Yes, it is a responsiblity.
It is apparently one that seperates man from (most) animals.
In the Jewish view of the Gensesis story, it is the power to do GOOD that allows a person to be able to live a sanctified life instead of a mundane one.
It is the ability to CHOOSE to do GOOD that allows man to become closer to God, rather than just like the beast in the field.
And good is not a 'personified reality'. Good is an action. At least in the eyes of the Jewish religion. In the Jewish religion, Righthousness is actions. .. but is a state for someone in the Christian religion. Sin in the jewish religion is an action. It is a state that someone is in for the christians (as opposed to the state of grace).
Because of the different starting assumptions about actions, the interpretation of the story of garden of Eden is going to be different. I will also point out that the vast majority of Jews do not believe that the story of adam and eve is literal, but rather figurative. Some will also say that Adam and eve were not really the first people, but rather the first people with SOULS. Implicit in that particular interpretation is that there was death before Adam and Eve knew the difference between good and evil. There had to be death for the warning 'you will surely die' to have any kind of meaning.
This message has been edited by ramoss, 02-08-2006 06:39 PM
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