How Do You Understand Genesis (Creation of Adam & Eve)?

Hello everyone. I have always had issue with certain things about the creation of Adam and Eve, as well as when Cain was banished...etc.

I recently came across someone's post on a thread that shed a new light on how one might interpret Genesis.

What I would like to ask you all is to explain to me in as much detail and you can how YOU understand/interpret the creation of man and other aspects of Genesis. Feel free to just state how you understand it, or even seperate from Chapter to Chapter...completely up to you.

PLEASE, if this is NOT discussion to look down upon anyone for their own personal belief in the Bible, God, and Creation. Its not a thread to cause an argument over not sharing someone's opinion. This is simply to share your opinion and possibly take from someone else's that might help you better understand as well.

I am excited to hear what everyone says. I have come to realize that even though everyone may read the same Bible, everyone interprets it differently, at least slightly.

Let the interpretations begin, and thank you in sharing your own beliefs and possibly helping me understand better too.

Some areas I would like to hear your opinion about are:
Creation of Man...Adam & Eve
Cain and Able...Cain's Baninshment
Population of the World...Exactly How Did It All Start?

I understand it as a story to teach kids a life lesson.

Originally posted by SouthernRain55
I recently came across someone's post on a thread that shed a new light on how one might interpret Genesis.

Are you referring to my post on the 'Ancient Alien' thread? With regard to the Old Testament stating that there were thousands of people on earth when Adam and Eve were created?
THIS POST

reply to post by SouthernRain55


I am open to many possibilities, some I lean more heavily towards than others.

1) its completely, literally true. I'm not sure I buy that. It would mean that somehow our genetic diversity sprang from two people, which would be odd because if we ourselves narrow genetic diversity, say to marrying only within royal bloodlines, we begin to get genetic abnormalities resulting in fatality and nonviablity. It also means that at some point, everyone who sprang from adam and eve had to commit incest. There's too much of it that just doesn't wash to be literal.

2) its an absolute falsehood. Well, while not all religions have similar stories of creation, many actually do. Take the iriquois, for example, who believed there was a plane of dirt in the sky above earth, replete with trees and plants. The female dug for the precious roots she wished to eat of the forbidden tree and, in doing so, caused the ground to crumble beneath her and her spouse's feet and thus man and woman fell to earth in disgrace. Very, very similar. While I do not believe that women are due any sort of blame, I do think the similarities in many stories of creation might hold a kernal of truth about our origins.

3) It was a parable. Since the question originally was about the judeo/christian bible, lets discuss this possibility in those terms. Jesus taught in parables very much of the time. I recall Nicodemus asking Christ about heaven and Jesus said, "I cannot get you to understand Earthly things, what makes you think you are ready to understand Heavenly things?" I suspect if jesus had said, "well, you see, first there was the Big bang explosion of massive quantum singularity followed by an epoch of coalescence before there was even a solar system, let alone evolution..." I think the people of that time would've gone cross eyed. Now, gensis was written a considerable amount of time before the time of Christ. I doubt they were more ready to understand deep and weighty topics, so why not also use a parable? The parable of Adam and Eve could well stand in for a basic understanding of the creation of the universe and subsequently mankind's evolution.

In the end, though, we have to realize that the leap from "maybe evolution and the big bag are processes set in motion by an 'intelligent designer'" to "that 'intelligent designer' MUST be THIS one religion's deity" is enormous to say the least. Many creationists will provide ample counter-proof to discount evolution but can offer only blind faith as to why their god is the intelligent designer. I think the argument breaks down right there.

Originally posted by JonU2

Originally posted by SouthernRain55
I recently came across someone's post on a thread that shed a new light on how one might interpret Genesis.

Are you referring to my post on the 'Ancient Alien' thread? With regard to the Old Testament stating that there were thousands of people on earth when Adam and Eve were created?
THIS POST

I just checked out your post. Thank you for linking and allowing me ANOTHER perspective to review.
I find some points you made interesting...it is similiar in some ways to the thread that I was speaking of.

My two main issues with how a lot of people perceive Genesis is that Adam and Eve were the first and ONLY people and that incest must have occured when Cain found a wife when he was banished.

Originally posted by sgreco
In the end, though, we have to realize that the leap from "maybe evolution and the big bag are processes set in motion by an 'intelligent designer'"

The big bag? I've never heard that theory, but it does make sense. Maybe an intelligent designer had like a big paper bag, mixed up some ingredients in it, then blew air into it and got it all nice and expanded. Next he popped it and BOOOM everything came into being.

Originally posted by Kaiuk
I understand it as a story to teach kids a life lesson.

Interesting point of view...and what was the moral of the story?

reply to post by SouthernRain55


Genesis 1:26

And God said, Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness...

I wonder why God speaks as if there are more than one of him when saying the above..

Then I read Robert Morning Sky's Terra Papers and it made a whole lot more sense

Originally posted by sgreco
reply to post by SouthernRain55

 

I am open to many possibilities, some I lean more heavily towards than others.

1) its completely, literally true. I'm not sure I buy that. It would mean that somehow our genetic diversity sprang from two people, which would be odd because if we ourselves narrow genetic diversity, say to marrying only within royal bloodlines, we begin to get genetic abnormalities resulting in fatality and nonviablity. It also means that at some point, everyone who sprang from adam and eve had to commit incest. There's too much of it that just doesn't wash to be literal.

2) its an absolute falsehood. Well, while not all religions have similar stories of creation, many actually do. Take the iriquois, for example, who believed there was a plane of dirt in the sky above earth, replete with trees and plants. The female dug for the precious roots she wished to eat of the forbidden tree and, in doing so, caused the ground to crumble beneath her and her spouse's feet and thus man and woman fell to earth in disgrace. Very, very similar. While I do not believe that women are due any sort of blame, I do think the similarities in many stories of creation might hold a kernal of truth about our origins.

3) It was a parable. Since the question originally was about the judeo/christian bible, lets discuss this possibility in those terms. Jesus taught in parables very much of the time. I recall Nicodemus asking Christ about heaven and Jesus said, "I cannot get you to understand Earthly things, what makes you think you are ready to understand Heavenly things?" I suspect if jesus had said, "well, you see, first there was the Big bang explosion of massive quantum singularity followed by an epoch of coalescence before there was even a solar system, let alone evolution..." I think the people of that time would've gone cross eyed. Now, gensis was written a considerable amount of time before the time of Christ. I doubt they were more ready to understand deep and weighty topics, so why not also use a parable? The parable of Adam and Eve could well stand in for a basic understanding of the creation of the universe and subsequently mankind's evolution.

In the end, though, we have to realize that the leap from "maybe evolution and the big bag are processes set in motion by an 'intelligent designer'" to "that 'intelligent designer' MUST be THIS one religion's deity" is enormous to say the least. Many creationists will provide ample counter-proof to discount evolution but can offer only blind faith as to why their god is the intelligent designer. I think the argument breaks down right there.

Great post and I thank you for taking time to reply.
You vaguely touched on part of my reasoning for not understanding Creation either. Most views leave you believing that Adam and Eve were the very first people to be created, which brings up how did the bloodline continue without incest?? Which was hard for me to swallow.

The one thing that stands out for me is the superiority of man over woman. It just fits in so well with how women were perceived and treated back then, and even today in some parts of the World. So what I am saying is that this story, in part at least, is a justification for these actions. It could possibly have been partly designed to make women more obedient. I just had this idea, so it isn't something I have heavily pondered or anything.

reply to post by SouthernRain55


Creation was started with the ability to think with the mind and obtain wealth of the spirit with the heart creating our inner soul.

Humans previously had been at the stage we are at now. This system was reset for the new creation of humans to achieve the goal which was to defeat the enviornment and reach space like our last cycle by thinking positive of eachother and the enviornment.

Mankind and womenkind are the software of information while the Sun (Male) and the Earth (Female or Mother nature) is our hardware like a massive macro computer.

Technology made the pyramids to perfect mathematical equasions in order understand the wealth of eternal creation and the life and death of the spirit. The Sphinx represents humans king of the domain.

The serpent which sent Adam and Eve knowledge is the spirit of Earth itself which humans have obtained information and knowledge. This is Satans work as everything is negative and positive energy which creates fire.

Everything living thing on Earth from plants, animals, humans ect is Fuel (food), Heat (tempretature) & Oxygen which forms Fire in the fire triangle. The three dimensions of life.

Physical life burns us like fire which is a negative but our Spirit of Mind, Heart & Soul is our positive spirit which lives for ever with the presents of water! This makes humans like a living battery.

reply to post by SouthernRain55


I choose to think of God like he is a scientist, since being the creator of everything he would have to know about molecules/atoms/protons/neutrons, ontop of medical sciences/DNA/RNA/virus'/bactierum etc. My theory is that he most likely created adam and eve through evolution. The reference to God making man out of dirt could just mean that he took the particles and elements found in dirt and used them to create the building blocks of life and maybe amino acids and maybe set the genetic template for life to proliferate. This, however is a scientific rationalization to an act of God that no one to this day can explain with 100% certainty because no one alive now was alive then. The only thing we really have to go on is dusty old tomes and faith.

I guess i have to say if you want the answers to these questions, youre going to have to wait till you die so you can ask him. I know i'm going to ask him, supposing that we don't have access to universal knowledge on the other side.

the notion that the word "rib" was a mistranslation of "side" in hebrew makes sense to me (and is a bit less demeaning to women, in a story that's pretty darned demeaning).

here's a link that explores the issue...

www.jasher.com...


i also found curious the similarities in the Sanskrit word "atman" which means "the self", the scientific term "atom" and "adam". simply put... one.

in this context, Adam would have been created as an androgynous being.... if God is the end all be all, it would stand to reason this God would have qualities of both genders. and if Adam was made in God's image then Adam too would have qualities of both genders.

think both halves of the Yin Yang.

but then, in Adam's lonliness God split Adam... removing 'his' side, separating the Yin from the Yang... two beings from one.

as a mythic allegory to the duel nature of humanity, this is not too shabby an origin story. nor does this interpretation reduce the woman (the snipping life givers of our species, for cryin' out loud!!!!!) to an after thought of God.


anyhow... that's my 2 cents. i'm about to offer another interpretation that should be worth another half pence.

Originally posted by LightAssassin
reply to post by SouthernRain55

 

Genesis 1:26

And God said, Let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness...

I wonder why God speaks as if there are more than one of him when saying the above..

Then I read Robert Morning Sky's Terra Papers and it made a whole lot more sense

Another good thing to notice and I wondered on myself. Its speak US and OUR...I have decided it was due to translation and/or because God is referred to as the trinity. Thank you for the link...I have put it in my favorites so that I can view it.

reply to post by SouthernRain55


Well, I think the stories in the bible are semi-truths. Some of it is based on fact whilst other parts of it are based on non-truths. I used to get into arguments about how a world wide flood of such epic proportions as described in the bible isn't feasible. But if one takes note of how many different ancient sources describe a similar flood, it becomes highly unlikely that such a flood didn't take place.

So when examining the stories in the bible we must learn to take it with a grain of salt but atheists must also learn that the bible is a somewhat accurate depiction of the past, you just have to interpret it the right way and see past the purposeful obfuscation of the truth. We were created "in the image of" another being. We were engineered by a race of beings referred to as the Anunnaki.

The Sumerian Tablets are some of the earliest known records of life and religion on Earth. The Sumerians themselves are thought to be one of the first civilizations on Earth. If you want the truth go right back to the source where it is less diluted. The Sumerians tell of Sky Gods that came down and created man as slaves for their work on Earth, since the lesser-gods (Igigi) were too slack.

There are parts of the bible that reflect Sumerian legend such as Noah and the flood, the fallen angels (revolt of the Igigi if I'm not mistaken) and the Nephilim. There are parts that are very revealing on their own. Most of the good stuff has been removed from the bible (see the Dead Sea Scrolls) but there are still many interesting tid-bits such as the artificial impregnation of Mary.

This video offers a quick explanation of Sumerian legend:

Originally posted by JiggyPotamus
The one thing that stands out for me is the superiority of man over woman. It just fits in so well with how women were perceived and treated back then, and even today in some parts of the World. So what I am saying is that this story, in part at least, is a justification for these actions. It could possibly have been partly designed to make women more obedient. I just had this idea, so it isn't something I have heavily pondered or anything.

Another good point. Indeed, Eve is used often to "show" us how women should be beneath man.

reply to post by SouthernRain55


To obey the higher power or else. The higher power being God, Parents whatever.... Adam and Eve did not obey and thus were punished on a grand scale

I understand the Adam and Eve story to be a conceptual not literal story about the origins of how Satan corrupted God's creation. It's about a constant struggle between good and evil, God and Satan, and individual choice. It's a test of the inner most part of your being.

Satan was cast out of heaven, why? Most would believe that Satan was cast out of heaven because of selfish pride. It goes much farther than that. Satan and his angels literally corrupted God's most pure creation, humanity. Satan and his angels walked among man, and it was the breeding of angels with women that corrupted God's most pure creation.

"When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with a man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.”
Genesis 6:1-7

"But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."
Numbers 13:31-33

"And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire." Jude 1:6

"Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him" Revelation 12:7-9

As I understand these versus, Satan and some angels through sexual immorality and perversion corrupted God's creation, and humanity became wicked with heart's full of evil.

When I think about this, there is a constant struggle for humanity between good and evil, almost as if there were two little people on your shoulder telling you to do right and wrong. This analogy carries to the deepest of your being within the human brain there is a constant struggle between the amigula, and the pre-frontal cortex. Which is a struggle between native instincts for survival without retribution, and your conscience.

I generally feel that humanity is primarily good, and in the end, those traits of evil will not prevail.

I feel there are many things that are not explained by generally accepted human history. I generally accept creation as "new beginning", or even a manipulation of the human race for purpose.

I think Earth and Humanity are with purpose and are not by chance.

reply to post by mythos


Well explain Lilith then, Adam's first wife. If he was a hermaphrodite why would he have had a wife in the first place. Lilith is acknowledged in the gnostic writings and in the sumerian texts.

Originally posted by Archangelelijah
reply to post by SouthernRain55

 

Creation was started with the ability to think with the mind and obtain wealth of the spirit with the heart creating our inner soul.

Humans previously had been at the stage we are at now. This system was reset for the new creation of humans to achieve the goal which was to defeat the enviornment and reach space like our last cycle by thinking positive of eachother and the enviornment.

Mankind and womenkind are the software of information while the Sun (Male) and the Earth (Female or Mother nature) is our hardware like a massive macro computer.

Technology made the pyramids to perfect mathematical equasions in order understand the wealth of eternal creation and the life and death of the spirit. The Sphinx represents humans king of the domain.

The serpent which sent Adam and Eve knowledge is the spirit of Earth itself which humans have obtained information and knowledge. This is Satans work as everything is negative and positive energy which creates fire.

Everything living thing on Earth from plants, animals, humans ect is Fuel (food), Heat (tempretature) & Oxygen which forms Fire in the fire triangle. The three dimensions of life.

Physical life burns us like fire which is a negative but our Spirit of Mind, Heart & Soul is our positive spirit which lives for ever with the presents of water! This makes humans like a living battery.

I have read something similiar as well about everything being "reset" or "recreation"...just not in quite as much detail. Thank you so much for sharing your view as well.