--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After the Fall It will not be an easy…" description: "\"“After the Fall It will not be an easy journey. Adam is condemned to a life of ‘painful toil’ with the brutal reminder ‘dust you are and to dust you wi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/110/lynn-picknett-79147_christian-theology_after-the-fall-it-will-not-be-an-easy-jo_1160757.jpg" --- # After the Fall It will not be an easy journey. Adam is… ![“After the Fall It will not be an easy journey. Adam is condemned to a life of ‘painful toil’ with the brutal reminder ‘dust you are and to dust you will return’. According to Christian theology, their Fall is the original sin with which we are all burdened, even – indeed, especially – newborn…” quote by Lynn Picknett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/110/lynn-picknett-79147_christian-theology_after-the-fall-it-will-not-be-an-easy-jo_1160757.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/110/lynn-picknett-79147_christian-theology_after-the-fall-it-will-not-be-an-easy-jo_1160757.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/110/lynn-picknett-79147_christian-theology_after-the-fall-it-will-not-be-an-easy-jo_1160757.jpg) > ““After the Fall It will not be an easy journey. Adam is condemned to a life of ‘painful toil’ with the brutal reminder ‘dust you are and to dust you will return’. According to Christian theology, their Fall is the original sin with which we are all burdened, even – indeed, especially – newborn babies, who arrive in this world as kicking, screaming proof of Eve’s curse, not to mention the very fact that their existence is the inevitable evidence of parental intercourse. Birth itself was shameful. (It was only in the 1950s that pregnancy was mentioned openly in polite society. Before that, euphemisms, such as being in ‘an interesting condition’ applied, and even then some blushes were expected.) However, in the biblical account, there is no mention that the snake is the Devil, Satan or Lucifer. He is simply a snake, apparently doing what snakes do best – tempting women. The sexual connotations may be cringingly obvious to the post-Freudian world, but they were not necessarily so blatant to our Bible-quoting ancestors. However, it is not much of a leap from the story of the wicked snake to the notion of its being instructed or even possessed by the personification of evil, whoever or whatever that might be: Milton makes the point clear in his description of ‘. . . the serpent, or rather Satan in the serpent.’30 (The identification”” [Lynn Picknett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-picknett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The fall of humanity introduces perpetual struggle, linking original sin to suffering and the inevitability of death, while later interpretations add demonic agency to the serpent. **In simple terms:** Human life is marked by toil and mortality after the biblical Fall. Key Takeaway Accept hardship as part of the human condition. Themes theology existentialism sin mortality interpretation Mood reflective somber inquisitive Type philosophical theological When to use this quote - Personal grief - ethical dilemmas - religious education - philosophical debate Key Concepts Original sin theodicy symbolism cultural narrative Questions to Reflect On - How does interpreting the serpent as a symbol rather than a literal devil affect moral teachings? - Can suffering be seen as a catalyst for growth? A Different Perspective The view of the serpent as merely a snake challenges later demonization, showing how meanings evolve. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adam/) [Christian theology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-theology/) [Description Serpent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/description-serpent-3321707/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Original sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/original-sin/) [Satan Serpent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satan-serpent-3321709/) [Serpent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serpent/) [Serpent Satan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serpent-satan-3087572/) [Theology Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theology-fall-3321708/) ## Related quotes > [The Devil' is, historically, the God of any people that one personally dislikes... This serpent, SATAN, is not the enemy of Man, but He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/the-devil-is-historically-the-god-of-any-people-that-one-personally/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [This serpent, SATAN, is not the enemy of Man, but He who made Gods of our race, knowing Good and Evil; He bade 'Know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleister-crowley/this-serpent-satan-is-not-the-enemy-of-man-but-he-who-made-gods-of/) [Aleister Crowley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleister-crowley/) > [Certain new theologians dispute original sin, which is the only part of Christian theology which can really be proved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/certain-new-theologians-dispute-original-sin-which-is-the-only-part/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The curse of life The story of Man’s10 abrupt expulsion from Eden – be it fiction, metaphor or literal fact – has become etched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-picknett/the-curse-of-life-the-story-of-man-s10-abrupt-expulsion-from-eden-be/) [Lynn Picknett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-picknett/) > [“The single book that has influenced me most is probably the last book in the world that anybody is gonna want to read: Thucydides’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/the-single-book-that-has-influenced-me-most-is-probably-the-last-book/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his father, in the womb of a virgin, will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-day-will-come-when-the-mystical-generation-of-jesus-by-the/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Christian theology is a hair's breadth away from nihilism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milbank/christian-theology-is-a-hair-s-breadth-away-from-nihilism/) [John Milbank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milbank/) > [“Women are culturally conditioned to care for others, but not ourselves. We believe that having needs, feelings, ambitions, or thoughts of our own is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-ann-parker/women-are-culturally-conditioned-to-care-for-others-but-not-ourselves/) [Rebecca Ann Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-ann-parker/) > [“the plan of salvation in the Christian religion determines the method of Christian theology.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-bavinck/the-plan-of-salvation-in-the-christian-religion-determines-the-method/) [Herman Bavinck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-bavinck/) > [When I began my career as a cosmologist some twenty years ago, I was a convinced atheist. I never in my wildest dreams imagined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-j-tipler/when-i-began-my-career-as-a-cosmologist-some-twenty-years-ago-i-was-a/) [Frank J. Tipler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-j-tipler/) > [I think everyone who has an interest in Reformed theology, or just in Christian theology more generally, should read John Calvin Institutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-d-crisp/i-think-everyone-who-has-an-interest-in-reformed-theology-or-just-in/) [Oliver D. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-d-crisp/) > [Singularity is seen as an event horizon. There's everything that comes before it and everything that comes after it and never the twain shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-currie-jr/singularity-is-seen-as-an-event-horizon-there-s-everything-that-comes/) [Ron Currie Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-currie-jr/) > [In the decade of the 1980s, a massive and comprehensive study of religion in American life was undertaken by the Gallup organization. The results…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/in-the-decade-of-the-1980s-a-massive-and-comprehensive-study-of/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [“You have to be doubly foolish to be a Satanist,” Stoney muttered. “Doubly?” “Not only do you need to believe all the nonsense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-egan/you-have-to-be-doubly-foolish-to-be-a-satanist-stoney-muttered-doubly/) [Greg Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-egan/) > [“Paul was the only scholar among the apostles. He never displays his learning, considering it of no account as compared with the excellency of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-schaff/paul-was-the-only-scholar-among-the-apostles-he-never-displays-his/) [Philip Schaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-schaff/) ## More by Lynn Picknett > [“The curse of life The story of Man’s10 abrupt expulsion from Eden – be it fiction, metaphor or literal fact – has become etched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-picknett/the-curse-of-life-the-story-of-man-s10-abrupt-expulsion-from-eden-be/) [Lynn Picknett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-picknett/) > [“Judaeo-Christian legacy informs the way that even most materialist sceptic thinks and behaves. Whether we like it or not, that legacy has built the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-picknett/judaeo-christian-legacy-informs-the-way-that-even-most-materialist/) [Lynn Picknett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-picknett/) [Explore all 3 Lynn Picknett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-picknett/) ## More Adam quotes > [Women rule the world. It's not really worth fighting because they know what they're doing. Ask Napoleon. Ask Adam. 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Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [“think Adam is looking to break Kenji’s neck at this point.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahereh-mafi/think-adam-is-looking-to-break-kenji-s-neck-at-this-point/) [Tahereh Mafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahereh-mafi/) > [“Adam's lips are set in a grime line. I can't tell if he's about to cry or about to punch the guard. For his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gayle-forman/adam-s-lips-are-set-in-a-grime-line-i-can-t-tell-if-he-s-about-to-cry/) [Gayle Forman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gayle-forman/) > [And as regards Adam and Eve we must maintain that before the fall they were virgins in Paradise: but after they sinned, and were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/and-as-regards-adam-and-eve-we-must-maintain-that-before-the-fall/) [St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/) > [Adam became so proud that he wished to become God and died for his pride; the Son of God humbled Himself unto death, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-kronstadt/adam-became-so-proud-that-he-wished-to-become-god-and-died-for-his/) [John of Kronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-kronstadt/) > [Oh, Adam was a gardener, and God who made him sees That half a proper gardener's work is done upon his knees, So when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/oh-adam-was-a-gardener-and-god-who-made-him-sees-that-half-a-proper/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [“Barışı elde etmek için çabalayan her adam olağanüstü bir adamdır!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/bar-elde-etmek-i-in-abalayan-her-adam-ola-an-st-bir-adamd-r/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) [Browse all 1,360 Adam quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adam/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“After the Fall It will not be an easy journey. Adam is condemned to a life of ‘painful toil’ with the brutal reminder ‘dust you are and to dust you will return’. According to Christian theology, their Fall is the original sin with which we are all burdened, even – indeed, especially – newborn babies, who arrive in this world as kicking, screaming proof of Eve’s curse, not to mention the very fact that their existence is the inevitable evidence of parental intercourse. Birth itself was shameful. (It was only in the 1950s that pregnancy was mentioned openly in polite society. Before that, euphemisms, such as being in ‘an interesting condition’ applied, and even then some blushes were expected.) However, in the biblical account, there is no mention that the snake is the Devil, Satan or Lucifer. He is simply a snake, apparently doing what snakes do best – tempting women. The sexual connotations may be cringingly obvious to the post-Freudian world, but they were not necessarily so blatant to our Bible-quoting ancestors. 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