In Genesis 2, Adam and Eve are told they can eat from any of the trees, except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Really?
How did we ever get past this chapter and not realize there is already a problem? Why wasn’t this a clue to me and the multitudes of the faithful that “God” doesn’t want us to know something? It’s immoral to eat from a tree simply because “God said so”, because eating that tree could help you *know* things?
Of course, this is a common argument among theists — “God said it, so I believe it. That’s good enough for me.” What? Seriously? You don’t want to question this supposed being? An “all-perfect God” can’t handle a couple of your questions? This is very problematic. Basically, you are asked to give up your intellectual abilities of question and reason in order to serve him. If God does exist, I ‘m not sure I’d be interested in serving him, if he requires such apparent unthinking devotion.
There are plenty of other problems for religion, but here’s another one I wondered about recently. If these beings were created perfectly, and humans are degenerating because of sin, it would be reasonable to say that earlier humans should be smarter and more capable than we are now. However, the evidence seems to suggest that earlier humans were very ignorant of how the world/universe works. Did Gods forget to explain to Adam and Eve how physics works and that the stars are performing fusion that forges the materials that make up the universe? Or was he too busy telling him which tree they shouldn’t eat from?
Why didn’t Adam and Eve have cell phones, computers, or any other plethora of electronic or mechanical devices that make life more comfortable for us humans? Was God just intentionally keeping them in the dark? Why did God let the people to continue to think poorly of women or own slaves, even telling them at times to take people as slaves? Seems like God could’ve been like, as the comedian Eddie Izzard said, maybe one of the commandments should have been “don’t fucking own people” (this is from a comedian whose name I cannot recall at this moment). No, he felt it more important to tell people which animals they supposedly shouldn’t eat. Bacon? Bad. Owning people? Okay.
Why didn’t I realize how absurd all this was until I was in my late 20s? Maybe, because I, too, was not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, choosing instead to remain in my ignorance. My life is much better now that I do eat from that beautiful and metaphorical thing called the tree of knowledge.