Saiph
Puritan Board Junior
This side discussion was spawned here:
http://www.puritanboard.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=17351
I did a search and did not find any previous discussions so here goes.
Was there death of any kind before the fall ?
Adam died covenantally of course, and then physically, but I think death must have been there before though.
How else would he know what death meant when God said, the day you eat of the fruit you shall surely die ?
What was the tree of life for then if not protection and healing ?
Did adam not cook fish for Eve, or hunt and eat delicious juicy steaks ? (It could hardly be called paradise if not)
Even if they ate plants, didn't the fruit have to die as they ate it ?
Did Adam never step on a bug or swat a fly ?
Did Adam, or the animals urinate, or defacate before the fall or did all food just get absorbed by the body ?
The idea offered by Ruben Zartman is that : (parenthesis mine)
Nature was disordered in the fall; (I agree with that) death is unnatural; (maybe human death) greed is unnatural; disease is unnatural; insanity is unnatural; idiocy is unnatural.
Are there any theological problems with thinking some of those things, including plant and animal death occured before the fall ? The fall subjected nature to vanity, but not death. Man was uniquely cursed with death I think.
Help me out here, I am confused.
[Edited on 3-17-2006 by Saiph]
http://www.puritanboard.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=17351
I did a search and did not find any previous discussions so here goes.
Was there death of any kind before the fall ?
Adam died covenantally of course, and then physically, but I think death must have been there before though.
How else would he know what death meant when God said, the day you eat of the fruit you shall surely die ?
What was the tree of life for then if not protection and healing ?
Did adam not cook fish for Eve, or hunt and eat delicious juicy steaks ? (It could hardly be called paradise if not)
Even if they ate plants, didn't the fruit have to die as they ate it ?
Did Adam never step on a bug or swat a fly ?
Did Adam, or the animals urinate, or defacate before the fall or did all food just get absorbed by the body ?
The idea offered by Ruben Zartman is that : (parenthesis mine)
Nature was disordered in the fall; (I agree with that) death is unnatural; (maybe human death) greed is unnatural; disease is unnatural; insanity is unnatural; idiocy is unnatural.
Are there any theological problems with thinking some of those things, including plant and animal death occured before the fall ? The fall subjected nature to vanity, but not death. Man was uniquely cursed with death I think.
Help me out here, I am confused.
[Edited on 3-17-2006 by Saiph]