Whether or not to eat "The Apple".

Sometimes I find it interesting to contemplate the lore and mythology on which our society has been based. These come in all types of packaging- such as commercial culture, received history, urban legends, and religion. If one tries to view these messages with an objective perspective, the possibilities of alternative interpretations can be fascinating to consider.

I've always been intrigued by the story of Eve and "The Serpent'". Eve is persuaded by "the serpent"to pick the fruit of the tree of knowledge, and offer it to Adam. Adam accepts the offer and the couple becomes aware of their nakedness. God is unhappy about this, and casts them from the utopia known as Eden. For the Catholic church, this was the "original sin". Due to the action of the original humans, we are all born into a state of spiritual flaw- already compromised and in need of a saviour. That savior was Jesus Christ, according to the church of Christianity. Within the church, this logic is inescapable. It provides the rationale for the structure of faith itself.

But I am also compelled to examine this story's meaning from a secular point of view. Not everyone in the society is a practicing Christian, yet the message of "the fall from grace" is pervasive throughout. Eve's sin was to question the dictates of the ultimate authority. Without this unwavering adherence to "the law", she (and Adam) became lost. For the individual in society, this is a cautionary tale. We have leaders who, through the "divine right of democracy and the free market", have been chosen to show us the path. The means of dissemination for "the word" has been transferred from the "church" to the media. The hierachy of the priesthood finds its reflection in the structure of government and law enforcement.

We are taught that if we obey the dictates of our leaders we can expect to prosper in a worldly utopia. If we consume from all the authorized sources, we will be protected. If we question the logic of the establishment, then we are rashly acting above our station, and assuming powers and knowledge that threaten the entire system. This is a potent message and a truly ingenious method of social control.

I wonder if somehow, by questioning the value of the conventions of mainstream society, I haven't cast myself from a figurative "Eden". Would I be happier had I not challenged the received assumptions, and exposed my own vulnerability within the system? Am I recapitulating the "original sin"? I look outside of myself, and see folks going about the business of our society, embracing the wisdom of authority and extolling its vitues... they seem so satisfied in their faith. Have I not endangered my peace and innocence by eating the "apple" of discord?