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Section A

SEPTEMBER 2011

THE BIBLE aND SCIENCE by WilliaM T. PelleTier, Ph.d. [woodside news COLUMNIST]
Adam s Mythical Diary 4IV 4
Twain artfully depicted the chaos sin introduced WEDNESDAY I escaped last into creation. Scripture says night, and rode a horse all night, the whole creation groans hoping to get clear of the Park bewith the results of mans sin fore the trouble should begin. About (Romans 8:20-22). an hour after sun-up, as I was ridTwains picture of aniing through a flowery plain where mal death resulting from thousands of animals were grazing, human sin is accurate. WilliaM T. slumbering, or playing with each PelleTier, Ph.d. Scripture teaches through other, all of a sudden they broke into one man sin entered into the a tempest of frightful noises, and in world, and death through one moment the plain was a frantic comsin (Romans 5:12). The divine evalumotion and every beast was destroying its ation of the original creation as very neighbor. I knew what it meant Eve good (Genesis 1:31) and Pauls discushad eaten that fruit, and death was come sion of the divine curse on creation into the world. following Adams sin The tigers ate my horse, (Romans 8:18-23) paying no attention when further indicate that I ordered them to desist, death could not have and they would have eaten existed before sin. me if I had stayed which But the real Adam I didnt, but went away in did not leave Eden much haste. voluntarily as Adams I found this place, outDiary portrays. The side the Park, and was Lord God drove him fairly comfortable for a few out of Eden to prevent days, but she has found me Adam and Eve from out. In fact I was not sorry eating from the Tree she came, for there are but of Life and living formeager pickings here, and ever in their sinful state she brought some of those (Genesis 3:22-24). apples. I was obliged to eat Contrary to Twain, them, I was so hungry. It principles that have no was against my principles, real force except when but I find that principles one is well-fed are not have no real force except true principles. Adversity when one is well-fed. proves principles. Many Mark Twain anconcentration camp surnounced he translated vivors clung to real Extracts from Adams Diprinciples in the dirary (1904) from Adams est of circumstances, original hieroglyphics. thereby disproving The extracts are huTwains thesis. morous but often deviWEDNESDAY ate from Scripture. This (contd) She came months excerpts involve Adams accurtained in boughs and bunches of count of the Fall according to Twain. leaves, and when I asked her what she Twains Adam was correct that meant by such nonsense, and snatched death would be the result of eating them away and threw them down, she the forbidden fruit. But in Adams Ditittered and blushed. I had never seen ary, death entered the world when a person titter and blush before, and to Eve sinned and before Adam sinned. me it seemed unbecoming and idiotic. This is not Biblical. Scripture says She said I would soon know how it that sin and death entered through was myself. This was correct. Hungry Adam, not through Eve. as I was, I laid down the apple halfAdams Diary portrays the forbideaten certainly the best one I ever den fruit as apples. This is not Scripsaw, considering the lateness of the tural. The forbidden fruit could not season and arrayed myself in the have been apples, because apples have discarded boughs and branches, and seeds (Genesis 1:29). then spoke to her with some severity and ordered her to go and get some more and not make a spectacle of herself. She did it, and after this we crept down to where the wild-beast battle had been, and collected some skins, and I made her patch together a couple of suits proper for public occasions. They are uncomfortable, it is true, but stylish, and that is the main point about clothes Another thing, she says it is ordered that we work for our living hereafter. She will be useful. I will superintend. Adams Diary is correct that the need for clothing followed sin. There was no need for clothing before sin. After sin, modesty required clothing to cover shame and restrain further sin. Contrary to Twains Adam, style is not the main point about clothes. Clothing has three main purposes: modesty, physical warmth and protection, and pockets. Style is not one of them. Regarding style, Oscar Wilde perceptively commented, Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months. Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together for loin coverings (Genesis 3:7), but did not make suits of skins for themselves as the Diary claims. Yahweh Himself made garments of skin for them (Genesis 3:21). In the process He probably sacrificed animals for their sin and taught them about blood sacrifices (later more fully described by Moses in Leviticus). Blood sacrifices of animals were foreshadowings of the perfect and effective sacrifice for sin that Jesus would
illustRation by F. stRothMan, 1904

origin of clothes. stone pictograph from Adams Diary

clothing has three main purposes: modesty, physical warmth and protection, and pockets.

eventually make.(Hebrews 10:1-14). Adams Diary suggests that work was a consequence of sin, but this is not true. Yahweh gave Adam the work of tending the Garden of Eden and ruling over creation before sin entered (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15). Sin made work a burden instead of a joy (Genesis 3:17-19). It is also not true that Eve delivered the message on work to Adam. Genesis records Yahweh as speaking directly to Adam. Twains Diary also reflects the Biblical statement that fallen man would rule over the woman: Twains Adam selfishly comments that Eve will be useful as he superintends the work. Sadly, Twains fictionalization does not represent Adams affectionate appreciation of Eve, seen elsewhere in the Diary. The historical Adam would have affirmed the concept later expressed by Solomon: He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord. (Proverbs 18:22) Soli Deo Gloria E-mail Dr. Pelletier at BibleScienceGuy@woodsidenews.org. Read the Bible-Science Guy blog at http://BibleScienceGuy.wordpress. com. Follow him at http://twitter. com/BibleScienceGuy. See May 2010, August 2010 and January 2011 columns for preceding extracts and commentary. 2011 William T. Pelletier