A utopian society is someone’s vision. It reflects the desires of the designer, not necessarily the people who live in it. And Eden might be God’s vision. Let us picture life in Eden, so you have an idea of what it might be. A song by the Talking Heads does it well:

Here we stand
Like an Adam and an Eve
Waterfalls
The Garden of Eden
Two fools in love
So beautiful and strong
The birds in the trees
Are smiling upon them
From the age of the dinosaurs
Cars have run on gasoline
Where, where have they gone?
Now, it’s nothing but flowers

There was a factory
Now there are mountains and rivers
You got it, you got it

We caught a rattlesnake
Now we got something for dinner
We got it, we got it

There was a shopping mall
Now it’s all covered with flowers
You’ve got it, you’ve got it

If this is paradise
I wish I had a lawnmower
You’ve got it, you’ve got it

Years ago
I was an angry young man
And I’d pretend
That I was a billboard
Standing tall
By the side of the road
I fell in love
With a beautiful highway
This used to be real estate
Now it’s only fields and trees
Where, where is the town
Now, it’s nothing but flowers
The highways and cars
Were sacrificed for agriculture
I thought that we’d start over
But I guess I was wrong

Once there were parking lots
Now it’s a peaceful oasis
You’ve got it, you’ve got it

This was a Pizza Hut
Now it’s all covered with daisies
You got it, you got it

I miss the honky tonks,
Dairy Queens, and 7-Elevens
You got it, you got it

And as things fell apart
Nobody paid much attention
You got it, you got it

I dream of cherry pies,
Candy bars, and chocolate chip cookies
You got it, you got it

We used to microwave
Now we just eat nuts and berries
You got it, you got it

This was a discount store,
Now it’s turned into a cornfield
You’ve got it, you’ve got it

Don’t leave me stranded here
I can’t get used to this lifestyle

– Talking Heads, (Nothing but) Flowers

Once you have arrived in God’s Paradise, you might lament your plight, but you will be alright. At least the water will be clean, and the food not poisonous. I seriously doubt things will be as extreme as in the song. But we need to make stark choices and abandon the redundant. With the current state of technology, your life could still be far better than life has been for most people for most of history.

Latest update: 18 May 2023

Featured image: The First Kiss of Adam and Eve. Salvador Viniegra (1891). Public Domain.