Okay, guys. I have a homework assignment due tomorrow and I didn't realize that the instructions say that I need insights from somebody not of my same faith. I found this forum and thought that it would be the perfect place to get some different perspectives on the topic of the Fall of Adam and Eve.
So here are my questions:
This is from the perspective of Jehovah's Witnesses....FWIW.
See what you think......
What is your belief about the Fall?
(Genesis ch. 1-3)
God created physical beings and placed them on a planet that he had specially prepared for them. His final creations were different to all other lifeforms.These he made in his own image, meaning that they had his intelligence, attributes and moral qualities. He educated the man and allowed him to participate in naming the creatures that the Creator assigned him to take care of.
There were two significant trees in the garden that would impact on their future. One was "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" and there was a prohibition on taking the fruit from this tree, under penalty of death.
The other tree was "the tree of life". There was no prohibition on this tree and partaking of its fruit meant living forever right here on earth. There was only one rule...."the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" was God's property and no human was permitted to take what belonged to God. He claimed the right to this knowledge and made the rule for man's own good. He knew that humans would never benefit from a knowledge of evil......but a rebel spirit challenged God's right to make that rule. He convinced the woman that God was holding back something to which they were entitled.....he lied and she believed him. Adam was not deceived however, but made a deliberate choice to join his rebellious wife, making his sin greater than hers. (1 Timothy 2:13, 14)
What is your belief about the results of it?
The devil's target was the man all along, but instead of approaching him directly, (as he would likely have refused to take what God had prohibited) he deceived the woman because he knew she could get the man to join her. It worked. "Sin" then entered the world (Romans 5:12) and it would result in aging, sickness and finally death for all humans who descended from Adam.
Physical death was not immediate because the Creator allowed them to fulfill his mandate to 'fill the earth with their kind'. But spiritually, they died the very day they separated themselves from their God by choosing to obey a lesser god. As a result God has allowed this 'would-be' god to rule the world and allow humans to see for themselves what happens when they abandon him. (Luke 4:5, 6; 1 John 5:19)
What are the reasons for the Fall in God’s plan?
The fall was never in God's plan. He did not set the humans up for failure, but allowed them the right to exercise their God-given free will. He was their rightful sovereign and he expected them to obey his directions in the knowledge that he knew better than they did what was good for them. It was their choice to disobey his command and they brought the death penalty upon themselves....unfortunately, the "sin" that resulted was genetically handed on to all of Adam's children. Adam paid the penalty for his own sin and so did his wife. But there was no one to pay for what Adam did to his children to release them from the cycle of sin and death that resulted from their disobedience. A perfect sinless life had to come from outside the now sinful human race to atone for what Adam had done......God sent Jesus to pay the debt for us. We are waiting now for Jesus to bring his kingdom rule to the earth and return us to the conditions that God created at the beginning. (Matthew 6:9, 10)
I would really appreciate any and all input I can get! Thank you sooooo much! <3
Hope that helps.
