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If paradise was supposed to be one big garden, He must not like cities like Boston and Los Angeles. I'm not talking about the crime and pollution aspect, but the actual buildings and sidewalks and stuff.
Good question. Place yourself in the clothes of someone in a desert tribe where water is scarce; look around you. Pleasure-gardens (not vegetable plots) were only available to the mega-wealthy (those who trashed and looted most of their neighbours cities, usually) - hence the hanging gardens of Babylon were a wonder of that world, and I'd say that dates the writing of the OT quite well. No surprise that desert dwellers viewed their heaven as a garden. The Vikings however viewed heaven as a drinking-hall in the sky with warrior-women - a garden held no value for them. Many other cultures also believe(d) warriors get a first class ticket, e.g. the Aztecs - their third (top-level) paradise was disease free and reserved for warriors and the sacrificed. Heaven to the Egyptians was a place much the same as they already knew - they already lived in a fertile lushness - but without disease (they also took their pets with them and the rise of pet cemeteries suggests many now believe this is true for anyone who really loved their pet). Some Confucians believe that paradise is something our children will create on earth. African slaves (who later became African-American slaves - slaving within Africa is an ancient tradition that continues there and elsewhere today) believed paradise was a place where their 'masters' would become their own slaves. Early 19th century romantics (never having been to that city) viewed heaven as a celestial version of Jerusalem. If there is a common thread to all current and historical cultures' views of heaven, it is either an idealised version of the present or a 'royal' person's privileged estate made available to all. Most old religions also have various hells, but these are becoming less prominent in modern times - many seem to view earth as hellish enough. As for cities, they're a feature of population size; biblical populations were small - and the death rate from disease and war was essentially similar to the birth rate. The concept of better medicine and the consequences of uncontrolled population growth do not seem to have occurred to the writers of ancient religious texts. Odd.
I'm not sure what your point is. What has free will got to do with what God does or does not want. Speaking from your point of view, obviously we all have free will, but that does not mean that God does not desire certain things. Like not killing each other is something God wants (even though God gave us free will so that we could if we wanted to). The question was about what God wants. I was directing my answer to that. And I am guessing the garden of eden.
But God didnt model the earth after paradise. There's seasons in parts of the world, different climates, different terrains (mountains, grasslands, deserts), etc. There's disease and natural disasters. Animals eat each other. Living things die. So if God didnt have an issue making this earth different from paradise, why would God want people to try and make it into a paradise which isnt possible?
Yeah probably. “And a river went out of Eden, to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.” —Genesis 2:10 Two of the rivers were called Hiddekel and Perath so Ive always come to conclusion that the garden was somewhere in the Mesopotamian region where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are.
But if paradise isn't suppose to be earth. As far as I know that is a different place according to your bible (or did I misinterpret). So I don't see why god would be angry for building cities if we aren't in fact defiling paradise.....
But where was it? My point is that earth isn't suppose to be paradise and you aren't defiling paradise if you create buildings on earth. He was asking about the buildings and comparing it in a way to the opposite of paradise.
Isn't it? Doesn't the Bible itself says that the paradise or the garden of eden was in the messopotamia, between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates? That is what i've been told, according to Genesis 2:1-17. Did they cheat me?
God gives everyone free will, to defend that part of ur reply. And also, he made Paradise for Him and His angels, but this is where i get confused. Is nygirlattheheart talking about the Garden of Eden or Heaven?
Ohhh i see. Well i always thought that because of how they explained it in the Bible that it was near the four rivers Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, and Euphrates near Iraq... im going to have to reread Genesis
Aha, well read the bible more please. God made the Garden for Adam and Eve. He called it paradise because well it was paradise. Read Genesis. And i doubt he cares about us buliding cities
I know that, but that is my point that I was making, it isn't earth as far as the bible states, so unless we are harming paradise then I don't see how buildings is against your gods will.
No i mean like God made the Garden for Adam and Eve and when He cast them out of it he told them to be fruitful and multiply and go out and spread throughout the world.
Ok, now I lost you, where in the bible does it say paradise location? Anyways I think we both misunderstood each other.
But i thought he was talking about the Garden of Eden which i think is probably long gone by now.
The bible doesn't answer his question that is why he is asking it.
