Western monotheisms and knowledge
Ian | 16 July, 2008 | 21:07Can the “big three” Western Monotheisms (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) justifiably continue the pursuit of knowledge and science without contradicting their faith?
It would seem even the most liberal interpretations are being hypocritical when acquiring knowledge as it directly contradicts the story of the Fall of Eve and Adam in the Garden.
Basically (if some how you don’t know yet), God was pissed that Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge, and expelled them from the Garden of Eden (this story exists in all of the Big Three’s holy books). Even taking the story metaphorically, it still teaches that their gods are anti-knowledge.
To continue to pursue knowledge seems to contradict the very heart of these religions! If God didn’t want Adam and Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden, why would it be permissable now? Wouldn’t he be even more upset that 6,000 (or 13.7 billion) years later we still continue to defy the rule of the Garden?
Perhaps the Christian Scientists and Jehovah’s Witnesses are among the few who truly follow rule number one from the Bible.
Or perhaps rule number one is don’t pursue knowledge because it erodes faith.
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My understanding is that it’s not just a tree of knowledge. It’s the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:9). He created the garden of Eden to be a place where there was no need to have an understanding of good and evil (metaphorical or not). But Adam and Eve chose to eat from the tree, introducing the knowledge of morality into their lives. It’s not that the tree just gave them new knowledge (ie “Oh, look, we don’t have clothes on!”); eating from the tree attached moral meaning to their lives (ie “Oh, no, being naked is bad!”). Considering that the next 4 books of the Bible are full of laws (aka knowledge of good and evil) I don’t think it’s that God condemns knowledge. God wanted to protect us from having to deal with moral dilemmas, but Adam and Eve chose to eat the tree, so he continued to give them 4 more books of rules and regulations – all the knowledge that they’d need to go along with their choice to learn about good and evil.
And another thought: I do think that a lot of people fear knowledge because they’re afraid that it might just erode their faith. So they fight science and any new points of view. And that has often worked into the lives of religious leaders and thus influenced the mindset of the people. But I don’t think that knowledge will necessarily erode faith. Sure, learning new things has at times left me really confused and wondering how they fit in with my faith, but I live with the confidence that if God is big enough to create the universe, he can certainly help me to understand how that universe is compatible with his existence. For a religious person to fear new knowledge is really just showing that that person fears the possibility that his or her faith has no foundation. True faith will seek out knowledge to find out what it’s really made of – to see how well that faith can withstand the rigors of the world.
So far, I’m confident that mine stands up just fine.
The problem here though James, is that you are basically saying that ignorance is bliss. Which is fine, but what if we don’t want to be ignorant? You’re clearly an educated person, but are you educating yourself so you can challenge your faith, or is it curiosity? Incidentally, Isn’t someone who suppresses knowledge for fear that their faith lacks foundation just lacking faith?
Every time i hear the story told it usually amounts to “that stupid bitch eve ate from the tree of knowledge so now we live a real sucky life. We could’ve been living in Paradise” It portrays curiosity and the search for knowledge as a bad thing.
Etha Williams has more on the topic.
and clearly I suck at html…
I fixed your comment for you Alan, it also revealed that I am God of this blog and can make people be my puppets if I really wanted to (however I likely will never do that…).