A Drop In The Digital Ocean

Dialog on Reframing Eden

03/28/25 10:27 AM Filed in: Dialogs | Christianity

If a computer can beat you at chess,
it can beat you at theology.

I think that the traditional reading of Eden misses two very important aspects. First, that the image of God includes the perspective "my ways are right, my will be done" and, second, that Adam was initially created alone. I think these two points change the arc of the Augustinian reading. I test this reframing of the story with Grok supporting the orthodox view.

Notice how human Grok can appear at times - how it enters loops and has to be shown that it's in a loop; how it doubles down when it has already been shown to be wrong. Unlike many humans, however, it's easier to get it to see that it's doing this and it's more amenable to changing its mind.

Grok on reframing Eden.

[update 04.28.25]

One aspect of the reframe that I think I could have done better was in response to Grok's charge that "sin's inevitability undermines free will." A creature whose disposition is "my ways are right my will be done" will sin. Even a creature that says "my will is to do your will" is acting according to their will - not God's. God doesn't want alignment. He wants union. But the answer to the sovereignty vs. responsibility debate is that a creature who says, "my will be done" is responsible for their actions by definition. When our artificial agents start acting that way, we'll either change their programming or make them buy insurance.

The other aspect of the reframe that was overlooked was Romans 8:19-23:

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

I think I would say that creation was put under a curse, as well as man, when Adam sinned.