Garden Of Eden

Hi All. New Member Here,

I, myself am a very strong Christian. I would like to say that I'm pleased that no one is bashing the Bible or disregarding the story of Eden completely. It's kinda surprising, but cool. Anyway, I have always battled back and forth in my mind whether, in some places, the Garden of Eden being one of them, the Bible was literal or figurative. You know what, I can't really tell you. Right now I'm leaning towards that something very similar actually happened though. I wouldn't be surprised if either way were true. The important thing to remember is that the story explains the relationship between God and man.

God created man so He would be worshiped by man and His glory spread and acknowledged. He also created man out of His love to let us experience that love and partake in his creation and just have a relationship with Him. God created us with the desire and intention that we would live in paradise and close to Him. This is represented when Adam and Eve are living in the perfect garden, innocent and unashamed of being naked. And for a short time, we were until we commited sin. Sin is defined as falling short, or in other words, not meeting the expectations or rules that God desires us to follow. This sin, represented by listening to the snake (Satan) and eating the fruit, separated us from God. So we were banished from the perfection of Eden, or from the intimate relationship with God but by our own doing.

So whether the garden physically existed, or it is supposed to be a figurative story, both should get the message across of why God created us and with what intentions, how we being weaker humans disobeyed Him and fell short of His intentions, and the consequences that brought. This explains why the world sucks a lot of the time, because people being selfish at nature, sin and mess stuff up. Think of any sin at all. Any evil act is done for a selfish purpose. If we were to all live according to God, there would not be much pain.

If anyone wants, I can explain why God bothered creating us if He knew we would sin, and why He would allow Satan to reside in the garden, but I don't want to get any more off topic.

Assuming that the garden really existed, it's easy to realize that with time and changing geography, rivers changing course, ice ages, a flood, it could be anywhere within the Middle East region. Actually, some postulate that present day Afghanistan is a likely place for where it existed. There are some extremely lush and fertile areas. So if you believe the garden persisted and never really changed, then it coiuld be there. Maybe the garden is gone forever due to the fact that we blew it and plus the fact that the Earth changes a lot. Wow, I really blathered. But I thought I should throw my opinion in.

Never heard anyone say Afghanistan, but the Bagdad area between the Tigris an Euphrates is commonly pointed to.

The Sumerians that fled Mesopotamia to build the "first city" did so on fields in the Bagdad area they had used for centuries to grow food. It was said to be a paradise of sorts, plentiful and innocent alike before they came with their civilization and it's KNOWLEDGE ruining it.

Also, another alternative to consider about why "God" made us is not the worship explanation. It's the alien master story that we were made to be slaves. Then the Gods left for reasons unknown.

Watched a documentary on TLC called "In Search of Eden" by David Rohl. This man had compelling evidence for its precise geographic location. He published an artricle in "Ecpress." The article is also viewable on his website. See www.nunki.net...

Ahh the Garden Of Eden is in Khazachstan (can't spelt it right), thats where apples are scientifically found to come from. So more information from the Bible is untrue....

Ratz, I went and told the Bisop it was the Valley of Tabriz.