Sin Caused Death

[Mateo el Feo]

OK,

Let's start with: "death" is a consequence of "sin."

Romans 5:12 -- "Therefore, just as through one person [Adam] sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all, inasmuch as all sinned."

My question is this: how defined is the Catholic teaching on what "death" was a consequence of the first sin?

Humanity (before the fall) was made to live eternally. What about the rest of creation? Eating fruit doesn't "kill" the tree, but eating vegetables kills the plant. Maybe the latter didn't happen before the Fall. Then, I get to thinking about other life (bacteria, viruses, fungi). Was all creation introduced to death because of man's first sin?

Well, this topic came up in my scripture study group, and I wondered if anyone had any ideas about this topic.

AMDG,

Mateo

[Aloysius]

i donno, but i'll throw in 2 cents.

Man was the only one created in the image and likeness of God. GOd is eternal. therefore only man was created to live eternally, yet fell from that likeness to God. The rest of creation already wasn't created in the image/likeness of God therefore death was always present there. the rest of creation don't got eternal souls.

[Mary's Knight, La]

I read part of Theology and Sanity by sheed who says that the matter would have fallen apart but the plan had man not sinned was for God to intervene in that