[asa] RE: biological evolution and a literal Adam- logically inconsistent?

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From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On Behalf Of Dehler, Bernie

I may have asked this before, so please excuse me if I'm repeating myself.

I think I just realized that it is inconsistent to believe in both biological evolution and a historical Adam. Here's the logic- please comment:

1. Genesis 2 says God made man (the first human) from the dust of the Earth. Either this is literal or figurative.
2. Genesis 2-3 says this first man's name is Adam, and gives a story of the fall. Either this is literal or figurative (talking serpent, tree of life, etc.).

To believe in evolution and a real Adam, it would require that item 1 is figurative, since we know that Adam was not made from the dust of the ground literally.

To believe in evolution and a real Adam, that would mean item 2 is taken literally, since it it the story of a real person.

So here we have a passage where some of the critical components are taken figuratively and some literally, with no hints from the text itself which is figurative and which is literal. Since there are no hints, it would seem reasonable that both must be either figurative or both literal, so in that case, one can't both believe in evolution and a literal Adam and still be consistent.

Did I miss something? People who go for biological evolution and a real Adam are Dick Fischer and M-Genesis adherents, I think.

Reference:
Gen 2:7 KJV:
 7And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

...Bernie

. . . . . . . . . .
Update, I suppose what I wrote also applies to Roman Catholics and other mainline denominations that accept biological evolution yet keep a literal interpretation of Adam being the first human.

...Bernie

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Received on Sun Aug 31 00:59:27 2008