Best answer I've read thus far. Thanks Mike!

Hey—your first point spurred some questions in me. I recall that Gen starts out with a world that is void, covered with darkness. I can hardly imagine this to be the initial state of the World the Ultimate Designer would create. After all, he is perfect and so are his creations (it is sin that causes things to go awry). Also notice that water is already on the seen, but we know it was created. Where does the devil's story come into place, for we find him in Eden also. All this to say that there could be reason for a world pre Gen 1:1 and thereby credence to a potential pre-adamite flood.

Since levitical laws were not in place at the time, does it fit the argument? If it's true that Abel was accepted for bringing the fat portions, why couldn't Cain present his in grain also? If it was just a heart issue, it'd put the "fat portions" view of the offering out of consideration, nullifying the traditional Jewish view. Also, why would Cain's heart change all of a sudden, unless maybe, in the course of time, he got tired of asking his younger brother for an animal sacrifice, as I doubt this was their first rodeo with regard to giving sin offerings. Thoughts?