Re: Geology and the Bible

Bill Hamilton (hamilton@predator.cs.gmr.com)
Tue, 24 Aug 1999 14:40:43 -0400

At 01:03 PM 8/24/99 -0700, Arthur V. Chadwick wrote:
>Interesting quotation from geologist Edward Hitchcock in 1840 (Elementary
>Geology):
>
>"The general interpretation of the Bible has been that until the fall of
>man, death did not exist in the world even among the inferior animals. For
>the Bible asserts that by man came death (1 Cor. 15:21) and by one man sin
>entered the world and death by sin (Rom 5:12). But geology teaches us that
>myriads of animals lived and died before the creation of man."
>
>
Hi Arthur

I pointed this out earlier, but it's probably worth repeating. This is an
incomplete quotation of Romans 5:12. The passage goes on to say, "and so
death came to all _men_, because all sinned".

It specifically ties the death that came through Adam's sin to the death of
humans. Furthermore, sin is accounted to men, not to animals.

Does this prove there was animal death before the fall? No. It simply
means that if Romans 5:12 doesn't exclude it.
Bill Hamilton
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