Fascinating. Personally, I think the bucolic state of pleasurable neutrality was just fine. One wonders why their creator felt the need to mess with it.
And if it is indeed a parable of imperfect humans and not a deity too proud to admit error, then perhaps the story would look much the same and make more sense without the latter.
Variety is the spice of life, the same thing every day gets pretty boring.
It is only in experiencing opposites that we get to figure out what we like and what we don't like and hence are able to discern what is good and what is evil. There was no error on the part of deity, this new adult and accountable state was the desired state and the innocence of childhood does not accomplish much in the way of real growth.
The exercise of free will is more desirable than a robotic puppet. The fall introduced free will to its fullest extent and hence responsibility and accountability with it.
Ahhhh but why does the creator require their growth at all? Why not simply make them as desired from the start? Why make them innocent, create the circumstances for that innocence to be lost and then spend the rest of human history punishing the entire species for what was ultimately and entirely said Creator's idea?
If free will itself is the highest possible good (which is the only conclusion I can see that follows from the story as presented), then the only sin is to not act in accordance with one's free will.
Perhaps its not the Creator that requires their growth but the created that needs to experience the growth for themselves.
Experience is only gained by (dare I say it) experience.
One must taste the bitter to fully comprehend the sweet.
True Justice requires free will and accountability for actions, but with accountability come consequences, good or bad for the exercise of that free will.
We operate in an environment surrounded by laws and consequences.
It is in figuring out the nuances, that we are able to fly, yet without breaking the law of gravity.
And that is the purpose of experience... Perspective and depth of character.
Character can only be developed by testing said character.
Not wise yet... still plenty to go and lots more pondering to do.
Born and raised in South Africa... you experience a lot of diversity if you want to.