(July 21, 2014 at 1:00 am)Ryantology (╯°◊°)╯︵ ══╬ Wrote: God tells A&E not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They did so anyway.
Yup.
Quote: God hands down some really harsh punishment, because to disobey God is to commit evil.
Harsh according to whom?
Quote: The pair immediately exhibit this knowledge upon eating the fruit.
No, prior to eating the fruit they were able to use God’s perfect knowledge of good and evil to know what they ought to do, after eating the fruit they can only use their own fallible knowledge of good and evil.
Quote: It is extremely obvious that they could not have understood it was wrong to disobey God until after doing it.
Why not? God explicitly told them what they should not do.
Quote: Of course, it wasn't just them. All humanity has to suffer because of this 'sin'.
Yes, Adam was the representative of all creation.
Quote: And, just for one harmless transgression that caused absolutely no damage or loss to God. It is a maximal punishment for a minimal crime, and people continue to suffer the punishment for a 'sin' only two people committed.
A crime against a being of infinite authority requires an infinite punishment. Fortunately, God has given redemption to his adopted children.
Quote: Why did God do this?
So that He may be glorified through the redemption of His fallen people.
Quote: Why did God create a serpent who could talk?
So that He may be glorified through Satan’s destruction.
Quote: Satan isn't named as the serpent at any point in the Bible.
That’s incorrect.
“And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” –Revelation 12:9 (ESV)
“15 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood.”- Revelation 12:15 (ESV)
“And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.” –Revelation 20:2 ESV
“3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”-2 Corinthians 11:3 (ESV)
Genesis 3 predicts the coming Messiah and his triumph over the serpent, of course Jesus’ triumph is over Satan (Per Luke, and Revelation) so it logically follows that the two are the same being.
Ezekiel 28 also says that Satan was in Eden.
Quote: How can this be defended as 'justice'? It's cruel and wicked and not resembling justice in the slightest. It does, however, make a 'savior' necessary, doesn't it?
How is it injustice? Merely asserting that does not make it so.
Quote: The very first story of the Bible is nothing but a diabolical con by an evil monster, and it proves the fallacy of 'biblical free will': God gave it to you and will damn you for ever using it.
The Bible does not teach that mankind was given free will at the fall, quite the opposite actually. Man’s will is in bondage to sin due to the fall.
