[Note: This is an excerpt from a paper that I wrote a few months back. I thought that I'd share it here. Realize that I'm a -- er, a non-thiest/humanist, so references to God are tongue-in-cheek. My intended audience is one of Jehovah's Witnesses, you see. Well, I hope you enjoy!]
Jehovah's Witnesses accept the Genesis creation account literally. However, a literal understanding of this account lacks plausibility in several areas, resulting in a narrative that makes little sense and that completely ignores all that science has proved of humanity's history.
Let's start in the beginning -- in the very beginning -- in the spirit realm. The Bible states that Jehovah is an omnipotent and omniscient being. He is described as the "happy God" (1Ti 1:11) and as "love" (1Jo 4:8). As such, all of the angels that he and the Word (John 1:1) created would have been fulfilled with Him and with their stations. Would not a God of love be certain they were happy? Of course. These spirits are in an unimaginatively sublime environment beyond human comprehension with a perfect, loving Father and they have everything they need.
Unfortunately, one angel begins envying the glory and the worship that Jehovah receives. He wants it for himself. The seed of greed is planted in his heart. But why would a perfect creature in a perfect world act so irrationally? Is it because Jehovah endowed angels (and humans) with free will -- or as is said by Jehovah's Witnesses, they are "free moral agents" (it-1 107)? In effect, the angels could do what they wanted to do, feel what they wanted to feel, think what they wanted to think. Thus, this angel puts it in his mind to rebel against God.
How odd this is, as this angel would realize that Jehovah is all-knowing and all-powerful, and that He is love. Why would this angel embark on a suicide mission that he would instantly recognize is destined for utter failure? What was the stimulus? There is no flaw in the angels, no unpredictable defect: no emotional imbalances or other mental problems. No societal issues exist in heaven either. The angels -- including Satan and his defectors -- know that Jehovah knows all. The angels -- including Satan and his defectors -- know that Jehovah has limitless knowledge and power at his command. The angels -- including Satan and his defectors -- know that Jehovah does not and cannot lie (Nu 23:19). Thus, the angels -- all of them -- would realize that (1) Jehovah knows best, (2) his word is completely trustworthy, and (3) that to rebel against him would be insanity of an infinite degree. Now if we can figure this out with our simple human brains, why should we believe that a perfect angel of much higher thinking would not?
Why would that angel desirous of glory have reason to doubt Jehovah's truthfulness? He KNEW that Jehovah knew better in all matters. Whether on Jehovah's side or not, the angels know firsthand that Jehovah -- who, again, cannot lie and deeply loves his spirit children -- always knows best. And if Jehovah says that humans cannot govern themselves, then humans cannot govern themselves. End of story. It is fact. Indisputable. Jehovah would know, and you can trust him. Jehovah could even look in the future and explain in great detail exactly what would happen if Satan were to follow his desires. No one would doubt Jehovah. No one reasonably COULD. The Bible comments that 'all his ways are perfect. (De 32:4)
Still, contrary to any logic whatsoever, Satan defects against God. Thus, according to INSIGHT ON THE SCRIPTURES, we find that
from a righteous, perfect start, this spirit person deviated into sin and degradation. The process bringing this about is described by James when he writes: "Each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn, sin, when it has been accomplished, brings forth death." (Jas 1:14, 15) [IT-2 866]How did a perfect angel in a flawless environment even obtain this "desire"? And why would a perfect angel let it grow in his mind? Any explanation leads to clumsy cover stories or contradictions. The answer is that there IS no reasonable answer. Evil tendencies do not spontaneously develop in an above-human being from nothing.
Jehovah allows Satan to come to Earth and, in the form of a snake, tempt Eve with produce from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Bad. (Is Jehovah in on this game? Why place the tree there in the first place?) I say that Jehovah "allowed" it because an all-knowing creature would immediately know when such mutinous feelings appeared in one of his sons. In fact, "omniscience," by definition, implies that Jehovah would ALWAYS have known that one of his sons would develop such feelings. Could not Jehovah "talk" to that angel and help him? And why allow him to come to the earth in his obvious unstable condition? Yet Jehovah did nothing to stop the cycle of madness that would soon develop. Thus, Jehovah is in part responsible for what follows.
Regarding Jehovah, consider the following AWAKE! excerpt:
But if God has the ability to foreknow things that will happen, does not his capacity to foreknow amount to an unchangeable fate that rules all future events? No, it does not. Why not? Because that view incorrectly equates what God CAN DO with what he ACTUALLY DOES. Though Jehovah God has the ability to foreknow things, he can choose not to exercise that ability to the full. Consider, for example, God's use of power. Though Almighty, God does not expend his full strength in every situation, but uses it to the extent necessary to accomplish his purpose. Similarly, God restricts his use of foreknowledge. (g74 7/8 28)That Jehovah can restrict his foreknowledge is not compatible with the definition of "omniscient." That Jehovah has a "full strength" -- or in other words, an upper limit to his power -- is not reconcilable with the definition of "omnipotent." "Omni" means "all." To "know all" means to know EVERYTHING at EVERY TIME, or constantly, without constraint by time. Additionally, "all powerful" is synonymous with infinite power. An omnipotent being has no "full strength." Many of Jehovah's actions throughout the Bible don't agree with these basic definitions.
Returning to Eden, Satan took a serpent's form and tempted Eve with divine power and knowledge. We know that Eve partook and persuaded Adam, her husband, to do so as well. However, this part of the story is riddled with too many improbabilities and yet more illogic to truly make sense.
First, examine Eve's situation. We do not know how long Adam and Eve were alive before this incident, but it is safe to say that they were relatively young and, because they were recently created and alone on Earth, they were inexperienced and naïve, much like children. Neither Eve nor Adam had known evil or deception until that point, when Satan told the first lie. Eve might not have even known about the existence of angels other than Jehovah. No, she's a simple yet perfect girl in a large garden -- nude -- and she's experienced nothing negative in her life. She undoubtedly cannot even fathom evil. Thus, it is safe to say that Eve was not familiar with deception.
Meanwhile in heaven, Jehovah watches the situation impassively.
Satan offers Eve the power of a god. "You positively will not die," says the serpent (Ge 3:4). One might think that, in a perfect brain, an alarm would sound because Eve received conflicting information: Jehovah, her creator, says that if they eat the fruit, they will die; the talking serpent (of which Eve was apparently not suspicious, though it was the only animal capable of independent speech) promised godlike abilities. Both cannot be true, she would ostensibly think. The two statements are contradictory. PERHAPS, thinks Eve, I SHOULD ASK JEHOVAH ABOUT THIS. Again, a perfect mind would certainly think of this.
But that does not happen. Somehow unable or unwilling to resist, Eve partakes of the tree's fruit. After some time, she offers some fruit to Adam, who also eats it. Suddenly, shame of their nudity descends among them, an odd element to the tale. The Society explains: "Between the man and his wife a barrier had now formed, even though represented only by fig leaves sewed together. Not feeling clean-looking before his wife, Adam could not feel clean-looking before his God." (W56 9/1 536) They felt dirty, so they covered. (Does this imply that nudity is our natural state?) See how clumsy and weak an argument that is, as if the Society was stretching to find a plausible reason. And they did not.
Next, the couple hears "the voice of Jehovah God walking in the garden." (Ge 3:8) Incredulously, the Bible records Jehovah asking, "Where are you?" to Adam and Eve, another occurrence inconsistent with the portrait of an omniscient God. It could be reasoned, though, that he asked that to make them feel ashamed of their actions. Whatever the case, Jehovah makes Adam and Eve confess their crimes (i.e., eating the fruit and "hiding" from Jehovah between trees). He punishes each of those involved. Why would Satan still be in his snake form? When you commit a crime, do you not flee the scene and discard your incriminating disguise, as opposed to staying behind and watching in the same guise you used to commit the crime? (Or did Satan know that running from Jehovah was pointless? But THIS theory implies that Satan recognized Jehovah as all-knowing, which casts further doubt that he would have chosen this suicidal course in the first place.)
It is of interest that Jehovah tells Eve: "I shall greatly increase the pain of your pregnancy; in birth pangs you will bring forth children ..." (Ge 3:16) This element plays like a legend concocted by ancient superstitious people in an attempt to clarify why childbirth is painful. In typical human fashion, we believe the gods (or God) to be responsible. In those days, EVERYTHING was attributed to various gods. This entire account appears reeks of mythological elements, created to "explain" man's problems. I will discuss this in greater detail further on.
Adam and Eve are soon ousted from the Garden of Eden to begin their new life of pain and imperfection. They soon give birth to imperfect children. As goes the illustration favored by many Witnesses, if a pan is dented, everything created using that pan will show evidence of the dent; thus, imperfect parents, imperfect children. However, let us remember that Jehovah is supposed to be loving and possess infinite knowledge and power. According to the Bible, we are in this pitiable state because imperfection was passed from generation to generation, like a plague or a genetic defect. However, an almighty being can reverse the effects of sin. Imperfection did not HAVE to happen. I am familiar with the reasoning provided by the Society: Satan issued a challenge against Jehovah's universal sovereignty that must be answered. But to whom must it be proven? Again, the angels -- including those that sided with Satan (who are surprisingly still allowed to reside in heaven, despite their obviously being horrendous association to the obedient angels) -- know that Jehovah is loving and perfect. Did the angels not trust God to explain that he knew best? Why would they not? Whether angels defected or not, they KNEW Jehovah to be boundlessly trustworthy. If he says that only he is fit to rule, then ONLY HE IS FIT TO RULE. Case closed.
Apparently, though, Jehovah's say-so was not enough because suddenly Jehovah has to prove himself worthy of ruling all of existence, and humans become the puppets. This is a non-issue. All involved -- whether for or against Jehovah -- know that Jehovah is perfectly qualified for the job. He was the creator; he is the master. He has infinite intellect and infinite power. It is difficult to believe that so many angels would turn against the 'God of love' to join one demented, rebellious, and comparitively weak angel destined for failure, is it not? Upon thinking about it, would they have any reason TO turn against God? The angels know beyond all doubt that Jehovah is God. Through their intimate association with Him, they KNOW that he is more than fit to be the sovereign. If the very angels that have had eons of direct contact with Jehovah and his supposedly boundless love and yet remain unsure about Jehovah's worthiness to rule, then how can WE be sure?
This account is contradictory and contrary to all common sense. Yet the Society has mandated a literal reading of this account. No problem would exist if the Society took this account as a spiritual allegory -- that is, using symbolism to make a point. Then specifics would not matter nearly as much. But the Society does not do so; hence, these details do matter. The unfortunate aspect is that so many millions worldwide accept this account literally. Yet if these sit down and carefully consider the reasonableness of the account AND examine the concrete archaeological findings, they will find that it simply does not add up to the test of logic.