*note: This was made in a response to the question about original sin through Adam and why the Bible says that a sin won't be carried from generation to generation and the contradiction thereof. The story of Adam and Eve is a figurative one. I have many reasons to believe this:
1. The first few chapters is marred in fable and literature(especially the first one which in the original language has alliterations, rhymes and repeated phrases).
2. If scholars are correct and history serves us beautifully as it should, Genesis should be written by Moses. He was the first one of the Hebrews to be able to read and write because he was trained in Pharaoh's palace. Now, Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible during circa 1446BC to 1406BC. This is at least 600 years after the Israelites were encaptured by the Egyptians. Furthermore, it's THOUSANDS of years after our early history on mankind itself. What does this mean? Simply put. The only way that Moses would have known about the "creation" of the earth, had it so happened in such a way, is through oral tradition. Not only that, but Oral tradition that has been going on for AT LEAST 600 years. What does this mean? Have you ever played the game telephone? Where the message goes through many people before getting back to you and in the end "John likes you" turns into "I like buttermilk biscuits." This is, most likely, EXACTLY what happened. A story formed. It grew. And thus we have the creation story. I don't know about you, but that's pretty simple for me to accept.
Okay, now, we still have to bring to term the issue of the "fall of man." As a scientist I know that all it takes is one mutation to cause a species to form. One generation. That's all it takes. My belief, is that this is the fall of man. When we mutated into the beings we are now. Capable of rational thought and self identification. That was are fall. We were finally able to justify and question existence, instead of merely living in it. We fell from being irrational primate, mammals to the beings that we are now.
The damn mutation.