A twist to the tale






I have some very religious colleagues, mostly nurses who often argue with me over religious matters whenever we find time to take coffee in the pantry. I tend to disagree with most of their ideas and sometimes make fun of them saying they are like the Thaliban, very stiff in their beliefs.

The other day we were discussing creation, I asked them. What if Eve had not eaten the apple? How could the silly serpent convince poor Eve to eat that lousy apple? They were happy enough, didn’t have an idea of what sin was, and then, why would she ever want to become like God?

“Oh, no, doctor, you are talking against the will of God.”
Here are these total innocents happily running around naked in the garden of Eden, tossing flowers at each other ,eating rose buds and then God says, "Don't eat that apple. You'll die!"
 But then the snake comes and says something different. This is exactly like a child asking his father, "Why can't I eat French fries and burgers for dinner?" and he says, "Because that stuff will kill you! Your grandpa dropped dead from eating junk food like that! Don’t you know many Indians die young eating all the lousy food? And didn’t you know that Clinton had a heart attack eating that stuff?”  And maybe this keeps the kid away from them for a while; he knows his father knows more than he does, so he must be right. But then he sees his Mommy eating that very same stuff. He says, "No, Mommy! Daddy says if you eat that, you die!" Mommy laughs. "No, burgers don't make you die, may be coconut oil" she says, knowing the child must have misinterpreted his father's statement but not really bothering to explain further. So the kid sneaks the French fries and burger later and he doesn't die.

Back from vacation, I was reading “Like the flowing river” by Paulo Coelho. There is another version of the story in the book.And probably a better reason for Eve to eat the apple.

Eve was walking in the garden of Eden when the serpent slithered over to her.
“Eat this apple, said the serpent.
Eve, who had been properly instructed by God, refused.
“Eat this apple, insisted the serpent. You need to look more beautiful for your man’
“No, I don’t, replied Eve. He has no other woman, but me”
The serpent laughed.
“Of course, he has’
And when Eve did not believe him, he led her up to a well on top of a hill.
“She is in that cave. Adam hid her there”

Eve leaned over and, reflected in the water of the well, she saw a lovely woman. She immediately ate the apple the serpent was holding out to her.


But what if Eve had refused the apple?





You have Adam and Eve and their offspring, all live forever because of the tree of life. We all would be running around naked, because we have no shame, sex obviously feels good, because that was the way it was designed, and so, we have lots of it. Also, we would be provided with all the food we need without having to work for it.  The animals would be vegetarian ("everything that has the breath of life in it -I give every green plant for food.").  There would be no reason to kill any animals, because you wouldn’t eat them or need their skin for clothing. No tsunamis, earth quakes, plague or swine flu to worry about. Women would deliver without pain. So,no hospital bills

 So, everyone having a good time, doing what feels good, plenty to eat without any effort, lots of milk and honey all the time,  friendly vegetarian animals to play with, peace and love are all you know…. that's how I think we  would be spending till eternity and …..mmm.. I could go for that.

But somehow, I feel, after some time, I would have got bored with that kind of life.

 I think that God knew that Eve would eat the apple, if he didn't want her to, why would he have ever put the tree there in the first place?


25 comments:

  1. very true! why would he put the tree? or why was this destined!
    life is more interesting with every challenge we take and get experience ..rather then happy go lucky all the time!
    ....
    nice post!

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  2. Does not the Creator of all, know all? Of course God knew mankind would fall. And He already had a plan to redeem all who would come to Him before the foundation of the world.

    Ephesians 1:3-6 (New King James Version)

    Redemption in Christ

    3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

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  3. Don't me make the choice every day whether or not to "eat the apple". Every day we make the choice to live in the moment we've been given, the moment we're actually in, or make the choice to listen to made up stories about things that might or might not happen, then make up MORE stories about what will happen if what might or might not happen, actually happens. Welcome to the big apple...
    Paradise is right now and it's every where if you're willing to see that it is.

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  4. Very true. Another good post from Dr. Antony. Personally I do not believe in Eve/Adam story.

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  5. He is the creator, and He has the power to destroy so we are here to play the roles assigned to us by Him. Nice post....Love reading all your posts :)

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  6. Doc, exactly! If God the omnipotent didnt want Eve to eat the apple, he wouldnt have put the tree :)

    As you say, it would have been so mundane and boring isnt it? That kind of life...

    Another point here - eve seeing her own reflection and believed the serpent. She was jealous! Is it that jealousy existed right from Adam and Eve? Did not the vile nature of manhood start from from Cain being jealous on Abel? I am curious

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  7. Great post!!I think the first chapters of the first book of old testament uses similes and symbols and symbolic language to narrate what exactly happened during the time of creation. I often feel that the forebidden fruit was nothing but sex. Christian or Jewish traditions might have felt sex as a sin..God had disallowed sex between Adam and Eve (especially since they were siblings, or they could even be identified as father and daughter). SO a sexual relationship could have become incest. But such conventional concepts of sin are relevant only in a society. Don't feel that I'm hard core religious. I'm born as a catholic, but now more and more becoming an agnostic. But my personal choice always is God to exist..

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  8. Well well this is all to do with all these "IF"'s ..
    end of the day all thse holy books and scriptures are written by a HUMAN.. and GOd only knows what they were thinking while writing all this ...

    So how do we know if the stories are true :) oooops Hope i have not stirred a hornets nest here now ...

    If everything happens at god's will then all this wrong things are also happening with his WILL.

    Bikram's

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  9. Doc, When I read your post I thought it was quite hilarious, but the comments beat you to the post! You totally got the readers sidetracked by the Adam & Eve story! Quoting from the Bible was the limit! :-D

    The biblical apple is a metaphor for temptation. The only objection I have about the story of Adam & Eve is its gender bias.

    Frankly I loved your story of the child and junk food better the Coelho's and the Bible's!

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  10. A lot of if's there. A great post, as always interspersed with a wicked sense of humour.

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  11. Here we speak of topics that are hot potatoes. I think you've broached one that is a hot apple :-). Creation stories are remarkably similar from one religion to the next and I must admit to enjoying the story of the child and junk food. Good luck during coffee break. I hope they don't stone you. Have a wonderful weekend. Blessings...Mary

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  12. After all these years I still think God knew she would eat the apple. After all if she had not, we would not be here. Have a nice weekend and thanks for coming by.

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  13. .

    Interesting post . Life of Adam and eve must be quite boring at that time being alone in the world. I'm thankful to the serpent who made her believe that there is another woman too , far more prettier than her and she chose to eat the apple.

    Life is fantastic now a days, with malls and ice-creams....

    .

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  14. so interesting,, he's the first man wHo Love the first wOman In thIs wOrld. Love it..

    visiT me,,

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  15. now thats a very different thought!! i liked to believe that last part!! Maybe Lord wanted her to eat that apple!! so true!! if happiness and peace was all we had and if we still lead that primitive life!! maybe....life wouldn't have been so much fun and challenging!! and could have been boring too!!

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  16. Hi doc , a Post that should trigger laughter has inadvertently scrambled some to invoke the scriptures. Something I ‘m certain the bloke who conceived the fable of the “Garden of Eden” may not have foreseen.

    Though the good old “God” may be the earliest of forefather amongst conservationist,( he opted not to chainsaw the Apple tree, though it was a source of violation). But he, despite his presumptuous infallibility and sagacity, he triggered the destruction of natural resources and brought the World to the brink that it is in now, by damning man and woman, by his inflicting vices in man, by unsavourily making him aware of nudity, taboo of sex, slaughter of animals (as you said for meat and attire, so on and so forth). He also had racist tendencies and gender bias- where the art of jealousy and envy had to be a multi gender characteristic and attribute, has now been inflicted solely on women! This much if one goes by the story of the honey –mooning couple of Adam and Eve! Honestly given an option I would enact the role of Adam in a real time Garden of Eden and would ensure that the Apple tree was slaughtered ( hire R.Balakrishan Pillai for the job) and the serpent put in his place. The life of a “lotus eater” in a real time Garden of Eden is worthier than the troubles that may ensue from eating the wretched fruit from the wretched tree. To hell with all the fun and adventure people talk about in a mundane life we have! In any case the “apple” is an alien fruit to us in India and I would rather have a “kilichundan” mango tree instead. You see I do not want to forget my roots even in the Garden of Eden.

    In another context, I would also think of booking the serpent and the God himself for abetting crime and enticing the dumb blonde to sin. If it was not abetment, why the damn tree must be put there?

    Too much of metaphors in these scriptures, be it the Bible, the Torah, the Koran or the Gita. And man end up having various interpretations’, often to suit his fancies and convenience.

    But who said Doctors do not have sense of humour?

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  17. i believe the creator, who designed this GAME knows every thing about us and every thing which will happen in this duration,

    he showed us all the ways of living and made us free in our decisions

    so even he himself like to keep us free for making choices in life,

    i dont think he is interested in our fears of hell or desire of heaven at all,

    he knows who will stay on the right path are the real his men,

    because they bear all the miseries for getting his will,

    these are the people who recognize his countless blessings and realized their real position in this game,so they loved him for this without any complain or negativity,

    i believe thats all that creator want from his man.

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  18. Lol! my imagination is running even more wilder than yours!

    but I did not like the jealous Eve...shall I say that u are a hopeless sexist :)

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  19. Interesting...good post with nice sense of humour...!

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  20. Well, I am not a believer in the tale of adam and eve and not much believer of religion too.But, your tale and theory at the end is very plausible.

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  21. I agree with u dr. antony:
    I think that God knew that Eve would eat the apple, if he didn't want her to, why would he have ever put the tree there in the first place?

    btw, Im an agnostic :)

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  22. All things happen for good.At least Adam and Eve learnt to discriminate right from wrong.

    The temptation that Eve had, continues today with our politicians hoarding more money than they could ever spend. But while Adam and Eve were ashamed to come in front of God people who swindle money flaunt it as if they had earned it by hard work.

    On a serious note all religions seem basically the same.

    The Bible says,-Blessed are the meek........

    The Gita says - Do your duty without worrying about rewards.......

    But one sees that the meek and selfless people get blessed and the wicked get money and power. It is all about the choice one makes.

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  23. I do remember the moment, when u asked me , when God knew that if He creates man and woman all these problems will happen, then why did He create them and also the question of why did God create satan ?....
    ......... maruti company created a car and then somebody brought and drove it on a coconut tree...... and then a newspaper fellow wrote bout it..........."all these problems happened because maruti suzuki company created the car.....if car was not there,,accident was not there"..... Its a very logical deduction but its very stupid.. The car was not made to go n bang the coconut tree,,it was the drivers decision….. So it is ......God created adam n eve to live in the glory of God , to love God , to obey His principles and live. From the very beginning to choose between good n bad n respond to it accordingly He gave it to us or else it would have been as if He has created a robert or a machine. . Dr u would perfer to love a child who responds to ur love rather than loving a doll....... God is a God full of love n from His love He created mankind in His own image .He wants that we always bask in His love n glory.

    Second thing, God did not create satan.. He created an angel , called lucifer and we have this story in the Bible in book of ezekiel 28 : 14 onwards and book of isaiah 14:12 onwards... lucifer was a beautiful angel and was given many strong powers by God n when we read Bible it tells us that he slowly started creating a rebellion in heaven, among the angels,.... pride came in him n thats how he became a devil n God casted him out of the heaven ......Its a ground reality

    Our God is there,, even the creation itself reveals His majesty. His presence does not depend on our faith.... our faith will only benefit His presence to us. If we believe He is there ,it will be beneficial for us, if we doubt He is there that will be non-beneficial for us . Our faith will only affect our relation to Him , our faith will not affect His existence......................

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  24. Hi friends
    Honestly,I was not serious about that story. I am not to criticize anything written in the Bible.

    This story circulates in some parts of the world.It just shows the jealousy in women.After all,jealousy was the sin from which all the rest of events started.Even in the garden of Eden,it was jealousy which led to disobedience.
    Anil,You have a point there.If the garden were somewhere here, it would be something like jack fruit or mangoes,sure.
    @Anonymous
    For a believer, there is no need to say that God loves all of us, sinners and saints alike.It is better not to know Him, than to know Him and the lead the lives we do.

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