Re: ANCESTRY QUESTION?
Thomas Cox (sasthc@samurai.unx.sas.com)
Tue, 31 Jan 1995 23:52:59 GMT
In article <3glcr3$ikl@hammer.msfc.nasa.gov>, whorton@berea.msfc.nasa.gov (Mark S. Whorton) writes:
|> In article <D391x7.C88@iglou.com>, gnewman@iglou.com (Greg 'Bonz' Newman) writes:
|> |> What evidence is there that there were a literal Adam and Eve?
|> |> What evidence is there that Adam and Eve were sinless?
|> |> What evidence is there that they sinned?
|> |> What evidence is there that sin in some way affects the gene pool?
|> |> What is the rate of this effect?
|> |> Is it still progressing?
|> |> Is there any evidence of this?
|> |>
|> |> There are SCHOLARS who teach this tripe? That's REALLY hard to believe. I've read quite
|> |> a few of the papers, many of the abstracts, and many, MANY titles in genetic journals
|> |> over the years and I've NEVER read anything so absurd.
[SNIP]
|> You obviously have ruled out the possibility of anything existing
|> that you can't prove, so what's the point? The scholars I am
|> speaking of are BIBLICAL scholars, which you would probably
|> claim to be an oxymoron.
|>
|> And as for your requests for evidence, I only sight one: everywhere
|> around are evidences of the effect of sin on humanity -
|> sickness, abuse, poverty, war, ....
[SNIP]
And now a word from the non-Deuteronomic school of Theology (specifically
one view from the American Restoration movement, 1810-present)...
|> |> What evidence is there that there were a literal Adam and Eve?
None - from a genetic standpoint. An allegorical view of Genesis considers
Adam and Eve to be/represent the first humans with the "knowledge of good
and evil," and not necessarily the first human beings. The statement that they
were created from the "dust of the ground" is consistent with the temporal
compression common among early Hebraic writing, (e.g. the compression of
creation into the symbolic seven "days.")
This view would posit that Adam & Eve were the first humans with *free will*,
possibly the first members of Homo Sapiens as opposed to Homo Neanderthalus and
his cousins. This is sometimes confused with "Scientific Creationism", but
for all you hair-splitters out there, it is a broader (and fuzzier) concept.
To further confound the literalist view, in Genesis 4:13-17 (Cain's expulsion)
Cain went to live "in the land of Nod, east of Eden" where he found a wife. He
was also afraid of being killed by "whoever finds me." Clearly there were
other inhabitants of the fertile crescent at the time.
Finally, note that in Genesis 5:1-2 (a recap of Genesis 2) the use of the
plural forms in the creation of males and females. This is more obvious
in the "original" (i.e. Masoretic) text; and could be overlooked if not for
the prior substantiating text.
|> |> What evidence is there that Adam and Eve were sinless?
|> |> What evidence is there that they sinned?
Well, if you are going to use "sin" and "evidence" in the same sentence,
then you should accept Biblical text as evidence, since sin is a Biblical
concept, in this context. N'est pas?
The answers then, can be found in Gen. 2 and 3. Note that the word "sin" is
not explicitly used here, but the statement of obedience/disobedience is clear.
|> |> What evidence is there that sin in some way affects the gene pool?
|> |> What is the rate of this effect?
|> |> Is it still progressing?
|> |> Is there any evidence of this?
No. This is pure conjecture, extrapolated from a literalist view.
There is a specific "curse" in Gen. 2:14-19, but it no way specifies any
effect on the gene pool.
The concept "sin => physical punishment" is due to a mis-application of the
Mosaic law presented in the Pentateuch, especially Deuteronomy; hence the
name "Deuteronomic Theology. Virtually all Christian denominations (and
non-denominations) consider this to be a heresy under the Christian
dispensation; and IMHO, a little silly, given the New Testament writings
and counter-examples.
Well, you *asked*...flames should be directed to lucifer@sheol.org, he'll
appreciate the help ;-)
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