A Fable, From Church of God In Christ

Here is an excerpt from a pamphlet published by the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite:

"In the beginning, after God had created Adam and Eve, he loved to fellowship with them while they walked together in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve did not know about sin and evil because they were innocent and pure. God gave Adam and Eve only one commandment to obey. They were not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. From the beginning, God has given mankind the power of choice, and He has never revoked it.

"Satan, a powerful fallen angel, deceived Eve by tempting her to eat of the fruit from the forbidden tree. He told her she could disobey God without any consequences, and that eating the fruit would give her godlike knowledge. Then Eve chose to eat and offered the fruit to her husband, and he made the same terrible mistake.

"What a fatal choice! Their innocence was gone. They were guilty. Shamefully recognizing their nakedness, they tried to cover themselves with aprons of fig leaves. The became afraid of God and hid when they heard His voice. That was only the beginning of trouble. Adam and Eve were banned from the Garden of Eden and they became subject to sin and death. Even the earth was cursed because of what they had done.

"They now found they were inclined to do evil. Their knowledge of good and evil did not keep them from doing wrong. Spiritual death passed down to their children and, eventually, to all their posterity.

"The influence of evil is all around us. We find every evil thing imaginable in our world today. People are proud and lustful, seeking pleasure and power. They make many wrong choices and suffer the sad consequences. One person's choice often makes those around him miserable. How terrible are the results of sin!"