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The '''Fall of man''' is the Judeo-Christian theological concept that mankind lived in an ideal state until sin entered the world, which produced [[evil]], [[disease]], [[death]], and a gradual decline in human lifespans and moral turpitude, necessitating the advent of a [[Savior]]. Biological and social [[evolution]] stands in stark opposition to this concept by proposing that men emerged from more primitive species and moved from darkness to civilization, enlightenment, and ever-increasing affluence and lifespans.

The '''Fall of man''' is the Judeo-Christian theological concept that mankind and the universe existed in a perfect and ideal state prior to a 'fall' triggered by the actions of [[Eve]]. In this state, death and suffering did not exist - Adam and Eve were, for practical purposes, immortal - as were all animals. Predation did not occur - animals now carniverous existed on a diet of plants.

 

The one flaw of this perfect world was [[Satan]], who was able to trick Eve into consuming an apple she had been forbidden by God from eating. The effect of this was immediately to introduce [[Sin]] into the universe. No longer perfect, but tainted by sin, the perfect universe rapidly decayed with the introduction of death, predation, disease, pain, and all other consequences of sin.

 

Young-earth [[creationists]] have determined the fall to account for various apparent contradictions with scientific dateing mechanisms which assume an approximately uniform rate of change. Genetic dateing, for example, would vastly exagerate time spans prior to the Fall as in the perfect sinless state genetic mutation would be minimal.

 

The presence of sin caused also a gradual decline in human lifespans (Accounting for the extremally long lifespans of early biblical figures such as [[Noah]]) and moral turpitude, necessitating the advent of a [[Savior]]. The accumulation of sin-induced [[entropy]] gradually reduced lifespans and morals. Given sufficient time, this accumulation will become so great as to require the reconstruction of the earth, with the second coming of [[Christ]].

 

Biological and social [[evolution]] stands in stark opposition to this concept by proposing that men emerged from more primitive species and moved from darkness to civilization, enlightenment, and ever-increasing affluence and lifespans.