I’ve also considered that the Garden story mentions a second tree.

My take on this is that Adam and Eve “discover” the ability to name things as “right” and “wrong,” yet they are still finite, fallible, and mortal. We tend to forget that last piece.

YHWH says, in effect, “Let’s not let them also eat from the tree of eternal life while they are still under the illusion that they have omniscient knowledge of what is good and what is evil.”

In other words, they were put out of the Garden to protect them from that further disaster…until YHWH could figure out how to fix things.

Blessèd Be,
Michael

I consider the “original sin” ascribed to the prototype humans Adam and Eve as self-centeredness. To me the concept of light and dark is a primary example of our relationship with God/Light/Spirit. After wanting to put their knowledge of “good and evil” above their relationship with God, they built a barrier, even if only a leaf, between themselves and also between them and God. When the Spirit asks “Where are you?” it is a recognition that humans can choose to try and “hide” from the Light. However, darkness (sin?) cannot put out light; it is only a barrier that shuts out the light creating the darkness.

These barriers are “rebuilt” each generation as we are “taught” to hide from each other and build barriers between ourselves. Because of these barriers the Light is not evident in many of our deeds and thoughts. As we break barriers between each other (Love thy neighbor) we break the barriers to the Light (Love the Lord).

Thus the kingdom of God is made up of those that are little children who have not yet built the barriers.