What would life have been like w/o the fall?

[BenRosa]

Greetings:

I am quite curious about this question, even though there may be no real answer anyone can assuredly provide.

And if Adam and Eve could have made it, how long before one of their off-spring failed (and fall)? And if so, what of Adam and Eve? Would the “deal” have been blown for them also?

Thanks in advance for any and all comments.

May His grace be upon us…

 

[Polish]

Dear Ben Rosa,

I tried to think of that too, but got stuck on too many variables. If Adam and Eve had not disobeyed, would there even have been such a thing as death. Cain subsequently sinned greatly by killing his brother and the consequences of his actions did not fall on us, so it seems as though it was just Adam’s and Eve’s actions that affected us.

Then too, they were in the Garden of Eden and outside of that was a harsher land. Would that have continued, having non-sinners live in the Garden not dying while sinners lived outside the Garden suffering and dying? It would seem that the sinners would all get together and try at some point to overcome the Garden folks. (I know it sounds a little crazy, but … )

Also, could the two types of peoples even existed at the same time? Those who obeyed God and those who didn’t?

All this hurts my mind - I give up!

 

[BenRosa]

Greetings Polish…

No, your comments do not sound “crazy” to me. Because having a free will, Adam and Eve could have chosen to obey our Father, but they didn’t, so we’ll never really know. Speculating about it doesn’t make one’s thoughts on this question “crazy”.

But still, I’m wondering if the God’s greatest creation could have ever had a chance of remaining faithful, as with each successive generation, the odds would become greater against it. (Mankind didn’t even make it out of the first generation.) Makes me think the fall from grace was inevitable. That thought is distressful for me. Is mankind inherently bad?

 

[Rebecca_New]

If it were not for the fall, we would not have Jesus. It is through Him that we are able to resist. Maybe that is why they (Adam and Eve) were so weak.

 

[Polish]

Dear Ben Rosa,

Since the cost of commiting original sin resulted in suffering and death - what would have happened in Eden. Would all the creature reproduce? Would Adam and Eve procreate offspring which in turn would also never die? Or, would God then create more creatures - human and animal - as He first did? Also, why did God create part of the world not being Eden if mankind was not to occupy it?

“Is mankind inherently bad?” Only God is good - God is goodness. The angels also have a free will and some of them also chose not to stay with God. God also created pride, but when creatures misuse pride they turn against God’s purpose for pride. We’re instructed to turn our God-given wills over to God and to seek His will only - to be like God. (Jesus said we should be perfect like the Father) When we choose not to be like God is when we suffer the consequences. Mankind could not be inherently bad if he was given a free will to become like his creator or not. “Was it inevitable” - I don’t think so. Not in the sense that it was inherently part of mankind’s makeup. Maybe we’re looking at it in hindsight, which can always distort what happened. I think mankind was given the capability to reject God’s commandment - that’s the free will in His creatures.

A side thought is that even though we are made in the image of God and since God is Goodness, He cannot do evil - but we can and the fallen angels (devils) do. Now that’s something strange to think about.

Dear Rebecca - I believe the Trinity was always there and that had there not been the fall and Jesus did not take on a human nature and live among us, He would still be part of the Trinity and we would probably have known Him in a different way.

Aha!! Maybe that’s part of the anwer - We have a human nature, God has a divine nature, Jesus becoming man had both a human and divine nature and Jesus showed us that with His human nature He (emptying Himself of His divine nature) was able to put the Father’s Will above His - thus showing us what is possible for mankind and that we are not inherently bad and that our actions are not inevitable.

:whacky:How about that for reasoning!

 

[BenRosa]

Greetings…

After writing that last question of mine, I knew it wasn’t true (is mankind bad) in my heart, as you reminded us Polish, that our Father didn’t create junk.

As we now know, the first couple, Adam and Eve, had a great deal riding on the direction of *their *free will (the future condition of mankind). Ever since, we can only look to our Blessed Mother, as an example of total surrender of human will to God. However, even she was born without original sin…so, is there a real example for us of a “regular” human being who was able to direct his or her will totally to our Father from the get go?

Perhaps with the stain now of original sin…it is not really possible. All we can do is our best in following the teachings of our beloved Lord Jesus.

May His grace be upon us today and always…