A PERCEPTION OF GOD

I was reading Paulo Coelho's "Veronika Decides to Die" as I came to this interesting part that reminded me of my dubiety on the story of Adam and Eve. 

"...It was a shame that Allah, Jehovah, God--it didn't matter what name you gave him--did not live in the world today, because if he did, we would still be in paradise, while he would be mired in appeals, requests, demands, injunctions, preliminary verdicts, and would have to justify to innumerable tribunals his decision to expel Adam and Eve from paradise for breaking an arbitrary rule with no foundation in law: of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat. 

If he had not wanted that to happen, why did he put the tree in the middle of the garden and not outside the walls of paradise? If she were called upon to defend the couple, Mari would undoubtedly accuse God of administrative negligence, because, in addition to planting the tree in the wrong place, he had failed to surround it with warnings and barriers, had failed to adopt even minimal security arrangements, and had thus exposed everyone to danger.

Mari could also accused him of inducement to criminal activity, for he had pointed out Adam and Eve the exact place where the tree was to be found. If he had said nothing, generation upon generation would have passed on this earth without anyone taking the slightest interest in the forbidden fruit, since the tree was presumably in a forest full of similar trees, and therefore of no particular value…"

The part says it all; all that has interfered my mind for too long. I've doubted the story of Adam and Eve  because in religions, it is said that God is a loving and forgiving Father/King, but the story makes it sound like he was hungry for power, and he acted like a leader who finds joy in giving punishments. Then again, the story reflects our current reality; if God is so kind of loving, why do we have to live in a world where some children are starving to death, some people are dying of serious illnesses, and many other things we have to see and hear, or even feel, every single day. 

I guess I don't have to proceed since the part has clearly expressed my thoughts on religion's point of view on God, and my doubtfulness of Adam and Eve, although it does not mean that I doubt God's presence, nor am I against people who do not believe in his existence OR those who do. But then again, it is always important to be critical, even on religious teachings. I believe that there's nothing taboo about that; you were given intelligence and mind and freedom to explore and discover. I desperately needed to write this part down because I am desperately hungry for a good explanation.

Anyway, those who could give a good explanation on this are always free to leave a comment, as long as it is not offensive and all. Remember, we are always free to express :)