Human beings are like God (Imago Dei) in that they: are creative are intelligent have free will can form relationships

A steward is someone who is responsible for something which does not belong to him/her; a caretaker of someone else’s possessions. Genesis 1 suggests we should be stewards of the fish, birds and animals; indeed, of the earth itself.

The Fall from perfection to sin from happiness to unhappiness from friendship with God to enmity

Questions from Genesis 3 Why do people have to work? Why do people die? Why is childbirth painful? Why do serpents have no legs? Why are men dominant? Why are people alienated from God?

Literal View We are all born with “original sin” inherited from Adam and Eve. Mythical View It’s a story about every man and every woman, describing the moral condition of mankind rather than explaining it.

Original Sin Adam and Eve’s first act of disobedience. The state in which all human beings are born, with an inclination to sin.

The Human Condition A state of alienation – from God, e.g. people worship things like money, possessions, celebrities instead of God. from other humans, e.g. exploitation of the poor and women. from ourselves, e.g. mental illness. from creation e.g. earthquakes, floods, famine; we exploit nature rather than nurture it.

Adam and Eve - had freewill, chose to sin by disobeying God, this led to suffering, death and alienation entering the world. Christians who understand Genesis literally say that the human condition of sin, suffering, death and alienation in the world today is a consequence of Adam and Eve’s “original sin”. Christians who understand Genesis as a myth say that the Adam and Eve story is a pictorial way of describing the human condition. Adam and Eve are representative of all men and women, who all misuse their freewill.