if it comes to pass, and fire falls from the sky, do not accept it, or believe, is this not written?

Does Jesus not tell us my Kingdom is not of this world, so who’s kingdom and power is it under, who’s Kingdom is it?

So why are we putting all this imperfection, blame on our Heavenly Father who is the fullness of Love, Righteousness, Truth, Mercy, Compassion, Forgiveness describing him as written?
Thee Heavenly Father > tells us he takes no great pleasure in such destruction, innocent suffering, loss of all precious sacred Life in all Life Forms, for he has created the animals, human beings calling all good, very good did he not, the One who came to > Save?
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True Heavenly Father is Love, seeks to destroy not, takes no pleasure in the shedding of innocent blood, does he?

Written > For all Life is sacred unto to me in the Blood>>this is the True Heavenly Father?

There is always an opposite in this world, is there not?

Do we fail to acknowledge? Preach on? Teach on? Expose? Make known? Fail in seeking to know the character and signs of theses false god or gods?

Did Jesus come to identify, made it known in Matthew Chapter 23 >You are the children of your father of lies and exposes them with all his Woes?

True Heavenly Father does not give us all His Thou shall not then command us to do the opposite does he? He would be a liar transgression his own laws would he not? 🤔

Peace ❤️
 
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