Was sending Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden a blessing or a curse?

Post by **Melisa Jane** » 06 Jun 2020, 04:57

Kemmy11 wrote: ↑05 Jun 2020, 06:39
Mounce574 wrote: ↑04 Jun 2020, 14:41 I don't believe that God would ever curse people. I saw this as more of a disciplinary action due to disobeying his rule. This is also a debatable issue that is best resolved by the Bible.
Couldn’t have said it better. I see it as consequences for their actions

But again, I don't think mere punishment can affect the whole of Adam's generation. A punishment only affects the wrongdoers. But a curse affects thousands of generations to come.

Post by **Melisa Jane** » 06 Jun 2020, 04:59

writestuff wrote: ↑05 Jun 2020, 08:23 It seemed like a punishment in the beginning and as we were all told as kids it was, punishment it was. Then you read further and think it through, you realise its God's love.

Yeah, as kids we were taught it's a punishment. But then, this book is of the thought that it was a blessing. Could it be that God didn't punish Adam and Eve for their rebellion?

Post by **Melisa Jane** » 06 Jun 2020, 05:01

Misael wrote: ↑05 Jun 2020, 08:50 It is always about choices. Adam and Eve was sent away because they chose to disregard God's words. I also think everything happens for a reason and the reason why we are where we are is because of that choice. A blessing or a curse? I think neither.

In my opinion, a mere punishment should not affect an individual's entire generation. I think only curses become that fatal.

Post by **Melisa Jane** » 06 Jun 2020, 05:03

Dee_Robert wrote: ↑05 Jun 2020, 09:10
B Creech wrote: ↑04 Jun 2020, 17:07 I don't believe Adam and Eve were sent away from the Garden of Eden to protect them from Satan, I believe they were sent away because of their sin. Satan is in the world so when they were sent out of the Garden they became even more vulnerable to him.
I agree totally

But the book argues otherwise. It shows a very happy Adam who is glad to finally find himself. He's also very proud to be the leader and to have his descendants.

Post by **Melisa Jane** » 06 Jun 2020, 05:05

Dee_Robert wrote: ↑05 Jun 2020, 09:12
Misael wrote: ↑05 Jun 2020, 08:50 It is always about choices. Adam and Eve was sent away because they chose to disregard God's words. I also think everything happens for a reason and the reason why we are where we are is because of that choice. A blessing or a curse? I think neither.
And maybe both
Great opening statement tho, extremely true.

Actually, maybe it's both. When you see it as a consequence of their sin and their inability to return to the garden, it's a curse, but when you see how they were independent and happy, it was a blessing.

Post by **Melisa Jane** » 06 Jun 2020, 05:08

Dee_Robert wrote: ↑05 Jun 2020, 09:14
writestuff wrote: ↑05 Jun 2020, 08:23 It seemed like a punishment in the beginning and as we were all told as kids it was, punishment it was. Then you read further and think it through, you realise its God's love.
True.
The Bible even says He chastises those whom he loves.
The book makes that fact clear

We became mortal because of "love." All the sufferings as we see in the current world is because of "love." How I wish this love wasn't there and we were all still in the garden of Eden

Post by **Melisa Jane** » 06 Jun 2020, 05:10

Dee_Robert wrote: ↑05 Jun 2020, 09:15
Kemmy11 wrote: ↑05 Jun 2020, 06:39
Mounce574 wrote: ↑04 Jun 2020, 14:41 I don't believe that God would ever curse people. I saw this as more of a disciplinary action due to disobeying his rule. This is also a debatable issue that is best resolved by the Bible.
Couldn’t have said it better. I see it as consequences for their actions
Absolutely, and the Bible does explain it if we care to look through it

But again, the consequences have affected all of his descendants, including some of us who had no idea what had happened. Isn't that a characteristic of a curse?

Post by **Melisa Jane** » 06 Jun 2020, 05:12

Dee_Robert wrote: ↑05 Jun 2020, 09:16
Nama Winnie wrote: ↑05 Jun 2020, 05:36
JM Reviews wrote: ↑04 Jun 2020, 04:38 Just after Adam and Eve had eaten from the tree of knowledge, God drove them away from the Garden. The author of this book seems to justify every curse that God put on Adam. At some point, Adam seems grateful for the curses. What really captured my attention was the justification of the fact that God sent them away from Eden. Do you think the main purpose was to protect them from Lucifer? Do you believe that eating from the tree of life would have worsened the situation?
Knowing my creation story I've always thought that man was sent away as a punishment. I do not how it could possibly be good with all the suffering you see around.

I haven't read this book yet, but really hope to. If it has all these angles to this story, I'm curious
Bother to read the book and a little bit of the Bible, you'll see that God does everything to restore us to that beautiful garden relationship we had with Him.

Biblically, I agree. That's why he even sent his son, to save us and restore the personal relationship with the father.

Nama Winnie · Post by **Nama Winnie** » 06 Jun 2020, 07:54

JM Reviews wrote: ↑06 Jun 2020, 04:53
Nama Winnie wrote: ↑05 Jun 2020, 05:36
JM Reviews wrote: ↑04 Jun 2020, 04:38 Just after Adam and Eve had eaten from the tree of knowledge, God drove them away from the Garden. The author of this book seems to justify every curse that God put on Adam. At some point, Adam seems grateful for the curses. What really captured my attention was the justification of the fact that God sent them away from Eden. Do you think the main purpose was to protect them from Lucifer? Do you believe that eating from the tree of life would have worsened the situation?
Knowing my creation story I've always thought that man was sent away as a punishment. I do not how it could possibly be good with all the suffering you see around.

I haven't read this book yet, but really hope to. If it has all these angles to this story, I'm curious
The book argues that Adam and Eve were happier, found new freedom and understood themselves better.

The second part is true, after all that was the trade-off. To eat of the tree and get free will.

The part I'm finding hard to understand is the happiness accompanying the difficulty. Also does that mean God intended for humans to be unhappy in the garden of Eden?

Nama Winnie · Post by **Nama Winnie** » 06 Jun 2020, 07:56

JM Reviews wrote: ↑06 Jun 2020, 05:10
Dee_Robert wrote: ↑05 Jun 2020, 09:15
Kemmy11 wrote: ↑05 Jun 2020, 06:39

Couldn’t have said it better. I see it as consequences for their actions
Absolutely, and the Bible does explain it if we care to look through it
But again, the consequences have affected all of his descendants, including some of us who had no idea what had happened. Isn't that a characteristic of a curse?

It is.

The same way upto 4 generations used to pay for someone's sins.

Nama Winnie · Post by **Nama Winnie** » 06 Jun 2020, 08:03

JM Reviews wrote: ↑06 Jun 2020, 05:03
Dee_Robert wrote: ↑05 Jun 2020, 09:10
B Creech wrote: ↑04 Jun 2020, 17:07 I don't believe Adam and Eve were sent away from the Garden of Eden to protect them from Satan, I believe they were sent away because of their sin. Satan is in the world so when they were sent out of the Garden they became even more vulnerable to him.
I agree totally
But the book argues otherwise. It shows a very happy Adam who is glad to finally find himself. He's also very proud to be the leader and to have his descendants.

I fail to see how chasing them away protected them from satan? Wouldn't we all then be safe from satan.

And does that mean satan is somewhere in Eden locked up?

Nama Winnie · Post by **Nama Winnie** » 06 Jun 2020, 08:11

JM Reviews wrote: ↑06 Jun 2020, 04:54
Nama Winnie wrote: ↑05 Jun 2020, 05:40
Alice Ngugi wrote: ↑04 Jun 2020, 05:03 I believe it was both a blessing and a curse. In the garden they could not enjoy the varying levels of emotions such as sadness and pain, at that they would not be able to fully appreciate the good times. The curse comes with separation from God and even facing death ultimately.
For me the curse wins out. I think I would prefer living in the garden and not fully expereincing joy than out here paying for the consequences of disobedience
Do you think it might just be a punishment as opposed to a curse? The word "curse" is way too strong. Just some thoughts.

I'm thinking it doesn't matter whether it's a curse or a punishment. We still continue to pay for those sins.

But in literal terms, I think it's curses that span generations.

Nama Winnie · Post by **Nama Winnie** » 06 Jun 2020, 08:15

JM Reviews wrote: ↑06 Jun 2020, 05:12
Dee_Robert wrote: ↑05 Jun 2020, 09:16
Nama Winnie wrote: ↑05 Jun 2020, 05:36

Knowing my creation story I've always thought that man was sent away as a punishment. I do not how it could possibly be good with all the suffering you see around.

I haven't read this book yet, but really hope to. If it has all these angles to this story, I'm curious
Bother to read the book and a little bit of the Bible, you'll see that God does everything to restore us to that beautiful garden relationship we had with Him.
Biblically, I agree. That's why he even sent his son, to save us and restore the personal relationship with the father.

Don't you think it's contradictory information? If they were that happy and free then why is the ultimate ending going back to that beautiful garden relationship as put by @Dee_Robert ?

MeganDJ · Post by **MeganDJ** » 06 Jun 2020, 08:27

I often believe that perceiving a particular event as a blessing or a curse is up to those that experienced it. The truth is that we only understand and comprehend one aspect of the Biblical course of history, as we do not get the chance to witness the outcome of what life may have been like in the Garden of Eden. With that being said, both Adam and Eve could have seen God's consequences as a Blessing or a Curse, and the way they perceived it would have changed the course of history regardless, because of their gift of free will.

Ana-Maria-Diana · Post by **Ana-Maria-Diana** » 06 Jun 2020, 08:49

JM Reviews wrote: ↑06 Jun 2020, 04:52
Ana-Maria-Diana wrote: ↑05 Jun 2020, 02:57 I think that this was how the things were meant to be. God had and has plans for us all. If He didn't want for Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge, the tree wouldn't have been there. If they lived in the Garden of Eden maybe none of us would've been here today.
This assumption means that God already know our paths before we were born. This means there isn't actually a freewill. We are confined in a predetermined future. That's sad.

I don't say that we do not have free will, but that God already has paths created for us to follow. We do make choices but each of them leads us to the same finish point, just the road to it is our doing. We choose the road but the destination is still the same. It is just my opinion because I believe in destiny and that everything happens for a reason.