WHY MAN MUST QUESTION GOD
Genesis states that God habitually "walked in the garden in the cool of the day," so, presumably, there were open channels of communication between Him and man. If so, why didn't Adam or Eve ask God, "We're curious as to why You don't want us to eat any of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We really like it here, and we don't want to seem ungrateful, but Your rule on this matter doesn't make much sense to us, and we'd really appreciate it if you explained it to us"? Of course they did not ask this. Instead, they ate the fruit without taking the effort to pose a question or communicate with God on a reasonably adult level. . . Were Adam and Eve afraid of what might happen if they were to question God? Instead, they took the easy way out, the shortcut of sneakiness, to achieve knowledge not worked for, and hoped they could get away with it. They did not. To question God may let us in for a lot of work. But a moral of the story is that it must be done.--M. Scott Peck, from The Road Less Traveled, Simon & Schuster, NY, 1978, p. 272 & 274.

WHY GOD MUST ANSWER MAN
Like Scott Peck, above, I believe that man must question God. However, I disagree that Adam's only reason for not questioning God was either because Adam was lazy or fearful, or being sneaky. There is another reason. Adam may have suspected all along that God simply would not have given him a straight answer. And perhaps God would not have! Take the following conversation: "Hey, God, must I avoid eating the fruit you've placed in the middle of the garden?" "Because if you eat of it, you'll die, Adam." Why will I die? Is the fruit poison? Or is it your favorite fruit you'd rather not share with anyone? If it's just your rule that I'll have to die, will you ever change the rules? If so, when? If not, why not?" "AH, ah, BECAUSE! Enough questions! Rules are rules!" "But they seem like reasonable questions to me and Eve. And if you won't discuss them with me (Adam spies talking snake in tree) I'll find someone else." "Fine. Adam. But don't tell me I didn't warn you. (God walks off). "Hey there Mr. Serpent! Why is God so frustrating? My mind is bursting with a thousand questions and newly born thoughts! I'm so curious, and this is all so new to me!" "I understand where you're coming from, Adam. Lately I've been sucking on this fruit and a lot's been made clear to me." "So, that's where you learned to talk! Boy, that fruit must be great stuff!" "Here, try a piece." (Snake shakes branch with his feet, and a piece of fruit falls into Adam's palm. Adam takes a bite. Whereupon God leaps out from behind a nearby bush!) "GOTTCHA!!" The moral is that having your questions frustrated is another road to temptation. So God must answer man!

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