HAPPINESS AND THE GARDEN OF EDEN

The notion that the Garden of Eden was paradise bothers me. To live my life naked and eating fruit does not seem like such a great idea. For a vacation, I guess it would be great, but stop right there. It would be awful as a way of life.

I do not know about you, but there is something appealing about the complexity of modern society. It is true that sometimes it gets to be too much and the stress can kill you. Most of the time, however, the countless options at our disposal enrich our lives.

Innocence or ignorance allows people to worry less. They do not know any better. On the other hand, people who acquire knowledge become aware of new dangers. That is what happens when man eats the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Adam and Eve losing their innocence is their rite of passage into adulthood: from a life free of concerns to one full of responsibilities.

The story of the Garden of Eden could also be emblematic of our being the only rational species on the planet. Animals only have instincts, but we can use self-reflection, allowing us to know that we know. We lost our animal innocence when our superior brains allowed us to take that step up the evolutionary ladder.

To me, the original sin has nothing to do with disobeying God. The way my story would go is this:

There was a time when our souls were very happy living in our Heavenly paradise. However, with eternal time at our disposal, things get boring even in the best of places. As a result, we decided to go on an adventure and become incarnate. On this planet, on another planet, who cares! It would be something different for a change.

God stood by, shook Ert* head and said, “You kids want to do that, go ahead, but do not come to me when things get rough!"

That is how the fall of man occurs, a volunteer decision to let the spirit enter a new period of struggle, so it may have the opportunity to rise to new heights. Count me in. I like that story.

*Ert is God’s article. See Ercian Testament - Part Two, chapter 9 “Erc, Ellael, and I”