Hi there Jordan! Wow, you've got lots of answers already, but my heart feels that you've not really gotten what you had hoped to find. You seem to be quite new to Christianity, and you've wandered along here, to find yourself amongst a number of people who are advanced in their pursuit of it. You have been given simple answers to your question, but you seem to be the sort of person who craves to understand why this question even exists.
So here is another question that I would like to suggest for you to consider:
"Who wrote the creation account in Genesis, and where did that information originate?"
As far as I know, there is not yet any incontrovertible answer to that question. The information that could answer that question has been lost to public knowledge, and that forces us to conclude that any belief a person may form regarding the Genesis creation accounts, is speculative in absence of that information.
It further demonstrates that a belief, whether for or against it's literal meaning, is wholly based upon assumption. The person believing that it either is or isn't literally true, has made a commitment to that belief without having tangible proof, and most likely this is in order to support a predetermined bias, or to quell peer pressure.
I encourage you, in light of this, to consider the implications of believing the various possibilities for the origin of Genesis 1 & 2.
1. Possibly, Adam and Eve were the original witnesses, and have transmitted their knowledge by communications through a handful of generations (see the attached photocopy), until Israel became enslaved in Egypt. Then there was ~160 years before Moses led the Exodus and the Genesis Scriptures were penned. It is also possible that older, more authentic, physical records could have existed at that time (eg Adam might have written some cuneiform etc).
2. Possibly, Moses (or some other writer) had received this information by divine revelation (eg, through prayer).
3. Possibly, the stories evolved as campfire tales, being a mythology of Israel's origin, that came to be taken so seriously that their faith was based upon them.
Obviously, the implications of each possible reality has a huge impact on one's regard for the accounts, the nature of their faith, their characterisation of God, etc. For example, if these were true eye-witness accounts, it causes serious questions about the supposed contradiction of scientific theories. If these were campfire mythology, then one will view it as a more philosophical story of the nature of God and man. Certainly the writer of Genesis has intended for it to be taken seriously and not mythically (Genesis 5), but has not disclosed the source of his information.
For this reason, I always suggest that it is most wise and reliable, to keep an open mind so as to not exclude any possible truths, until such time as we can be certain who did write those accounts and where they got their information. Otherwise, one is taking the risk of making untrue statements in God's name, without really being justified or required to do so. The discerning inquirer will rightfully dismiss that person's belief as irrational, and form an impression of that person's character, as being irrational.
Keep searching for God's friendship, Jordan, and steer well-clear of pointless speculations and polarizing debates. That's really what Christianity is about (1 Timothy 1:3-7).
If you are interested, this is a little pocket-sized booklet that I have been putting together to help people come to understand what Christianity is about:
http://www.adonai-reigns.life/booklets/the-gospel
[/URL]
