The Snake Was Innocent

The snake got a bad rap for telling the truth about the tree of knowledge about good and evil.

The whole garden thing is strange.  Here we have a God who creates man in his own image( whatever that means) in order to have company and tend his garden.  Then woman is created out of clay or out of the man's rib in order to keep the man company.  They are to tend the garden and worship God and not eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge.  What else they do is a big question for without knowledge they are automatons made out of clay that do simple tasks without any clothes on.  Without knowledge they have no prejudices, shame, or any other emotions evidently. God is vain and cannot stand being disobeyed, for when he finds out Eve has eaten fruit of the tree, and encouraged Adam to also eat of the tree, he blows his stack and banishes the two, now knowledgeable, simpletons from the garden and from the two trees, one giving life and one giving knowledge.  The snake has to suffer kicks and slithering on his belly for the rest of its existence for telling the truth.  Adam and Eve did not die that same day as they had been warned. 

Apparently the great knowledge that they acquired was that they were naked.  Some great revelation!  What constituted good and evil at that time?  They were not in contact with any others, except animals.  The Ten Commandments hadn't been introduced yet.  Without neighbors there was nothing to covet.  So what was this good and evil that was to be avoided?  Was the knowledge that they acquired awareness of self?  Becoming self determining individuals?  One thing is sure they are now on their own, able to worship, or not,  gods of their own.