Christians, how is the difference between black and white people explained? (serious)

[Beta Bernie]

Just curious,

I am only recently a Christian, and was asked this today by an unsaved person. Not knowing myself, I subtly changed the subject...

I would just like to know your thoughts/opinions on this...

Would it be evolution to a certain extent?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Beta B

 

[235U92]

Why is that you people keep seeing evolution as un-christian?

 

[Beta Bernie]

Hey, I never said that it was un-christian!

I am new to this an was simply curious as to possible reasons...

 

[235U92]

Maybe I just misunderstood you.

You said "Would it be evolution to a certain extent?"

Why just to a certain extent? Why not just call it evolution?

 

[Beta Bernie]

to be 100% honest, i wasnt sure if others would take offence, i am new at this dont forget....

 

[Dracil]

[fundie and/or biblical literalist]It's all because of Ham.[/fundie and/or biblical literalist]

[the rest of us]Evolution[/the rest of us]

 

[gluadys]

Just curious,

I am only recently a Christian, and was asked this today by an unsaved person. Not knowing myself, I subtly changed the subject...

I would just like to know your thoughts/opinions on this...

Would it be evolution to a certain extent?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Beta B

I wonder why you subtly changed the subject. Do you think that being a Christian (especially a new Christian) means you have to give the impression that you know all the answers?

Why not be honest and simply say "I don't know, but I'll check it out and get back to you."

Yes, evolution is the reason. Different human groups developed different levels of melanin production depending on their differing needs to be a) protected from UV radiation and b) exposed to enough sunlight to develop Vitamin D. This was possible when human populations were relatively isolated from each other. Today, thanks to migration, you will find fair-skinned people where you would normally expect dark-skinned people (e.g. Australia) and the reverse.

 

[HRE]

I am only recently a Christian, and was asked this today by an unsaved person. Not knowing myself, I subtly changed the subject...

Why did you subtly change the topic? Do you really think that the other person didn't notice?

When someone evades a point, it becomes quickly obvious -- and it makes a very poor impression.

Why not just be honest and say that you didn't know?

 

[gluadys]

When someone evades a point, it becomes quickly obvious -- and it makes a very poor impression.

Yep. Evasiveness is a bad witnessing technique.

 

[Bargainfluger]

Alrighty then, people. I think he learned his lesson about evasion tactics.

Yeah, it's like gluadys said, with the melanin and all that.

Welcome to the forum

 

[Hungry Hungry Hippo]

*Jumps on the "CHANGING TEH SUBJECT IS WRONG!11" bandwagon*

But seriously, if you accept a 6,000 year old Earth (despite 11,400 year old trees) and special creation of one race of humans within a garden, there wouldn't be anywhere close to enough time for different skin colors to develop.

[Crackpot theory]

Let's just assume that different races somehow existed at the time of Noah. Noah was a total player, the bible authors covered that up, but he had wives from here to timbuktu, and kids to match.

[/Crackpot theory]

 

[Sulfurstone]

The tower of Babel and microevolution would probably be a creationist answer

 

[cze_026]

The tower of Babel and microevolution would probably be a creationist answer

One of the Pastors at the Kansas BoE bit, honestly preaches that non-whites are different species. If that isn't a frightening bit. I heard him speak on radio coverage a while back. The radio crew couldn't break away fast enough. One more reason I avoid the creationist agenda.

Cze

 

[ChrisS]

Humanity somehow seperated to different regions, and adapted to the conditions, all still staying human, just getting a very very good tan, if you know what I mean. Or in some cases getting whiter than ghosts .

 

[Talcos Stormweaver]

Humanity somehow seperated to different regions, and adapted to the conditions, all still staying human, just getting a very very good tan, if you know what I mean. Or in some cases getting whiter than ghosts .

While a simplistic answer, that is essentially correct. There are multiple races due to division and isolation, in short.

***

The idea proposed by some (including myself) in this discussion is that a division of races could not have happened within the literal interpetation of the biblical timeframe.

The way I would think of it is that having multiple races is not feasible since a literal interpretation assumes that, at the time of Noah's survival from the flood, only 8 humans remained alive. I can not possibly imagine a way in which they could have given birth to the world's races.

 

[DrunkenWrestler]

Fall of Adam and Eve.

Babel Tower.

[Insert ad hoc here]

 

[spanner365]

But seriously, if you accept a 6,000 year old Earth (despite 11,400 year old trees)

Are the trees dead?

 

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

I know have posted on this before but of course I can't find it without a search engine. Skin color is determined by the amount and ratio of two melanin pigments brown to black eumelanin and reddish pheomelanin which are made in melanocytes and transferred to the keratinocytes of skin and hair in the form of pigment granules called melanosomes.

A major determinant is the MC1R receptor which is highly variable in humans. The last time I researched there were 65 known alleles of the MC1R gene. Dark skinned people partically people of African origin or dark East Indians generally have the consensus sequence indicating that the original humans had dark skin and that variations arose as we migrated out of Africa. There are other factors that contribute to color such as the size and distribution of melanosomes, the amount of a protein called tyrosine related protein II (TRP II) and the pH in the Melanosomes as the melanin is being synthesized. Eumelanin can be either black or brown and TRP may play a role in its darknes as well as stabilized the enzyme tyrosinase which gets the pigment production process started. I can post some references later but don't have them all at hand right now.

Here is a page with some basics that seems generally correct. I am not sure I agree with everything on it but don't have time for a more thorough analysis today.

FB

 

[lawtonfogle]

Just curious,

I am only recently a Christian, and was asked this today by an unsaved person. Not knowing myself, I subtly changed the subject...

I would just like to know your thoughts/opinions on this...

Would it be evolution to a certain extent?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Beta B

I have seen no one place in the Bible that says, "Some people are white, and some black because..."

But i think the incident at the tower of babal would be a good place to say it happened. I mean think, you would run from someone of a different color if you knew only your color. It would have helped the spread of humans faster than the change of languages alone.

 

[grmorton]

*Jumps on the "CHANGING TEH SUBJECT IS WRONG!11" bandwagon*

But seriously, if you accept a 6,000 year old Earth (despite 11,400 year old trees)

I don't believe that there are 11,400 year old trees anywhere. There is an overlapping tree ring sequence made up of lots of different and less longlived trees, which provides science with an 11,400 year long solar cycle record.

see http://media.dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20041025/sunspot.html
s or the original article which I have in my library is S. K. Solanki, et al, "Unusual Activity of hte Sun during recent decades compared to the Previous 11,000 years, Nature Oct. 28, 2004, p. 1084