[kosta50]

Eve did not make a "free decision" to disobey; she was deceived. It states this twice in scriptures.

I agree. But her failure to repent,,when given the opportunity to do so, was a free decision.

To say Eve made a "free" decision while being deceived is like saying people who are tricked into signing a document made a free decision.

Absolutely. But she was not tricked by God when Who gave her a chance to repent.

This is a rather important point in understanding the fall of Adam. It was because of Adam that the race died, tainted by original sin (which the Orthodox don't believe); not because of Eve.

It was his fault because Eve was his, she belonged to him, and he was responsible for her. The Bible authors believed that man is the head and the head is responsible. It had nothing to do with deception but with who is in charge. And who is in charge takes the blame.

The unforgivable sin was not that they abused their freedom, since freedom carries the potential to disobey, but their refusal to show remorse, their failure to repent when given the opportunity to do so.

There are only two choices; God's way or sin. That's it.

That is correct. Not only are they our choices, but they are our free choices.

PS [the original sin] "which the Orthodox don't believe in."

The Orthodox do believe in original (ancestral) sin, as the sin committed by Adam and Eve. We do not believe that we are born with the blame that they they deserved; only with consequence of their wrongdoing, just as a drug-addicted infant born of a drug-addicted mother suffers the consequence of being addicted to drugs, but is free from any guilt associated with its mothers' sin.

[HarleyD]

I agree. But her failure to repent,,when given the opportunity to do so, was a free decision.

The scriptures are silent on whether or not they repented. I had always heard that Adam and Eve did repent which is the symbolism behind God clothing them. Yet, Jewish tradition has some very harsh things to say about Adam so I don't know.

But she was not tricked by God...

She wasn't tricked by God which I sure we both would agree. Did she repent? I don't know but she wasn't allow to stay in the garden.

The Bible authors believed that man is the head and the head is responsible.

Eve was placed under Adam BECAUSE of her sin; that was her punishment (among other things). Prior to her sinning, there is absolutely no indication that she was under Adam's control or that Adam was a ruler over her. In fact, I would argue that the scriptures are very clear that there should be only one ruler over all of us and that is God.

Not only are they our choices, but they are our free choices. The Orthodox do believe in original (ancestral) sin, as the sin committed by Adam and Eve. We do not believe that we are born with the blame that they they deserved; only with consequence of their wrongdoing...

That is a good way of putting it. But unlike the Orthodox, I do not believe that you can make the "right" choice all the time. At some time you will slip up and that will be that. You would say that is a poor choice. I would say that is because of our original sin nature, inherited from Adam, leading us to do the wrong thing. The results are the same; the wages of sin is death.