One religious ceremony is acceptable, the other is rejected, and the no reason is given why Abel's religious practice was condoned and Cain's religious practice was regarded with contempt. In the parable of Cain and Abel, once again religious practice is contrasted using two symbols. In the Eden story, we are presented with two trees, one a tree of life and the other a deadly tree, and the couple are enticed to eat its poisoned fruit by being offered the promise of the fulfillment of religious longing (they would become wise like God). An obvious dualism is present in both stories, with both good and bad religion contrasted using symbols. There are some parallels between this parable and the myth of the Garden of Eden which precedes it.
Cain is banished to become a wanderer on the earth, and leaves the presence of Yahweh to live east of Eden in the land of Nod (which means 'wandering'). More of the usual play on words by this school of mythologists is introduced. He then denies any knowledge of what had happened to his brother (the famous line, 'am I my brother's keeper?'). Cain does not take the advice, instead luring his brother into a murderous ambush. Otherwise he will find that sin will begin festering in his soul, and who knows what the final result would be. Yahweh makes note of the fact that Cain is scowling and outraged that his brother was in favor, and then Cain is told that if he would just behave himself and do what was right, he wouldn't have a problem (which is just stating the obvious, and not particularly profound). Typical anthropomorphism, characteristic of the Yahweh mythologists, appears in the parable, as Yahweh appears to have a little chat with Cain about his bad conduct. The two are contrasted by using metaphors to describe their religious beliefs and practices, and the explanation for Cain's desire to kill Abel is attributed to powerful human emotions such as anger and envious jealousy. Like the Garden parable it was composed by the Yahweh school in ancient Israel, and it can be directly related to a theme that runs through all the books of the prophets - the persecution of those who were righteous in religious terms (symbolized by Abel) by those who were corrupt in their religious practices (symbolized by Cain). On the surface the story of Cain and Able is an obvious polemic dealing with religious conflict and persecution.