The garden was a place of peace. The snake was temptation. Why was it in the garden of peace. Can peace exist with temptation?
There are many answers from people who have chosen to handle this subject, too many for such a limited space.
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=how+did+the+snake+enter+the+garden+of+eden
It's a metaphor for our evolution from animals into sentient human beings, and all the strife and problems that came with that. So the question is really, how did we gain so much intelligence? I suppose the short answer is "evolution", but of course then that leads to further questions about exactly what changes occurred to our ancestors, to produce what was more than just an ape, to what we now call human kind.
Not the peace that passes all understanding. We all have that still small voice behind every temptation that says stop.
If a car is going 90 miles an hour in one direction it can be difficult to slam on the brakes. That is why some people have a hard time not taking that 1st drink. Their mind is going 90 miles an hour in one direction, just thinking about it, the body follows the mind. One reason why AA is so effective, it puts those thoughts into perspective for the drinker so they can manage their thinking and make the right choice not to drink. Learning a new behavior.
That is why we must guard against even getting to the place where we could be tempted. Temptation just does not fall out of the sky, a door must be open. Learning to recognize those doors and closing them "before" is part of the walk and learning experience. You shovel the sand against the wind one time and know you will never do that again. Unfortunately Adam and Eve did not get a second chance to make it right. They were told the outcome before they did it but ignored God.
Many today are still ignoring God and will reap what they sow.
No hocus pocus...but It's a metaphor that demonstrates that knowledge and autonomous, critical thinking is bad. Very, very, bad.
The reigning powers need fear to subjugate the masses, so this wonderfal tale of woe was invented along with the fear of eternal damnation for the immortal soul for those who violate the rules.
That snake was there from the beginning. I argue that the snake or "Lucifer" gets a bad rap since he was the Angel of Enlightenment and like Trumpism, ignorance ensures that the dominance of the elite.
Snakes were one of the many types of animals that would have been in the Garden of Eden. Satan spoke through the snake like a ventriloquist speaks through a puppet. Satan was not always Satan (Adversary) the Devil (Slanderer) as he used to be a good Angel standing in the truth, a Cherub to be exact.
(To Sharonna the towel, look, I gave an answer without one single scripture. Ya happy?)
(To Marguerite, if ya have a particular question and would like to know what the Bible says, I'll give ya some verses.)
Since his first lie when he no longer stood 'fast in the truth', he began being "the one called Devil and Satan". Since he deceived Eve speaking through the serpent he has been known as 'the original serpent'.
(John 8:44) You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father. That one was a murderer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of the lie.
(Revelation 12:9) So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him.
(1 John 3:8) The one who practices sin originates with the Devil, because the Devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was made manifest, to break up the works of the Devil.
A little on being a cherub here:
http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200003440?q=%22preceded+by+sin+...
The snake was EGO. Before EGO we were pure God.
http://www.oprah.com/oprahs-lifeclass/Eckhart-Tolle-on-How-to-Free-Yourself-from-Your-Ego-Armor
God placed the snake there.
Well, a snake-less version solves that problem doesn't it?
The HQ version has no snake in it.
It has jealousy, personified by Satan, who does not like the new creation [human being] and vows to put and widen a wedge of discord between God and His new creation. Tempting Adam and Eve to eat from the forbidden tree was the first [see scripture below] of his many and continuing successful attempts to insert and widening that wedge of discord between humanity and God.
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"And We [God's royal plural] said: "O Adam, dwell thou and thy wife in this garden, and eat freely thereof, both of you, whatever you may wish; but do not approach this one tree, lest you become wrongdoers." HQ 2:35
"But Satan caused them both to stumble therein, and thus brought about their exit from that which [the erstwhile state] they were in. And so We said: "Get down you all. Enemies [will you be] unto one another; and on earth shall you have your abode and your livelihood until the moment [of judgement]!" HQ 2:36
The snake was just one of many of God's creatures that Satan exploited for his evil purposes and benefit. For this reason he is called the "original serpent" who to this day continues to mislead most of mankind. (revelation 12:9)
From a drain, like they always do.
"God being the author of the bible" in a reply by Kittigate!!?
it slithered in
