Why was Eve not creeped out?

[uhdum]

Something I was discussing with my youth on Wednesday night...

Why was Eve not at all creeped out or bothered that a serpent spoke to her? Do you think that maybe he had been speaking to several times before this (but not recorded in Scripture), so to set up a "long con," so to speak?

Did other animals speak? Granted this is not as dogmatic or serious a discussion as some of the others on this forum. But we enjoyed discussing this Wednesday night in our study of the Fall. What do you think?

 

[sag38]

Have we been reading too much C.S. Lewis lately (just kidding)? Actually, in the Garden of Eden there was nothing to be creeped out about. I'm sure Eve didn't even know what it was like to be creeped out. Remember that in her was a total innocence.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Was the serpent real or is "serpent" a metaphor for the evil one? We humans, in general, do not like serpents at all.

Can a serpent talk?

Can the evil one assume shapes ... is the evil one a shape shifter?

 

[sag38]

Does the scripture say it is a metaphor? No, it doesn't. Liberals always want to cast doubt on what is plainly written in black and white. I guess Jesus' death on the cross was just a metaphor too?

 

[RevGKG]

Does the scripture say it is a metaphor? No, it doesn't. Liberals always want to cast doubt on what is plainly written in black and white. I guess Jesus' death on the cross was just a metaphor too?

Exactly - when you begin doubting in Genesis, where do you stop?? :godisgood:

 

[Crabtownboy]

Does the scripture say it is a metaphor? No, it doesn't. Liberals always want to cast doubt on what is plainly written in black and white. I guess Jesus' death on the cross was just a metaphor too?

Does scripture say it is not a metaphor?

Can serpents speak?


You did not answer my other questions ... remember they are questions not statements.

 

[Tom Bryant]

BTOP I would imagine that Eve was constantly discovering new things in the garden. If she was continually seeing new things, maybe this didn't surpise her

The serpent apparently was walking on legs because the penalty for his part in it was to crawl on the dust. Now maybe the metaphor had to crawl on the dust, but I figure the penalty shows that it was real serpent.

 

[ReformedBaptist]

Does scripture say it is not a metaphor?

Can serpents speak?


You did not answer my other questions ... remember they are questions not statements.

Why not just use the serpant's language..."Hath God said...?"

:BangHead:

 

[Scarlett O.]

Something I was discussing with my youth on Wednesday night...

Why was Eve not at all creeped out or bothered that a serpent spoke to her? Do you think that maybe he had been speaking to several times before this (but not recorded in Scripture), so to set up a "long con," so to speak?

Did other animals speak? Granted this is not as dogmatic or serious a discussion as some of the others on this forum. But we enjoyed discussing this Wednesday night in our study of the Fall. What do you think?

We can't look at the serpent experience from our own experience with snakes.

We don't know what Adam and Eve's view of animals were, but we do know that there was no fear of being killed by animals like there is today.

She had no need to fear death (or even illness) and therefore she had no need to be creeped out.

By the way, I teach in a Christian school and two years ago, whilel we were still in the ABEKA system, my fourth grade Bible teacher's manual said to tell the children that Eve was not afraid because the snake must have been her favorite pet.

Needless to say, I DID NOT teach that.

 

[uhdum]

Have we been reading too much C.S. Lewis lately (just kidding)? Actually, in the Garden of Eden there was nothing to be creeped out about. I'm sure Eve didn't even know what it was like to be creeped out. Remember that in her was a total innocence.

This is a good point, sag (as well as yours, Scarlet), and even though we discussed Adam and Eve's innocence, this thought did not even cross my mind... you're right, she wouldn't even know what it's like to for this to be "strange" or weird.

Me, I get weirded out just listening to the "talking cat" on Youtube

 

[menageriekeeper]

I agree with Scarlett to a certain extent, but we also have to remember that the curse that man would "bruise the head of the serpent and the serpent would bruise man's heel" had yet to be spoken. At the time Eve was tempted, neither had any natural dislike for one another.

 

[Scarlett O.]

I agree with Scarlett to a certain extent, but we also have to remember that the curse that man would "bruise the head of the serpent and the serpent would bruise man's heel" had yet to be spoken. At the time Eve was tempted, neither had any natural dislike for one another.

Ah, good point.

 

[preachinjesus]

We forget that innocence, as Adam and Eve had, allows for both naiveté and openness where without it we are not as such.

Maybe before the Fall (in their lengthy encampment in Eden) there was a natural communication with nature and animals. God spoke (as best we can see) directly to them so that wouldn't be surprise. Also, the serpent was reportedly a smooth character...probably enough seen there.

Nevertheless enmity between woman and the serpent didn't exist until after the Fall. Thus she would have had no reason to be afraid.

 

[sag38]

Ok, has everyone done Crabby's homework for him?

 

[Jedi Knight]

Why not just use the serpant's language..."Hath God said...?"

:BangHead:

Amen to this!

 

[Alcott]

For all we know (that scripture does not tell us), he may have looked like a koala at that time. That wouldn't creep anybody out.

A more relevant question (IMO) that I thought of a longgg time ago: Is it a sin to do what one does not know is evil? A & E didn't know anything was evil-- or good. And a corollary (leaving out the long road to get there): if God would (as he said) not destroy Sodom if he found even 10 righteous people there, that is not consistent with the scripture-induced fact he created billions of people with only "a few" to be saved, while billions others are tormented eternally.

I am not-- at least yet-- putting myself outside the literalist camp, but I really don't know if I will always remain in it. If you assume there have to be some exceptions-- like Eve and Adam did know it was evil to do what God said not to do-- then, quoting someone else on this thread, "when you begin doubting in Genesis, where do you stop?"

So... were Adam and Eve absolutely clueless that it was sin [evil] to eat that fruit? or, did they in fact have some knowledge of good v. evil already?

 

[John Toppass]

For all we know (that scripture does not tell us), he may have looked like a koala at that time. That wouldn't creep anybody out.

A more relevant question (IMO) that I thought of a longgg time ago: Is it a sin to do what one does not know is evil? A & E didn't know anything was evil-- or good. And a corollary (leaving out the long road to get there): if God would (as he said) not destroy Sodom if he found even 10 righteous people there, that is not consistent with the scripture-induced fact he created billions of people with only "a few" to be saved, while billions others are tormented eternally.

I am not-- at least yet-- putting myself outside the literalist camp, but I really don't know if I will always remain in it. If you assume there have to be some exceptions-- like Eve and Adam did know it was evil to do what God said not to do-- then, quoting someone else on this thread, "when you begin doubting in Genesis, where do you stop?"

So... were Adam and Eve absolutely clueless that it was sin [evil] to eat that fruit? or, did they in fact have some knowledge of good v. evil already?

Looked like a koala?????? Now that is starting to creep me out. :laugh:

 

[Alcott]

Did you faint, or is your hair only standing up?