Why did God create the tree of knowledge in the first place?

[skeleton tree]

If God did not want Adam and Eve to have that certain knowledge, then why did He create the tree in the first place? Why did He make it available to them? Why did He give them that option?

[Beto]

God did not want Adam and Eve to partake or experientally know evil but only to do that which was good in God's sight.

*holds up megaphone* HELLOOO! THEY COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOOD IN GOD'S SIGHT BECAUSE THEY HADN'T EATEN FROM THE FREAKIN' TREE OF KNOWLEDGE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL YET! THEY DIDN'T KNOW DISOBEDIENCE WASN'T GOOD SO THEY HAD NO REASON TO OBEY! AAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHH *grabs chest in atrocious pain*

You need to lose that nasty and angry disposition of yours if you ever want to rightly divide the Word of Truth.

Well, hot diggidy! Good thing I don't.

By the way, it's not a "freakin tree."

I beg to differ. A tree that bestows on people knowledge of "good" and "evil" is not a regular tree... one might even say it's rather freakish... making it a FREAKIN' TREE! I'm sorry if that offends you, but this whole lack of common sense also insults my intelligence... and I have to manage.

They knew what would happen if they disobeyed God because God told them if they did they would "surely die."

They didn't know dying wasn't a good thing.

Adam knew disobeying God would be displeasing to Him.

Adam didn't know displeasing "God" wasn't a good thing.

God did not make zombies without a mind to think and reason. Eve was deceived and believed Satan's lies and false promises

Eve didn't know Satan's lies and false promises weren't a good thing.

but Adam sinned with both eyes wide opened.

Adam didn't know sinning wasn't a good thing.

[Fallibleone]

Makes sense really. If you sin with your eyes closed you don't get the full effect.