God's Creation by Man Exposed in the Valley of Eden"It would be absurd if we did not understand both angels and devils, for we invented them" (133). It would also be absurd if we chose to believe it. The Bible is written like any modern novel, it is written as if it were real. Naturally, in a novel coming from a people of shepherds, the character of almighty God prefers sheep to the fruits of the earth. John Steinbeck's East of Eden, a retelling of the story of Cain and Abel, helps explain many of the reasons we cling to backward religious ideas and the flaws behind them. Through his characters, Steinbeck explores human nature to reveal the emotional need for religion and the situations in society that foster it. In society, people cling to conformity. It's an easy way to avoid trouble or ridicule. Cyrus explains this to Adam when he describes life in the military: "you will do things because others do them. You will feel danger in every difference, a danger to the whole crowd of people who think alike and behave alike." way". men." And what happens when someone doesn't conform? "The entire machine coldly dedicates itself to the destruction of its difference." (25)For many people it is much easier not to think for themselves. They leave it to the group, society or their leaders to think for them. example of this is the huge following that religious leaders have. People are taught to have faith, that believing is seeing and not the other way around character who represents God to Charles and Adam, was an impostor, chooses not to believe it: "I believe in during the war he did just what he said he did and he was just where he said he was." documents? "I think they're wrong. I believe in my father" (70). So Adam chooses to believe in his father, even though there is evidence that his father was an impostor, a lie, and he refuses to even look at the documents. But why not look at the documents? What prevents Adam from facing the facts? Is it because "the documents do not correspond at all to [his] faith in [his] father" (71). But this it goes beyond faith; it is blind faith: believing without seeing, trusting without reason.