If Adam and Eve did not exist........

[AmericanChristian91]

It's just a shame she wasn't alive at the time of the "first man". Mitochondrial Eve is not the Eve of the bible.

Also Mitochondrial Eve was not the 1st human woman to have existed (whatever time she was alive, other female humans existed to) unlike the Genesis one.

 

[dysert]

Of the concepts that I've heard, the one that makes the most sense in terms of reconciling faith and science is that God called two individuals out of a larger population and breathed his pneuma (ruach) into them, which set them apart. Thus leading to the Adam and Eve narrative.

Of course, this is contrary to Scripture which says that Adam was formed from the dust of the ground (Gen. 2:7).

 

[dysert]

It does seem to be fact that the initial human population was far bigger than just two individuals.

What makes you think it's fact?

 

[Sayre]

Of course, this is contrary to Scripture which says that Adam was formed from the dust of the ground (Gen. 2:7).

It's contrary to an ultra literal reading of Scripture.

 

[dysert]

It's contrary to an ultra literal reading of Scripture.

Ok.

 

[Gwendolyn]

It is dogma that original sin came from two people, male and female. Original sin is passed down through propagation, and this is necessary for the dogma to "work".

Theoretically, it could be possible that there were two original humans who evolved with the same mutations that created homo sapiens sapiens (humans). Then they incurred sin, and they mated, and so on. You know how reproduction works.

So it could be possible.

But reality is that we have no actual historical facts about how any of it happened. We have the Genesis narratives, which tell us theological truths, which are sufficient - you don't need to know exactly how everything happened to believe that God is behind it all and that humanity disobeyed Him.

 

[Sayre]

It is dogma that original sin came from two people, male and female. Original sin is passed down through propagation, and this is necessary for the dogma to "work".

Theoretically, it could be possible that there were two original humans who evolved with the same mutations that created homo sapiens sapiens (humans). Then they incurred sin, and they mated, and so on. You know how reproduction works.

So it could be possible.

But reality is that we have no actual historical facts about how any of it happened. We have the Genesis narratives, which tell us theological truths, which are sufficient - you don't need to know exactly how everything happened to believe that God is behind it all and that humanity disobeyed Him.

I read the early chapters of Genesis the same way I read the account of David and Nathan. "You are the man!". And indeed, we are.

 

[ebia]

WOW! I'd like to read more of this kinda stuff - unfortunately I'm not that well read in the more liberal / less literal readings of Genesis.

Joseph Ratzinger would be a good read for you I think, to get a taste for what is acceptable catholic theology that some will tell you isn't.

 

[New Legacy]

Hello American Christian,

Have you ever heard of Mitochondrial Eve? Science, as well as the Church, believe that all mankind descended from one woman.



Mitochondrial Eve - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That's not what that means. There were other women and we are their descendents too - it is just from this woman that we all have the same mtDNA.