Thorns and thistles are consequences of the Fall.
Joel Kontinen
If one has a basically uniformitarian view of the past, i.e., if one assumes that the present is the key to understanding the past, one might easily reach incorrect conclusions and fail to notice it.
At About.com, Austin Cline has written a series of posts on supposed errors in Genesis. In his latest instalment he argues that Genesis has to include errors since God gave all plants as food for humans and animals and since some present-day plants are poisonous, Genesis has to be wrong.
However, we would not expect to find poisonous plants in the very good world of Genesis. Death, suffering, thorns and thistles are consequences of the Fall. Adam and Eve’s disobedience had severe repercussions on creation that until then had been perfect.
This is not the first time Mr. Cline uses highly questionable arguments in trying to persuade his readers that his atheistic worldview is consistent. He has, for instance, suggested that Darwinian evolution is as much fact as gravity or plate tectonics and that Jesus probably never existed.
Many experts would definitely disagree with him.
As I have said before, some people will not let facts spoil their pet theory.
Source:
Cline, Austin. 2011. Errors in Genesis About the Safety of Eating Plants. About.com.
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