If there's no God, then why is the Creation beautiful?

Today, after opening several browser tabs of various news stories that had bubbled up to the top of the internet and weeding through them, I found myself with two left which stood in obvious opposition. One of them was a piece from Aeon Magazine about strictly observant Orthodox Jews turning atheist, but being unwilling to tell anyone out of fear of isolation from their tight-nit communities. As so many of the increasingly popular "longform" news stories these days, it drew me in with the super personal account of one man's struggle, from which it takes periodic breaks to discuss the broader scope of the phenomenon and also interject parallel accounts from others experiencing very nearly the same thing, and by the end of it these people all come together somehow  to stand in solidarity together over their common dilemma/goal/whatever - it really is a compelling storytelling method!

I could give an analysis of the whole story because it was quite stimulating, but I'll focus instead on the issue which relates to the other browser tab that I was left with. As I read through the various personal accounts, perhaps the unifying thread is that all of these people seemed to stumble over what they perceived to be an incongruence between the first few chapters of Genesis and science.

Why Do People Die?

I could end this article in one word: SIN. Of course, virtually no one would benefit from that, so I must elaborate. By the way, this is going to be the first in a series of posts leading up to the topic of why Christians should observe Passover. If you don't see the connection already, then I highly suggest that you follow along!

Why Do People Die?
In the beginning of human existence on earth, Adam and Eve lived in a lush garden and talked with God directly. God had given them instructions to tend to the garden, with the only restriction being that they could not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. He said the following:

Genesis 2:17
Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.

We all know how this story pans out: Adam and Eve ate from the tree. And where are they now? Dead.