Maybe the sermon was about nudity being a norm established at creation

[hnumpah]

The Earth is 4000 years old...

Actually, just over 6000; it was supposedly created in 4004 BC, if you go back and add up all the ages and begats and stuff.

[The_Professor]

This is correct, e.g. 6000 years if you add them up and assume that the days in Genesis were literal days and not millenia, etc.

[Xavier_Onassis]

How old was Adam when the forbidden fruit was eaten?

========================
A good question, but it has no answer. The general opinion of most people is that he was recently created.

[Plane]

How old was Adam when the forbidden fruit was eaten?

========================
A good question, but it has no answer. The general opinion of most people is that he was recently created.

Was it God who said the fruit would cause death or the serpent?

[Xavier_Onassis]

Was it God who said the fruit would cause death or the serpent?

==========================
God was the one who said this.

The serpent wanted them to eat it. "Here eat this and die" is a poor incentive.
I think the serpent promised a less boring existence, involving knowledge and fun. 

It was interesting that as soon as they bit the fruit, they decided they needed clothes. Many societies have run around naked until modern times with no sense of shame: South American Indians, Pacific Islanders, New Guineans, some African tribes.

The New Guinean penis wrapper is more of an enhancement than a garment indicating shame.

Of course, old folks tend to have seniority and being the parents of the younger tribesmen, they have the authority to make the rules. Old people tend to be less attractive on the whole, with more to flop around. Clothes serve to retain the appearance of youthful vigor more than nakedness.

Hebrews and other peoples in that area tended to wear clothes to keep warm. Even Egypt gets too cold for year-round nakedness.

[Plane]

 Genesis 2

10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin [e] and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. [f] 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

 15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=1&chapter=2&version=31


That is definately too far north to be nude all year nowadays.

[Xavier_Onassis]

While we are on the subject of Adam & Eve:


http://www.youdamnkid.com/d/20010315.html

This is a great cartoon series. Either this guy has a terrific memory or a lot of imagination: al this steff could never have happened to one little boy.

There are two possibilities: Adam & Eve could have lived naked in Eden, because (1) God did a special 'global warming' event just for them, or (b) they were created in the summer and never reached the point where they would need more clothes to keep warm.

A third possibility, of course, is more likely: that there was never and Adam, and Eve or an Eden. Someone just wrote this to get people to obey even logical suggestions, like eating fruit, because obedience is really important to keeping the members of a church in line. If they did something the priest didnt want them to do, he would say "God doesn't want you to do this", and then add "remember what happened to Adam & Eve".

[Henny]

To those of us who have children in our lives, whether they are our own, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or students... here is something to make you chuckle.

Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to His own children.

After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve.

And the first thing he said was ' DON'T?!'

'Don 't what???' Adam replied.

'Don't eat the forbidden fruit.' God said.

'Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit? Hey Eve..we have forbidden fruit!'

'No Way!'

'Yes way!'

'Do NOT eat the fruit!' said God.

'Why???'

'Because I am your Father and I said so!' God replied, wondering why He hadn't stopped creation after making the elephants

A few minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break and He was ticked!

'Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit???' God asked.

'Uh huh,' Adam replied.

'Then why did you?' said the Father.

'I don't know,' said Eve.

'She started it!' Adam said.

'Did not!'

'Did too!'

'DID NOT!'

Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own.

Thus the pattern was set and it  has never changed.

If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give children wisdom and they haven't taken it, don't be hard on yourself.

[Amianthus]

Or the fourth possibility - the story harks back to oral traditions that go to the times when the earth was much warmer than it is today.

Remember, we've been in a "mini ice age" for a few hundred years. Around 6000BC Norway had three growing seasons.

[sirs]

Priceless Miss Henny.  No wonder my wife & I only have dogs vs children     

[Henny]

Priceless Miss Henny.  No wonder my wife & I only have dogs vs children     

(As I watch my son hop around the room on one foot and alternating with spinning to make himself dizzy, hyper to the point where a stranger would think he's on speed...)

YOU'RE TELLING ME! 

[Lanya]

I love that story, Henny, thanks!