Once upon a time I took a class called ‘Sin and Sexuality in Literature.’ I recall there was a word we had to learn that meant something to the effect of “after the fall (of innocence)” referring to Adam and Eve and the apple.
I’m pretty sure the word started with “la” and was 4 or 5 syllables. Help!
Los Angeles? 
Labefacion? “A weakening or downfall”
Doh… it is spelt labefaction. And it may not be the word you’re looking for, although it could be used in this context.
I think the word you are thinking of is lapsarian, which means (according to the 1928 Funk’s dictionary by way of the OED):
It’s actually a backformation from infralapsarian, one of two (along with supralapsarian) Calvinist views on the Election. The infralapsarian view is that God created the world first, then chose the elected. The supralapsraian view is that God chose the elected then created the world.
This site has some information about the two.
spelt? lol! did you mean spelled? i’ve seen this now for the 2nd time on the SDMB. I’m sorry, I’m not making fun…just noticing. (I am not a grammar nazi!) 
Yeah, isn’t it great when a message board introduces you to perfectly legitimate words you didn’t know about?
r_k is on the same side of the Atlantic as me, where spelt and spelled are both standard.
Spelt is perfectly correct. It’s just not used much these days.
“Spelt” is mentioned in all the dictionaries I’ve checked as an alternate version of “spelled.” It’s not as common, but it’s listed as an acceptable form.
Well, smack my ass and call me Sally! LMAO! :smack: You learn something new everyday!
Well, smack my ass and call me Sally! LMAO! You learn something new every day!
Hi Sally!
::SMACK::
[sub]OK! OK! It’s been an extremely slow day on the board.[/sub]
This thread took an interesting turn.
Lapsarian sounds right…but not quite. It could very well be the word and my memory’s just fuzzy, tho.
Oh - I thought this thread was some game where you thought of a random word in your head, and we guessed it.
I was going to say ‘petunia’.
Weird you should say that because that’s what my Grandma calls me sometimes. Seriously! (She gardens. )