• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

Why believing in a literal Adam and Eve matters

Ain't Zwinglian

Well-Known Member
Feb 23, 2020
1,271
803
Oregon
✟165,834.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
There are things He doesn't tell us about............................ and we need to have the humility to realize how and why that even we as Christians don't know everything.
As if I didn't know the distinction between Deus Revelatus and Deus absconditus. Is that condensation in tone I hear from you?
 
Upvote 0

ARBITER01

Legend
Aug 12, 2007
14,259
1,917
60
✟220,218.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Pentecostal
Marital Status
In Relationship
Politics
US-Republican

You forgot self-control. That's a good one for staying in the will of The Father.


One of the benefits of the filling of The Holy Spirit is how The Holy Spirit can be allowed to lead instead of our mind. The only viewpoint that is important after that is Jesus.
 
Upvote 0

2PhiloVoid

Critically Copernican
Site Supporter
Oct 28, 2006
24,666
11,519
Space Mountain!
✟1,361,057.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
As if I didn't know the distinction between Deus Revelatus and Deus absconditus. Is that condensation in tone I hear from you?

If I'm included in "those who can't know," then I'm not seeing how it can be construed that my intone is a form of CONDESCENSION.

As for "condensation," I really am not trying to rain on any other fellow Christian's parade here. I hope someone here on CF can see that.
 
Upvote 0

2PhiloVoid

Critically Copernican
Site Supporter
Oct 28, 2006
24,666
11,519
Space Mountain!
✟1,361,057.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
You forgot self-control. That's a good one for staying in the will of The Father.
No, I didn't mention self-control because I wasn't explicitely citing any specific verse from Galatians. But now that you've brought it up, surely you and I should both be applying it to the conversation at hand, right?
One of the benefits of the filling of The Holy Spirit is how The Holy Spirit can be allowed to lead instead of our mind. The only viewpoint that is important after that is Jesus.

Somehow, I think we're talking passed each other now at this point. Obviously, we all want the Holy Spirit to exert His Lordship within our minds and hearts so we can live and walk in faith. That should go without saying.
 
Upvote 0

Akita Suggagaki

Well-Known Member
Jul 20, 2018
10,122
7,231
70
Midwest
✟370,007.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Catholic
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
Demonstration of your assertion?

I just believe them, as did Jesus, who believed the OT was the "word of God" in every detail (Jn 10:35, Lk 11:28, 5:1),
The Word of God need not be take literal in every instance.
that it was the truth of God vested with the authority of God and backed by the power of God (Mt 5:17-19).
Need not be all literal.
Again you presume all scripture to be literal.
Just curious Do you also believe the Parables depicted actual literal historical evens? Like an actual a prodigal son who returned? A good Samaritan who helped while Jews kept walking? Etc.
 
Reactions: Job 33:6
Upvote 0

Clare73

Blood-bought
Jun 12, 2012
29,157
7,530
North Carolina
✟344,534.00
Country
United States
Gender
Female
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
It's your assumption. . .no need for me to defend it.
 
Upvote 0

2PhiloVoid

Critically Copernican
Site Supporter
Oct 28, 2006
24,666
11,519
Space Mountain!
✟1,361,057.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others

Actually, Ehrman had a change of heart downward because he couldn't get over the Argument from Evil and Suffering. it was this specific argument that did his faith in, his words.
 
Upvote 0

ARBITER01

Legend
Aug 12, 2007
14,259
1,917
60
✟220,218.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Pentecostal
Marital Status
In Relationship
Politics
US-Republican
Actually, Ehrman had a change of heart downward because he couldn't get over the Argument from Evil and Suffering. it was this specific argument that did his faith in, his words.

You're missing my point.

Question for you: I had a born again experience similar to Paul's, do you think a person with their words would be able to talk me out of my faith?
 
Upvote 0

2PhiloVoid

Critically Copernican
Site Supporter
Oct 28, 2006
24,666
11,519
Space Mountain!
✟1,361,057.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
You're missing my point.

Question for you: I had a born again experience similar to Paul's, do you think a person with their words would be able to talk me out of my faith?

I don't think you'd be able to be talked out of your faith and I'm glad to hear that's the case with you. Be blessed in that!
 
Upvote 0

ARBITER01

Legend
Aug 12, 2007
14,259
1,917
60
✟220,218.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Pentecostal
Marital Status
In Relationship
Politics
US-Republican
I don't think you'd be able to be talked out of your faith and I'm glad to hear that's the case with you. Be blessed in that!

Correct.

"A person with an experience is never at the mercy of a person with an opinion."

I feel very fortunate to have had such a experienced based enlightenment, but not everyone is that fortunate. Some folks have a change of mind moment rather than a sort of face-to-face with Jesus experience, and they are really just running on personal belief from that point on.

For a person to be talked out of their faith like Ehrman, I consider such a person having a just a change of mind type Christianity, and such a person can be played with by people and their words, and their minds ultimately changed if they are not careful.
 
Upvote 0

2PhiloVoid

Critically Copernican
Site Supporter
Oct 28, 2006
24,666
11,519
Space Mountain!
✟1,361,057.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others

Fortunately for both you and me, we don't have to worry about that. And that's a comforting thought.
 
Reactions: ARBITER01
Upvote 0

Ain't Zwinglian

Well-Known Member
Feb 23, 2020
1,271
803
Oregon
✟165,834.00
Country
United States
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
Such holier than thou attititude. Can't even cite on example as mainstream.
 
Upvote 0

Job 33:6

Well-Known Member
Jun 15, 2017
9,403
3,194
Hartford, Connecticut
✟357,391.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
A non literal Adam doesn't change a thing. It simply shifts the blame to us, rather than a man made of dust. Adam is a type of the one who is to come, and Adam, or in Hebrew "humanity" is an archetype representing all of us.
 
Reactions: 2PhiloVoid
Upvote 0

Job 33:6

Well-Known Member
Jun 15, 2017
9,403
3,194
Hartford, Connecticut
✟357,391.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Republican
Adam being archetypal and not a literal person does not make the account untrue. Just as we wouldn't call the story of the good Samaritan untrue just because it was a parable.
 
Reactions: 2PhiloVoid
Upvote 0

HBP

Active Member
Jun 22, 2025
63
44
70
Southwest
✟2,037.00
Country
United States
Gender
Female
Faith
Christian Seeker
Marital Status
Married
Actually, Ehrman had a change of heart downward because he couldn't get over the Argument from Evil and Suffering. it was this specific argument that did his faith in, his words.
Just FWIW, that was the last straw that drove him to atheism. He was a rigid fundamentalist who was shocked - shocked I tell you! - to discover that there were even minor errors and textual variations in the NT and that it wasn't - gasp! - rigidly, perfectly "inerrant." That's what started him down his long path to where he is today (his work still being very valuable, BTW). In my considerable dealings with atheists, it is almost ALWAYS the literalist, inerrantist position they are attacking (probably because it's the easiest target).
 
Reactions: 2PhiloVoid
Upvote 0

2PhiloVoid

Critically Copernican
Site Supporter
Oct 28, 2006
24,666
11,519
Space Mountain!
✟1,361,057.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others

Yes, I know. I have his "God's Problem" book where he admits this. And I know he's mentioned it a number of times on podcasts as well, where I've heard him say so.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0

2PhiloVoid

Critically Copernican
Site Supporter
Oct 28, 2006
24,666
11,519
Space Mountain!
✟1,361,057.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others

And yes, you're right that it's usually the literalist, inerrantist postion that is attacked. They love to apply the "...besides, there's no real middle ground, anyway..." tactic in their arguments in order to make that continued attack.
 
Upvote 0

Zceptre

Active Member
Oct 28, 2024
306
218
39
NC
Visit site
✟20,597.00
Country
United States
Gender
Male
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Celibate
to discover that there were even minor errors and textual variations in the NT and that it wasn't - gasp! - rigidly, perfectly "inerrant."
lol. Poor Bart. For the record, I'm laughing at the erroneous perception of sovereignty, not Bart himself.
Question for you: I had a born again experience similar to Paul's, do you think a person with their words would be able to talk me out of my faith?
You died and seen the third Heaven? I'm intrigued.
 
Upvote 0