"For long centuries God perfected the animal form which was to become the vehicle
of humanity and the image of Himself. He gave it hands whose thumb could be applied
to each of the fingers, and jaws and teeth and throat capable of articulation, and a brain
sufficiently complex to execute all the material motions whereby rational thought is incarnated.
The creature may have existed for ages in this state before it became man: it may even have
been clever enough to make things which a modern archaeologist would accept as proof of its humanity.
But it was only an animal because all its physical and psychical processes were directed to purely
material and natural ends. Then, in the fullness of time, God caused to descend upon this organism,
both on its psychology and physiology, a new kind of consciousness which could say "I" and "me,"
which could look upon itself as an object, which knew God, which could make judgments of truth,
beauty, and goodness, and which was so far above time that it could perceive time flowing past....
We do not know how many of these creatures God made, nor how long they continued in the Paradisal state.
But sooner or later they fell. Someone or something whispered that they could become as gods...
They wanted some corner in the universe of which they could say to God, 'This is our business, not yours.'
But there is no such corner. They wanted to be nouns, but they were, and eternally must be, mere adjectives.
We have no idea in what particular act, or series of acts, the self-contradictory, impossible wish found expression.
For all I can see, it might have concerned the literal eating of a fruit, but the quesion is of no consequence."
~C. S Lewis from "The Problem of Pain"
of humanity and the image of Himself. He gave it hands whose thumb could be applied
to each of the fingers, and jaws and teeth and throat capable of articulation, and a brain
sufficiently complex to execute all the material motions whereby rational thought is incarnated.
The creature may have existed for ages in this state before it became man: it may even have
been clever enough to make things which a modern archaeologist would accept as proof of its humanity.
But it was only an animal because all its physical and psychical processes were directed to purely
material and natural ends. Then, in the fullness of time, God caused to descend upon this organism,
both on its psychology and physiology, a new kind of consciousness which could say "I" and "me,"
which could look upon itself as an object, which knew God, which could make judgments of truth,
beauty, and goodness, and which was so far above time that it could perceive time flowing past....
We do not know how many of these creatures God made, nor how long they continued in the Paradisal state.
But sooner or later they fell. Someone or something whispered that they could become as gods...
They wanted some corner in the universe of which they could say to God, 'This is our business, not yours.'
But there is no such corner. They wanted to be nouns, but they were, and eternally must be, mere adjectives.
We have no idea in what particular act, or series of acts, the self-contradictory, impossible wish found expression.
For all I can see, it might have concerned the literal eating of a fruit, but the quesion is of no consequence."
~C. S Lewis from "The Problem of Pain"
