Ye shall be as gods

"And the serpent said unto the woman, "Ye shall not surely die. For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." - Genesis 3, 4-5 (KJV)

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Amongst an immortal populace, capable of creating life, sapience, and transforming dead worlds into utopias lush with life, there was a range of opinions about humanity's true position in the Universe. The discovery of the mobius patterns only accelerated this, and, after contact was first made with alien civilizations, that this seemed to be a unique, irreproducable discovery did little to dampen such opinions.

Or arrogance.

The overwhelmingly vast majority of the Solar System's populace was generally happy with their lot, lacking the cares and concerns that their ancestors had. Some, however, felt - and still feel - that humanity had gone too far, while others did not believe the children of Gaia have gone far enough.

This verse, and its interpretation, ultimately divided the Abrahamic faiths, beginning in the 21st century. A few chose to reject the accelerating progress of technology, either exiling themselves from the rest of mankind, or working against their brethren in order to return the people of Earth to their 'proper' place. Some chose to embrace the gnostic view - that God was the demiurge, and the serpent a being sent to enlighten mankind. Others accepted the verse on its face, and that humanity had come far enough to have atoned for its sins.