Re: Metaphysics... part two.

mortonREMOVETHISgr@flash.net
Fri, 16 Jul 1999 21:17:53 +0000

At 11:46 AM 7/16/99 -0400, David Campbell wrote:
>First, it should be noted that the idea of animal death coming before the
>fall of humans is not a product of modern scientific discoveries, but
>rather had been proposed based on Genesis 1-2 by Augustine, if not earlier.

I would point out that death before the fall was part of ancient Jewish
belief. Nahmanides, a rabbi stated:

"The meaning of the word me'od (very) is 'mostly.' On this sixth day He
added this word because
he is speaking of creation in general which contains evil in some part of
it. Thus He said that
it was very good, meaning its me'od is good [thus conveying the thought
that even the small part
of it which is evil is basically also good, as is explained further on]. It
is this thought which is the basis of the saying of the Rabbis in Bereshith
Rabbah: And, behold, it was very good. And,
behold it was good--this refers to death.'

Ramban (Nachmanides) Commentary on the Torah, Trans. by Dr. Charles B.
Chavel, (New York: Shilo
Publishing House, 1971), p. 58

glenn

Foundation, Fall and Flood
Adam, Apes and Anthropology
http://www.flash.net/~mortongr/dmd.htm

Lots of information on creation/evolution