The eden story and nature of god
this has bothered me for yrs now but ive noticed that most of the Christians ive met in life haven't actually payed attention to the story of the garden of eden and the fall of man ( i mean yeah of coursethey dont seem to really pay attentionto what the bible says in general but the eden story especially). from my perspective this is the most definitive sign that God is actually an evil being. atleast from a readers perspective.
my interpretation of the story has always left me feeling like the "first sin" isn't disobedience of God but actually obtaining half of godhood itself.
its always struck me as strange that despite there being 2 important trees in the garden God only forbid eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. why wouldn't an omnibenevolent being want you to capable of recognizing good and evil? and most importantly what would be wrong with becoming immortal if you could? I can only assume its because such a being couldn't be controlled in the same manner mortals are later in the Bible.
what really nails it in for me is the punishments given for eating the fruit. if thistle and thorns didnt exist before that point doesn't that atleat make God kinda a bastard for creating such plants just as a punishment? Making childbirth painful and potentially dangerous hits me as incredibly sadistic. what's easier to believe that these things already existed before hand or that in a fit of rage God made a particular hole a little too small/infant heads slightly too big?
why does this particular story even read this way if its being narrated by God himself. why include the "and her eyes were opened " line? doesn't this cement the fact that the snake was actually being truthful and God was the one being deceitful?
what do you all think?