Is man truly sinful?

[Singalphile]

It doesn't take long.

I'm sure it doesn't. It seems obvious that we naturally, or by nature, desire physical safety and pleasure even at others' (and our own) expense and harm. By indulging in these things, we make ourselves children of wrath (an odd phrase).

The literal reading of Genesis 3 is that Adam and Eve gained a knowledge of evil by eating the fruit. Because of this new knowledge, God took away the thing that would have kept them from dying. In the same way, we all sin (gain knowledge of evil) and we all die (no tree of life).

Perhaps we have this knowledge of evil hard-wired in us now. Or perhaps we are just more quickly confronted with it because of our surroundings (already sinful parents, siblings, culture).

It's interesting that even those who are most inclined to take Genesis 3 literally tend to read into it so much that it might as well be a fable. (I do wonder if it wasn't meant as such, but I don't know.)

[dseusy]

Not that it is an authority on this topic, being fiction, but have any of you read, "Lord of the Flies?"

It describes the potential results of isolating the innocence of society (children) and seeing what happens... they get stranded on an island and end up... well, I won't ruin it for you.

Good point, TK:

adam and eve had every possible benefit- the perfect environment, no sin nature (proclivity to sin, as per Paidion), walking with God personally and daily in the garden, and they still sinned.

[Paidion]

Not that it is an authority on this topic, being fiction, but have any of you read, "Lord of the Flies?"

I've read it. Horrific! If those children were not sinning, then there's no such thing as sin!

[paulespino]

Ezekile 18:20
20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

It seems that Ezekiel is telling us that we do not bear the sins of Adam and Eve.

NIV Romans 5:13-20
13To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where 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 is a pattern of the one to come.

Genesis 3:5
5 "God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil."

The people before Moses were not charged of sin against the law of Moses because they do not know the law of Moses.
But sin was in the world before the law of Moses which means that people were committing the act of sin, the reason for this is because their knowledge has increase and therefore they know the difference between right and wrong and humans have become more susceptible in sinning since Adam and Eve disobeyed God.