This thread has been quite the eye opener for me, thanks all. One thing that is really sticking out for me more then anything is that most of humanity (including myself) does not know what is good or bad. Not talking about the obvious forms of good and bad, but the good and bad God wants us to see and understand; what ever that may be.
A few in this age are having their eyes opened like Adam and Eve had their eyes opened after they ate of the tree. They were always, from the start miserable, wretched, poor, naked and blind, but they just didn't know it till after they ate. God then judged them, sentenced (rewarded) them and then clothed them. Sounds very familiar Dave.
This all makes me think this "event" in Genesis didn't all happen in one single day, but rather over a period of time as most things do in Genesis. And as Ray pointed out that time, circumstance and contrast is what is needed to gain a good working knowledge of good and evil.
Notice how God told Adam that he would continue to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil for the rest of his life.
Gen 3:17 And He said to Adam, "Because you listened to your wife's voice and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'Do not eat from it': The ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life.
Anyway I just thought that was interesting.
By the way Steven, and you may already know this and I'm just misunderstanding, but Adam and Eve sinned before they ate of the tree as Ray explained from his papers. If sinning is bad/evil, then isn't it logical to conclude that bad/evil was always within them? The creature was after all created in futility and with an heart too weak to resist sin. Not saying you are wrong, it's just that this is kinda tough to wrap my head around, hence the question.
Like you this is just mostly my musings, but feel free to chime in. We are after all here to discuss what we've learned at BT to hopefully get a better understanding.
Lord knows I always need more. Understanding is awesome, especially understanding good and bad.