Science in Christian Perspective

 

 

THE FALL AND ITS REIATION TO PRESENT CONDITIONS IN NATURE
 Brian P. Sutherland, Senior Research Engineer
Consolidated Mining and Smelting Co,
Trail, British Colombia

From: JASA, 2, (September1950): 14-19


 While there is much evidence in nature that can be used to show the handiwork of a beneficent Creator, there is also much apparent evil of various kindas and attempts to learn something of God and His ways by the study of the created universe must take account of it. Although this evil seems to be almost inextricable interwoven into the very warp and woof of present existence, as Christians, we cannot ascribe evil to God the Creator, nor can we believe that He will allow it to mar His creation forever. Somehow we must reconcile conditions with the revealed nature of God.

 The Bible has a great deal to say about human sinfulness and its Consequences* It clearly states that by one man sin came into the world and death by sin, referring, of course, to the event we call the Fall. However, leaving out of present consideration the question of moral evil or sin, which in this present world relates only to man, we must admit the presence of other evil which is apparently independent of human sin. We may consider this evil under three classes, namely, waste, futility, and pain.

 There seems to be in many ways a prodigal waste throughout the universe* Consider, for example, its incredible vastness, almost completely empty, dark and Cold, with all We that we know of concentrated on one tiny planet and able to exist only within a narrow range of conditions. Correspondingly in living nature an almost immeasurable prodigality is seen with thousands of seeds produced for every, one that reaches fruition. From one point of view the rarity of a habitable planet in the universe can certainly be considered as an evidence of design, but from another it might be seen as the one chance hit among countless misses. It might be argued that a good designer would be more careful of his materials and apply it all in a useful way rather than waste most of it in apparent uselessness for the sake of the extremely small prop6rtion which reaches what seems to us the intended application. And yet we might ask whether so much is really lost. Does not much return for another use with no loss but of time, and does time count with an Eternal Being? The way the earth is heated by the sun may seem wasteful with almost all the energy being dissipated through space, but in a sense this is of the nature of light and God is light. It is His very nature to impart of Himself towards all without limit or end or restraint* So, although a thousand may be frequently sacrificed for one, sacrifice is not waste if directed to the right end. The answer to the question: "To what purpose is this waste?" was found by pointing out that underlying the deed was pure devotion directed towards a worthy object, Perhaps much that to us appears as waste is really a manifestation of the truths; "God is love" and "God if light."

 Closely related to the apparent waste is the futility of so much of nature, Life, it seems, has an inherent incompleteness, it fails of its promise and does not realize its purpose, Even after the thousand have been sacrificed for the sake of one, that one is ineffective, incomplete, and fails to reach its true ends Parts of the Creation show remarkable cycles, which are carefully balanced but do not lead to progress in any definite direction, This seems to have impressed the writer of the book of Ecclesiastes and he wrote, "All is vanity." The thought of vanity or futility appears again in the New Testament in the significant passage in Romans 8: "the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of Him who subjected it in hope." (R.S.V.) Here, while the disappointing character of present evidence is recognized, at the same time a note of hope is emphasized. To this we will return later but now pass on to notice the third aspect of evil, namely, pain. In this case# we are on more definite ground. There is undoubtedly much pain and suffering throughout the world, even aside from that experienced or caused by man.

Possibly many lower animals have experiences that suggest pain to us but do not cause them conscious suffering even though they may react to it mechanically. But no one can doubt that some animals do suffer and as we believe them incapable of sin, they do not seem to deserve to suffer. Yet it seems inevitable for them. They are in the, midst of a fierce struggle for existence, and their life is maintained only at the expense of life. Most of them manage to survive only for a short time in a relatively hostile environment which practically impels them to inflict pain or loss on others . In confirmation, we have a positive statement of Scripture which assures us that this is not an illusion of ours, for Romans 8 says that "the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now."

Such considerations raise the questions "Why?" and I' When?"~ and particularly suggest a correlation with the Fall of Man. It may be helpful to mention at this point an analysis by C. S. Lewis in "The Problem of Pain." He says that in a fallen and partly redeemed universe-we should distinguish: (1) The simple good descending from God, (2) The simple evil produced by rebellious creatures, (3) The exploitation of evil by God for redemptive purposes and (4) The complex good to which accepted suffering and repented sin contribute. This will probably be worth keeping in mind when considering the explanation of present conditions as we observe them.

The atheistic evolutionist presumably sees evil as inherent in nature. In his view it has always been so, The struggle for existence leading to the survival of the fittest is of the essence of the process of evolution. The loss and pain are not of any particular significance and-sin in man is largely a carry over from his animal inheritance. An explanation along these lines which omits all thought of God and in effect denies the facts of sin and redemption is, of course, quite unacceptable to the Christian.

Another view evidently fairly widely held in earlier times was that all the obvious evil, Btrife, pain, and death in nature were directly occasioned by man's fall. The discovery of fossils with their undoubted evidences of the existence of carnivorious animals long before man raised a difficulty in this connection. From the record of the rocks, there is nothing to confirm the idea that the animal world was at any time wholly vegetarian, and it is clear that a world in which no animal died is so far removed from the present one as to be hardly conceivable by us. There would still remain the inevitability of some pain due to accidents, fatigue and various privations. It is also evident that for herbivorous animals to become carnivorous would require not only a change of appetite but also a drastic change in body structure and organs, as well as a complete rearrangement of the balance of nature. In spite of the apparent difficulties, some recent writers have felt that the wording of Genesis I and the general tenor of Scripture requires us to believe that the animal creation as originally made by God, and described as "good," was entirely free from the pain, struggle and death which are so evident today. The fossils are then explained as showing the condition of animals of an earlier creation corrupted by the fall of a pre4damic race of beings inhabiting the earth. The state of nature today in these respects in correspondingly said to have come about by the judgment of God admittedly involving a very widespread miraculous change. Presumably this theory requires that of the animals mentioned in Genesis 1, none died before Adam sinned.

C. S. Lewis, recognizing that animals existed before man much as they are now, and apparently not accepting the discontinuity and other difficulties of the preceding theory, suggests that Satan or some other evil being had been at work in the earth before man arrived. It would then be the direct act of Satan that had caused the animals to degenerate so that they lived by destroying each other. He it was who introduced the high death rate and the corresponding wasteful fecundity. Lewis sees the parallel situation in the vegetable world but he does not concede that these phenomena are evil in vegetation. The animals which were made by God to function on a higher plane, so to speak, were thus by Satan caused to revert to "vegetable".
Possibly many lower animals have experiences that suggest pain to us but do not cause them conscious suffering even though they may react to it mechanically. But no one can doubt that some animals do suffer and as we believe them incapable of sin, they do not seem to deserve to suffer, Yet it seems inevitable for them. They are in the. midst of a fierce struggle for existence, and their life is maintained only at the expense of life. Most of them manage to survive only for a short time in a relatively hostile environment which practically impels them to inflict pain or loss on others. In confirmation, we have a positive statement of Scripture which assures us that this is not an illusion of ours, for Romans 8 says that "the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now."

Such considerations raise the questions "Why?" and It When?", and particularly suggest a correlation with the Fall of Man. It maybe helpful to mention at this point an analysis by C. S. Lewis in "The Problem of Pain." He says that in a fallen and partly redeemed universe've should distinguish: (1) The simple good descending from God, (2) The simple evil produced by rebellious creatures,9 (3) The exploitation of evil by God for redemptive purposes and (4) The complex good to which accepted suffering and repented sin contribute. This will probably be worth keeping in mind when considering the explanation of present conditions as we observe them.

The atheistic evolutionist presumably sees evil as inherent in nature. In his view it has always been so. The struggle for existence leading to the survival of the fittest is of the essence of the process of evolution. The loss and pain are not
of any particular significance and, sin in man is largely a carry over from his animal inheritance. An explanation along these lines which omits all thought of God and in effect denies the facts of sin and redemption is, of course, quite unacceptable to the Christian.

Another view evidently fairly widely held in earlier times was that all the obvious evil, strife, pain, and death in nature were directly occasioned by man's fall. The discovery of fossils with their undoubted evidences of the existence of carnivorious animals long before man raised a difficulty in this connection. From the record of the rocks, there in nothing to confirm the idea that the animal world mw at any time wholly vegetarian.. and it is clear that a world in which no animal died is so far removed from the present one as to be hardly conceivable by us. There would still remain the inevitability of some pain due to accidents, fatigue and various privations. It is also evident that for herbivorous animals to become carnivorous would require not only a change of appetite but also a drastic change in body structure and organs, as well as a complete rearrangement of the balance of nature. In spite of the apparent difficulties, some recent writers have felt that the wording of Genesis I and the general tenor of Scripture requires us to believe that the animal creation as originally made by God, and described as good," gas entirely free from the pain, struggle and death which are so evident today. The fossils are then explained as shaving the condition of animals of an earlier creation corrupted by the fall of a pre-Adamic race of beings inhabiting the earth. The state of nature today in these respects in correspondingly said to have come about by the judgment of God admittedly involving a very widespread miraculous change. Presumably this theory requires that of the animals mentioned in Genesis 1, none died before Adam sinned.

 C. S. Lewis, recognizing that animals existed before man much as they are now, and apparently not accepting the discontinuity and other difficulties of the preceding theory, suggests that Satan or some other evil being had been at work in the earth before man arrived. It would then be the direct act of Satan that had caused the animals to degenerate so that they lived by destroying each other- He it was who introduced the high death rate and the corresponding Tasteful fecundity, Lewis sees the parallel situation in the vegetable world but he does not concede that these phenomena are evil in vegetation. The animals which were made by God to function on a higher plane, so to speak, were thus by Satan caused to revert to "vegetable"
behaviour. This act must have taken place somewhere between verses 25 and 26 of Genesis 1. a supposition not hinted at in the record.

It is suggested, however, that on careful examination the Biblical statements bearing on the subject do not seem to support the above views, as the following notes may shows

In Genesis l, the work of the third day includes the separation of land from sea and the bringing forth of vegetation. The result is described as good in God's sight. Presumably there is included the whole work of preparation of the earth's surface to be a suitable support for plant life. The plants are self-propagating and appear to have included from the beginning the same general pattern of life cycle as at presents Such phenomena as the fading of blossoms to, produce fruit, the dying of the seed in the ground in order to produce a new plant, and the perishing of one plant to give place to another evidently belong to the original scheme of things and "death" in these senses cannot be attributed to man's sin. Later in the story vegetation is given to man and the animals for foods Although not specifically mentioned in the list of things over which man has dominion, the inanimate world and its vegetation are no doubt included in that which is to be subdued. This general thought is confirmed in the second chapters where Adam is placed in the garden of Eden "to dress and to keep it," implying consciously directed cultivation in order to obtain from the soil that growth which he desired for his support and pleasure. The word for "keep" comes from a root meaning to "hedge" and seems to suggest the idea of guarding from harms presumably by enemies without.

After the Fall'. a curse for man's sake is pronounced on the ground. man will eat of it (its fruit) in sorrow; wearisome work will be necessary to obtain the required growth for food and in the wild state vegetation will be characterised, to a degree at least, by thorns and thistles, Thorns are said to be undeveloped leaves and may represent the features of plants which show evil in the sense of causing direct harm to men rather than being useful, although they may at the same time be a necessary protection for the plant in a hostile environments Thistles, on the other hands may represent the many weeds which, being of little uses grow with great freedom and hinder man's efforts in growing the plants needed for his support.

It does not seem necessary to assume that thorns and thistles did not exist before the Fall. They may have simply become more widespread, and due to changed conditions some plants may have developed thorns and other abortive structures* In part, at least, the changed conditions Adam had to meet in his work of cultivation were probably due to his expulsion from the garden into a less hospitable and fertile part.

Consideration should be given in this connection to the punishment of Cain, who was "cursed from the earth," and for whom the ground would not yield her strength, common interpretation of this seems to be that Cain would be driven from the region where his parents and other relatives lived to a comparatively barren part. Certainly it is not suggested that Cain's sin was in any sense another Fall.

We might notice that for disobedience, the Israelites and others were punished by curses which included failure of crops from drought, insect pests, and other causes. The prophets looking forward spoke of days to come, when the fir tree would replace the thorn, and the myrtle the brier, and desert lands become fertile. Finally in the new Jerusalems there is seen the tree bearing fruit every month and having leaves for healing rather than thorns to wound. But no doubt this last and much of the earlier prophetic writing is symbolic.

On the whole, the-consequences of the Fall in the inorganic and vegetable spheres seem to have been changes in conditions of degree rather than kind. The most important change seems to have been a decrease in soil productivity due to various causes, possibly including climatic conditions. These results of the Fall can to a considerable extent be overcome by man by thought and work in what we consider purely natural ways, whether by his simple unaided labor, or by the use of modern machines and agricultural chemicals.

Turning now to the animal world~ we read in Genesis 1 that marine animals and birds were brought forth out of the waters, and land animals and insects out of the earth* These are an described as good and are to reproduce abundantly. They are all placed under the dominion of the human race which suggests the need for control to prevent possible evil developments and, on the other hand, to develop potential but still undeveloped good. The opening verse of Genesis 3 deserves notice, "The serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God has made." Subtil almost invariably carries the thought of evil craftiness. The expression might suggest that the animal creation already showed definite imperfection particularly evident in the serpent.

When we pass on to God's curse against the serpent we should notice that He says, "Because thou hast done this," not "Because the man sinned." It seems clear that the serpent, much more than a snake and may not even have had any connection with the common reptile. Pember suggests that these and the succeeding words. "Thou art cursed above all cattle," imply a general curse on the animal creation, perhaps not through Adam's sin but because the serpent, as representative of the beasts of the field, yielded itself as an instrument to evil. This virtual ascription of moral responsibility to animals is not generally accepted though we might notice that God says in Genesis 9 that He will require man's blood "at the hand of every beast," and under the law any beast that killed a man was to be put to death. (Ex. 21) This provision could have been merely to prevent further harm.0 or to impress upon other people the sanctity of human life. In the New Testament it is positively states that it was by one man (Adam) that sin entered into the world, which seems to preclude the possibility of animals sinning. The passage (Romans 5:12) goes on to say that death came into the world through sin and death spread to all men. Death here as a consequence of sin would be referred to the human race only, not to animals which died long before Adam's sin. It must be confessed that we really do not know what animals are nor why they were made, and their relation with the spirit world is a difficult matter hinted at two or three times in the Scripture but not fully elucidated, A relation between evil spirits and animals is possible on occasion and in this case it may be that the animal was not changed at the Fall but the evil Spirit in some way suffered permanent degredation corresponding to the animal whose form it had assumed for a time.

However in the later passage in Romans the creation other than man is spoken of. Verses 18 to 23 of chapter 8 constitute an important statement in this connection and are quoted in full as translated by A. S. Way, "Ah well, as I estimate them, all sufferings that can betide in this life's span are not worth taking into account compared with the glory that is destined to be unveiled before our eyes. The eager yearning of all created things is 'waiting, waiting now for that unveiling of the vision of the Sons of God. All created beings have had to submit to a seeming purposeless existence - not of their own choice, but subserving some great design of Him who so had overruled all lives, - yet haunted ever by a hope that they also, even all God's creation, shall at last be emancipated from this thraldom to decay, shall at last emerge into the liberty of t1hat glorious state which is the heritage of the Sons of God. All God's sentient universe, I trow, is sighing with one great voice, is suffering travail throess, from of old until now. Nay, nor that alone,- ourselves too, though our hands already grasp the first fruits of the Spirit, yet are we sighing too, our very hearts are sighing whilst we strain our gaze afar to descry that ransom of our mortal frame, the Sealing of us as His sons."
Another New Testament passage bearing on the same theme is Hebrews 2 'which points out that the world to come, in which the consummation of redemption is enjoyed, is to be subject to man. The many sons who are to be brought to Glory are not angels but men. Quoting from Psalm 8 it is further shown that this purpose of God is part of the inherent order and plan of creation. This plan is not yet visibly worked out because man's dominion was a vital part of it and man lost his dominion. It is, however, destined to be worked out-and finally manifest in Jesus, made Lord and Christ. The writer also points out that the leader of this new creation Himself had to attain to His goal by a path which led through suffering and temptations which in a measure were and are the lot of all flesh and blood. The necessity for this is not here ascribed to the sin of man but to the ultimate source of evil, the devil, the wielder of the power of death whom Christ destroyed by His death. The bondage under which man lies and with him all creation, is here associated with the fear of death* Clearly this thought is similar to the expressions in Romans 8 such as "subject to vanity or futilityand "bondage of corruption or decay." We should further notice that this plan of overthrowing death by dying and reaching perfection by suffering is "becoming" to God by whom and for whom an things are.

In view of the foregoing and other considerations, the following is proposed as a theory of the origin of various forms of evil in creation.

It does not seem necessary, here to decide whether Genesis 1:1 described an original state of perfection or not, nor whether a catastrophe occurred after Geneses 1:1. However, it does seem clear that the conditions of Genesis 1:2 imply the presence of evil. This might have been due to a judgment of God on pre-Adamic sin (the catastrophe theory) or it might have been due to God's method of work in a sphere where sin was already prevalent. It does not seem relevant to the present discussion to inquire into these questions, but it is suggested as necessary to recognize that God's activity as described in Genesis 1:3 and on, is activity in a sphere basically under the control of the devil, and that this activity of God is conditioned by the sphere in which He works. In Lewis's terms the creation of Genesis 10 to 31 is not simple good descending from God, but complex good being brought about by the exploitation of evil. We must emphasize that in view of the nature of God and the nature of evil in so far as concerns that creation which comes within our comprehension.* God does not# perhaps as we would say-He cannot obliterate evil and its consequences at a single stroke.He works by slow painful steps along a path overshadowed by death. It becomes Him to overcome death by dying and to reach perfection by suffering.

Thus where darkness is universals perhaps under the undisputed reign of the rulers of this world darkness, God introduces light, not at once overcoming all darkness, but. kept distinct from it as day and nights Eventually, but not now, it will be all light in the city of God, as God is light.. without darkness at all. Meanwhile, although night brings a sense of fear. danger and difficulty, the succession of day and night which long antedates Adam, is part of that complex good suited to our present state.

Again the formless instability of the watery globe is changed by the appearance of areas of dry land on part of its surface, Without some land the higher orders of life seem impossible, but God has not yet done away with all the sea. At present, although the sea suggests a force destructive of the order which manifests life, and with its raging storms is often thought of as a symbol of evils nevertheless there is again a complex good in the admirable balance between land and water in our present world. In the final state, redeemed creation has no more sea but only a river of life. The changing seasons, the weather and various climatic elements may be considered in a similar way.

Next, into the scene of emptiness, God brought life first seen in vegetation. Because the sphere was one in which evil was presents vegetation, in itself good, was in part manifest in imperfect and seemingly evil forms. These do not indicate that God created evil, but that in overcoming evil He works by that complex good, involving suffering and death. The thorny cactus is vegetable life best suited to the harsh conditions of the desert, The cycle of life and death in vegetation and the apparent waste of reproductive poverty are best suited to a world where many circumstances are unfavourable and forces of destruction are widespread. At the last, we see in the holy city the forest of trees with constant fruit and leaves of healing, no longer needing to withstand the changing seasons or other adverse conditions.

The same 6onsiderations suggest that the animal creation had its measure of suffering and evident groaning from the beginning, God did not create the evil, but He subjected His good creation to suffering which. though it might seem so, was not really useless, The suffering is like travail pains, definitely associated with and leading to something new and better. It is in hope.

So vegetables serve and make possible the animals, and both serve mankind. Both were originally placed under man who was given authority and responsibility for the well-being and improvement of the rests The thorn which is absent from the cultivated plant illustrates the principle. Likewise the animal tamed and used by man shows more of the true animal nature than the wild. It is the same nature but seen in a sphere from which man has, in part, removed the evil. The vanity of the creation thus partly disappears when and as man fulfils his proper office, It will finally and completely disappear when the redeemed of mankind are glorified, In glory, animals are only seen directly related to man, The essential characteristics of lionhood and lambhood unite in the person of the Second Man without their present respective weakness or cruelty. Horses are seen serving their riders in carrying out God's purposes. Apart from and permanently opposed to mankind is the serpent, doomed to destruction.

Fundamentally, therefore, the evil in creation is due, not to Adam's sins. but to the fact that the creation is an essential part of God's plan to destroy the devil and undo his works. Man is, of course.9 also a part of this plan.0 and to an extent the evil in creation is with a view to man. The Fall which brought sin and death to the human race results in added suffering and loss to the rest of creation, in a negative sense because man is unable or unwilling to do it the good he otherwise might, and in a positive sense because he inflicts much additional unnecessary suffering by his actions* The ultimate attainment of the goal of creation is only in direct association with man as renewed in Christ, The groaning of creation is as in the pains of birth, after which the old order may pass away having fulfilled its end. There is no need to suppose the immortality of any individual animal* In fact such an idea is almost devoid of meaning. But the essential ideas, now manifested in distorted form in the various orders of creation may persist~ and in the new heavens and earth be manifested in perfect form in association with and under the dominion of the sons of God. Perhaps this is suggested in the living creatures of Revelation 4,

In conclusion, we must admit that the whole subject is beset with difficult questions which we cannot claim to have answered, but perhaps we have been able to gr.in some new glimpses of the ways of God and the glory which yet lies before us. if on the me hand it is truet and it is, that the whole creation groaneth together, this implies a measure of unity extending even to the irrational and inanimate. on the other hand it is also true that it is God's purpose to sum up all things, not only all persons, in Christ, a consummation closely linked with the revealing in glory of the sons of God.