I'm interested in interpretation generally and in what appear to me the bizarre interpretations I've been reading lately about what actually happens in this story.
Jar and others in another thread claim that the traditional interpretation--that God punishes Adam and Eve for eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (we can shorten this to KGE) is incorrect. They say that Adam and Eve are being sent away from Eden so that they won't eat from the Tree of Life, not because they did eat from the KGE, and this being sent away does not consititute punishment.
I think the broader and more important question is to ask how the Bible should be read. My thoughts are that much of the Bible is literal and much of it is symbolic. Whether or not Adam actually ate of the fruit or whether he disobyed God in another form really is inconsequential to the point. The moral of the story is to obey God in all things and those that do have prosperous lives.
Adam's punishment consists of his having to "eat of the ground" which is or will soon be cursed; this ground will be infested by thorns and thistles (whereas before it was not); he will sweat to get this inferior food; and he will die.
Actualy, the on the 'ground' portion is dealt to the Serpent 'who will eat the dust.' Adam's lot is that he will have to till the ground and work hard for his nourishment, instead of it growing solely by the volition of God.
Apart from whether they remain in Eden or not, the punishment has been declared. The tone of God moreover is that of anger. Any unbiased reader can see this plainly.
I guess I'm not understanding your objection/question. What is the issue you have exactly with this piece of scripture?
"There is not in all America a more dangerous trait than the deification of mere smartness unaccompanied by any sense of moral responsibility." -Theodore Roosevelt
™ Version 4.2