“Ask a Priest: What If Adam and Eve Hadn’t Sinned?”

Regnum Christi Spirituality Center Ask a Priest
Q: The reason God created material human life in the first place, was for human creatures to know him and choose to love him freely via their free will, that is, not created like the angels who are already in heaven glorifying God and who had no material life and had no free-will test presented to them. So, Adam and Eve were in effect given the choice to choose him freely via the test of the tree of life — which they failed. The result of that sin is the life we humans live today, freely choosing via our free will to accept or reject God via the moral choices we make. If Adam and Eve did not sin, would they and their descendants never have encountered sin for the rest of their life since Adam and Eve passed the first test? — Frank

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC

A: Let me try to address some of your points and questions.

First, the angels, too, faced a test. They weren’t already in heaven when they were created. They were tested, and some of them failed; these are the ones who rebelled against God. These we know as Satan and the other demons.

Second, the test in the Book of Genesis revolved around the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The tree of life was something different. When Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, they indeed gained knowledge of evil, having by then disobeyed God.

Third, if Adam had not sinned, there wouldn’t be the original sin that he passed on to others. This doesn’t rule out the possibility, however, that his descendants could have chosen to sin, since they too would have free will. But those offenses would be actual sins, not original sin that they would pass on to others.

Recall that one doesn’t have to suffer the effects of original sin in order to commit actual sin (Adam and Eve didn’t have original sin).

As for Adam “passing the first test”: presumably the forbidden fruit would have been there all the days of his life on earth and thus always a temptation.

On the positive side we could say that Adam would have had the chance to decide every day to continue to obey God – and so use his free will well.

Keep learning more with Ask a Priest

Got a question? Need an answer?

Today’s secular world throws curve balls at us all the time. AskACatholicPriest is a Q&A feature that anyone can use. Just type in your question or send an email to [email protected] and you will get a personal response back from one of our priests at RCSpirituality. You can ask about anything – liturgy, prayer, moral questions, current events… Our goal is simply to provide a trustworthy forum for dependable Catholic guidance and information. So go ahead and ask your question…

Have a question?

Today’s secular world throws curve balls at us all the time.

Ask A Catholic Priest is a Q&A feature that anyone can use.  You can ask about anything: liturgy, prayer, moral questions, current events. Our goal is to provide a trustworthy forum for dependable Catholic guidance and information. So go ahead and ask your question…

Need an answer?

Be in the know

Sign up to receive the latest questions and answers by email biweekly.

Have a Question about the Faith? Get the answer here!

Scroll to Top

Ask a Priest a Question

Please note:

Questions regarding details of abuse of minors or vulnerable adults (including pornography) could be the subject of a mandated report to civil authorities. Mandated reporters are persons identified by law who have an obligation to report suspected child abuse and neglect. 

Sign Up to Receive Ask A Priest

* indicates required

Looking for another country?

RC Near You

News & Resources

News & Resources

The Regnum Christi Mission

The Regnum Christi Identity

Alex Kucera

Atlanta

Alex Kucera has lived in Atlanta, GA, for the last 46 years. He is one of 9 children, married to his wife Karmen, and has 3 girls, one grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. Alex joined Regnum Christi in 2007. Out of the gate, he joined the Helping Hands Medical Missions apostolate and is still participating today with the Ghana Friendship Mission.

In 2009, Alex was asked to be the Atlanta RC Renewal Coordinator for the Atlanta Locality to help the RC members with the RC renewal process. Alex became a Group Leader in 2012 for four of the Atlanta Men’s Section Teams and continues today. Running in parallel, in 2013, Alex became a Team Leader and shepherded a large team of good men.

Alex was honored to be the Atlanta Mission Coordinator between 2010 to 2022 (12 years), coordinating 5-8 Holy Week Mission teams across Georgia. He also created and coordinated missions at a parish in Athens, GA, for 9 years. Alex continues to coordinate Holy Week Missions, Advent Missions, and Monthly missions at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Cumming, GA.

From 2016 to 2022, Alex also served as the Men’s Section Assistant in Atlanta. He loved working with the Men’s Section Director, the Legionaries, Consecrated, and Women’s Section leadership teams.

Alex is exceptionally grateful to the Legionaries, Consecrated, and many RC members who he’s journeyed shoulder to shoulder, growing his relationship with Christ and others along the way. He knows that there is only one way, that’s Christ’s Way, with others!