Genesis says God placed Adam and Eve in Eden knowing that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was there, allowed the serpent access to them, and warned them not to eat its fruit.

If God is omniscient, however, He already knew exactly what Adam and Eve would choose before creating them. That raises a difficult question: could they genuinely have chosen differently, or was the Fall inevitable from the moment creation began?

Some argue that knowing what someone will choose does not cause that choice and therefore does not eliminate free will. Others argue that if an infallible God already knows a future decision, no alternative outcome can actually occur.

Were Adam and Eve genuinely free to obey God, or was the Fall always an unavoidable part of the story?