Dave wrote:
>If we are all descendants of a late Adam and Eve, you need a clear
>explanation how the more ancient populations of the Americas (>12Ka) and
>Australia (>40Ka ?) were replaced, or, failing that, how they can be
>converted to Christ without being members of the truly human race. This
>last seems to be required as being "spiritually different."
And "Drsyme" wrote:
>What do you mean by genuinely human here? If you mean biologically human,
>ok, but couldnt there be more to being human than just biology? Could a
>4th possiblity be that Adam and Eve were true historical figures that God
>created in his own image around what 7000 years ago, give or take a few
>thousand. There were other homo sapiens around then of course, and prior
>to this, but somehow Adam and Eve were different, spritually only perhaps,
>a difference that science is unable to discern. And we are all
>descendants of Adam and Eve only.
The rub here is that we know there are existing populations who have been
here longer than 7,000 years. As Dave points out, the Australian
aborigines have resided comfortably in the land down under for over 40,000
years, and the remains of American Indians have been found in Clovis, New
Mexico dated to about 11,000 years ago, and so on. The temptation is to
slide Adam back in time to make all our dreams come true, and we could all
enjoy Adamic ancestry. Ah, it would be so simple ...
But since humans are connected genetically to higher primates, only an
evolved Adam, with natural parents, could have been father to us all. And
only if he lived far enough back in time, say 100,000 years ago or
more. If a created Adam, with no natural parents, was father to us all, we
would have to find a way to explain the genetic markers which tie us to the
phyletic tree of life.
A created Adam, who had no parents, could have existed had he been
introduced into a populated world and started his own group of
descendants. Glenn Morton's wife says she belongs, Glenn and I probably
don't. However, a lot of intermarrying has happened in the last 7,000
years. So no one could be 100% sure of being either related to Adam or
being unrelated.
If Adam is seen as the federal head, and not the biological head of the
human race, we are all held accountable by Adam's sin as he sinned for us
all. Just as we are saved by Christ (even though we are not related to
Christ) when he died for all.
For those who believe that a real live, flesh and blood, biological Adam
didn't exist, there is no problem placing him at all. A man who doesn't
exist can not be anywhere he chooses not to be. Real people have fewer
options. Real people are stuck in time and place.
Dick Fischer - Genesis Proclaimed Association
Finding Harmony in Bible, Science, and History
www.genesisproclaimed.org
Received on Tue Feb 24 21:20:58 2004
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