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On his blog, John W. Loftus has written an interesting post based on one of his previous posts. John Loftus wrote:
In a previous post of mine I argued that the "supposed" test in the Garden of Eden was a sham. Then along comes my friend Dr. Dan Lambert who argued that we atheists have it wrong because "The Garden story is a myth invented to explain why people sin. Simple. End of story." At least Dan understands it for what it is. But if he's correct then how does this save his faith from refutation? Whether it's a sham test or a myth it doesn't matter. Why should any intelligent person base his faith on ancient myths? And there are lots of them in the Bible.
The previous post in question says:
If under the same initial test conditions in the supposed Garden of Eden every human being would fail that test, then either, 1) God created us faulty in some way, or 2) The test was a sham. And since a fair test would mean some of us would not have sinned, then some human beings are being punished in this world for something they never would have done in the first place. This is just one of many problems that keeps me from believing.
I think I see Mr. Loftus' point but it is based on a poor assumption. Loftus is arguing that not every single person would have failed in the Garden. He raises the objection that we are being unfairly punished. I can relate to this. When I was a child, I was angry with Adam....I thought that he messed everything up for me and all of us. However I had an epiphany - a moment of clarity.I realized that while Adam disobeyed God in the the Garden, I had to realize that I would have failed in the Garden myself. None of us would have passed. I realized that I disobeyed my parents so why should I expect Adam to be better than I? Adam represented all of us...just like Jesus is our representative. God can do what God wants. If God wants to judge us based on Jesus that is God's sovereign right. However all of us are sinners deserving death. Therefore God is being fair.
12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— 13for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.And
15But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
18Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
20The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. - Romans 5:12-21
13For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. - 1 Timothy 2:13-14
Adam knew exactly what he was doing...Eve was tricked. The fault was Adams.
Eden was not a sham. We know that it was not a myth with all due respect to Dr. Lambert.. Romans 5 shows that Paul did indeed believe that Adam was a historical person and his failure in Eden a historical event. More importantly Jesus taught that Adam was a real person and taught that Genesis was true.
4"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' 5and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? 6So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." - Matthew 19:4-6
Debunking Christianity: Either the Garden of Eden Test Was a Sham or a Myth
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