A prerequisite for believing in evolution is

A prerequisite for believing in evolution is this: You MUST deny the infallibility of the Bible, whether knowingly or unknowingly.

Your poll-creating skills need some work. :rolleyes: Remember, an unbiased poll captures all possible opinions without slighting any of them.

You only have to deny the literal interpretation.

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The funny thing is, I was just about to start a related topic; perhaps this is the the thread to do it in.

Some of you have noted that belief in evolution should not compromise one's faith. So be it. However, one encounters some problems when perusing the Apostle Paul's repeated messages that just as Adam was the man who broke the curse of sin into the world, Jesus was the one who cured it. How is this supposed to work? Paul assigns the same truth value to the personhood of Adam and Jesus. Is one supposed to assume that since Adam is mythical, so is Jesus? If so, the very element which Christianity hinges upon is destroyed.

However, Adam means "man." Taking this interpretation, Paul's message reads that man opened Pandorra's box of sin, and Christ shut it. Now this allows for open-endedness without compromising the divinity of Christ. It does not say where, how, or when man gave birth to sin; it simply says that it happened. Note that the passages never say that Adam gave rise to sin in the Garden of Eden; it merely says that he gave rise to sin.

Another point is this: YEC's commonly argue that if evolution occurred, then murder, rape, etc. are not wrong since they have been around for much longer than humans have been. First of all, IIRC, people are the only creatures on the planet that are known to commit rape. Second, Christianity teaches that individuals should take responsibility for their actions and not blame it on others.

To be frank, I'm torn on this one. What do you guys think?

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I think you should rewrite the options for the poll

Anyone ever notice how first people say that Adam was the first man, yet only those descended from Adam can be saved? If Adam was the first man, aren't we all descended from him?

Anyone else ever notice that everyone points at a direct lineage between Adam & Jesus as being special. Isn't there a direct lineage between me & Adam then?

Seriously. Perhaps God made man in his spiritual image and only those who are spiritually descended from Adam can be saved...

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You know, when Adam is translated as "man," the fact that we descended from Adam reduces to a tautology.

Originally Posted by Rising Tree

However, Adam means "man." Taking this interpretation, Paul's message reads that man opened Pandorra's box of sin

Correction: by ONE man. Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men ...

Originally Posted by Rising Tree

...and Christ shut it. Now this allows for open-endedness without compromising the divinity of Christ.

Being consistent with the "same truth value" you would then end up with many christs instead of one Christ.

Originally Posted by Rising Tree

It does not say where, how, or when man gave birth to sin; it simply says that it happened.

Paul attests to the Scriptures, which include Genesis 3, as did Jesus and the other NT writers. Genesis 3 tells us where, how, and when; as does Paul in the following NT passages:

Originally Posted by Rising Tree

Note that the passages never say that Adam gave rise to sin in the Garden of Eden; it merely says that he gave rise to sin.

Paul is more specific than that.

1 Tim. 2:13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

2 Cor. 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty...

These are direct references to the detailed account given in Genesis 3.

Originally Posted by Rising Tree

You know, when Adam is translated as "man," the fact that we descended from Adam reduces to a tautology.

The New Testament differentiates between adam and anthropos in the Greek so that there’s no "needless" repetition of terms.

Wherefore, as by one man [anthropos] sin entered into the world ... Nevertheless death reigned from Adam [adam] to Moses ... Romans 5:12-14;

For since by man [anthropos] came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam [adam] all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:21,22, and so on in the NT.

Adam was the first man, all humans are descended from him, and only humans can be saved.


It's special because it reveals that Jesus is man as well as God.

Yes, but we're not also God as Jesus is.


No no no no no no no. We're PYSICALLY descended from Adam. Those who are saved are SPIRITUALLY descended from the "last Adam", Christ (1 Corinthians 15:45-47).