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

Originally posted by lonewolf19792000
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.

I think thinking of God in terms of a scientist is intersting. I enjoyed the way you described it quite well. I never thought of it that way before.
I believe along the lines that once we pass on we will know all, but if we don't immediately, I am asking right away! haha.

reply to post by SouthernRain55

Population of the World...Exactly How Did It All Start?

The nations of peoples were inside of her, meaning the first woman. It had been intended for her to create these nations of peoples over an eternity, her being created to be immortal. Once they sinned and they were moved away from where that immortality was possible, she went into a period of sped up generation, where she produced them all in her allotted lifespan. They were rebellious and would not allow themselves to be ruled over by her husband but would depart from them to set their nations up in other parts of the Earth.
All that is in the Hebrew of the text if you leave aside the standard translation which does not even fit the story.

Originally posted by mythos

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.

Thank you so much for replying and for the link, which I have saved to read more later.
I just wanted to throw this out there and see what you thought...when it states that man was made if God's image what if it meant not necessarily God's physical image but in his soul/spirits image? Just a thought...

reply to post by zestor


Well the version i heard was that Satan rebelled against God and was cast down to earth, where he then corrupted Eve in his jealousy of Man in an attempt to make God's companion Adam fall from grace.

The Angels that abandoned their post in heaven (called the Watchers) and went to earth and became enamoured with the daughters of men and married whichever ones they pleased and had children called the nephilim which were giants and men of renown (Goliath and Alexander the Great are thought to be nephilim). upon Alexander the Greats death, before he passed he said "the wars of men are for men alone from now on". It is thought that Alexander the Great was the last of the nephilim.

Originally posted by ChaoticOrder
reply to post by SouthernRain55

 

Well, basically 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.....

This video offers a quick explanation of Sumerian legend:

Thank you for the link and for replying. Interesting point of view indeed and I am definitely going to watch the video. I haven't really reviewed anything with this point of view.

Well there is always the Gnostic Idea that this world and universe is a false creation or illusion.
and God's real reality is perfect.
This world has birth and death pain and pleasure all things are subject to time and entropy.

The fruit of knowledge of good and evil symbolized duality
Good defines evil evil defines good yet that is not non dualism which would be perfect oneness
This world and this universe is not as perfect as some make it out to be.
Things must eat each other in order to live everything is subject to decay time and entropy.
The Gnostic's questioned whether a loving being could create this world and decided the answer was no

Well as a missionary baptist, we are taught that this world is just a dream, and when we die, we awaken in heaven and this life becomes nothing more than a memory of a dream. When we close our eyes in death here, we open our eyes and awaken in heaven.

Actually, the author of the book "The Seven Daughters of Eve" who is a Genetic Scientist traces all of us back to one woman through mitochondrial DNA, and all men back to one man (doesn't work that way for women because of the chromosomes). It's a good read...

The only thing he can't account for is Rh negative blood. It popped up out of nowhere...

Originally posted by zestor
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.

Wonderful post! Thank you so much for taking the time to write all this out. Great interpretation of good and evil, indeed.

Originally posted by visualmiscreant
Actually, the author of the book "The Seven Daughters of Eve" who is a Genetic Scientist traces all of us back to one woman through mitochondrial DNA, and all men back to one man (doesn't work that way for women because of the chromosomes). It's a good read...

You can't trace men back through mitochondrial DNA. Mitochondrial DNA can only be traced through the females line. The mitochondrial DNA in a man would read the same as his mothers, there is nothing traceable from the fathers line.

Originally posted by jmdewey60
reply to post by SouthernRain55

 

Population of the World...Exactly How Did It All Start?

The nations of peoples were inside of her, meaning the first woman. It had been intended for her to create these nations of peoples over an eternity, her being created to be immortal. Once they sinned and they were moved away from where that immortality was possible, she went into a period of sped up generation, where she produced them all in her allotted lifespan. They were rebellious and would not allow themselves to be ruled over by her husband but would depart from them to set their nations up in other parts of the Earth.
All that is in the Hebrew of the text if you leave aside the standard translation which does not even fit the story.

edit on 21-8-2011 by jmdewey60 because: (no reason given)

INTERESTING! I have never heard this before!
I hate to ask but could you expand further on this? I feel that we have lost so much from translation...

Originally posted by lonewolf19792000
reply to post by zestor

 

Well the version i heard was that Satan rebelled against God and was cast down to earth, where he then corrupted Eve in his jealousy of Man in an attempt to make God's companion Adam fall from grace.

The Angels that abandoned their post in heaven (called the Watchers) and went to earth and became enamoured with the daughters of men and married whichever ones they pleased and had children called the nephilim which were giants and men of renown (Goliath and Alexander the Great are thought to be nephilim). upon Alexander the Greats death, before he passed he said "the wars of men are for men alone from now on". It is thought that Alexander the Great was the last of the nephilim.

Again, something I have never heard before...I had never heard that about Alexander the Great. THANK YOU for sharing that...

reply to post by lonewolf19792000


Perhaps I have it backwards, but still, it's his research not mine. Really, the book is very informative...

interpretation #2...


religions could be generalized into to conceptualizations:

-the male centric, vertical, "transcendental" religions that seek to escape the confines and trappings of this physical world, and to transcend to a "higher" plane of existence (heaven, nirvana, etc.). Divinity was a thing to aspire towards... a thing that was "out there" so to speak.

-the female centric, horizontal, "cyclical" religions that tended to be more centered around the cycles of the physical earth, moon and sun (the very thing the male centric religions were seeking to 'transcend'). Divinity was a thing that was all around, present in the very cycles of nature and the world around you. many of these female centric religions would be considered "pagan".



in most cultures, the snake is a very powerful symbol of rebirth and cycles... most certainly in these female centric religions. think Ouroboros.

when the two sorts of religions come together, you get rather complex, yet comprehensive religions such as Hindu, where each gender is valued, and the desire to "transcend the cycles of rebirth" is blended with a reverence for nature.

now, here's where Adam & Eve gets odd to me and i cannot help but to think Genesis was a bit of propaganda written by a Male Centric religion against these female centric religions... (monotheism vs. paganism)

Genesis literally demonizes the snake (once again, a sacred symbol in most female centric religions), and by extension literally curses woman. women have a much stronger tie to the earth and its cycles due to their menstrual cycle, and of course, their ability to give birth in this world. and yet, in Genesis, this gift of giving birth is cursed with pain, and her once sacred relationship to the serpent is cursed as well (something about biting her ankles and she crushing its head).

because of this awkward creation story, and its bias against the female centric, earth based religions, i believe much of the harm and injustices done to woman, and to the very earth itself, have been justified.

i mean, how does a woman reconcile with a creation story that condemns her to the failures of all humankind in the first few pages, and a god who created her as an afterthought in the first few paragraphs?

each their own, but i am suspect of the subliminal message therein.

Originally posted by ELahrairah
Well there is always the Gnostic Idea that this world and universe is a false creation or illusion.
and God's real reality is perfect.
This world has birth and death pain and pleasure all things are subject to time and entropy.

The fruit of knowledge of good and evil symbolized duality
Good defines evil evil defines good yet that is not non dualism which would be perfect oneness
This world and this universe is not as perfect as some make it out to be.
Things must eat each other in order to live everything is subject to decay time and entropy.
The Gnostic's questioned whether a loving being could create this world and decided the answer was no

Please if you don't mind, could you elaborate? For instance, if this world is false/illusion then why are we here exactly? What is the purpose of this false world?
If God did not create this world then who did?
Thank you for the new outlook and hope you have time to explain a little more.

Originally posted by jmdewey60
reply to post by SouthernRain55

 

Population of the World...Exactly How Did It All Start?

The nations of peoples were inside of her, meaning the first woman. It had been intended for her to create these nations of peoples over an eternity, her being created to be immortal. Once they sinned and they were moved away from where that immortality was possible, she went into a period of sped up generation, where she produced them all in her allotted lifespan. They were rebellious and would not allow themselves to be ruled over by her husband but would depart from them to set their nations up in other parts of the Earth.
All that is in the Hebrew of the text if you leave aside the standard translation which does not even fit the story.

edit on 21-8-2011 by jmdewey60 because: (no reason given)

That would explain the gap in the christian version of the old testament when after Cain slew Abel and he became outcast, he went to the land of Nod and took a wife. So he must have married one of his sisters. I figured anthropologically that the land of Nod were the neanderthal peoples from a previous earth age since there were 3 earth ages. Were at the end of the 3rd earth age and the 4th earth age is when Christ returns with a new jerusalem to rule for 1000 years (my take on it anyway).

Originally posted by visualmiscreant
Actually, the author of the book "The Seven Daughters of Eve" who is a Genetic Scientist traces all of us back to one woman through mitochondrial DNA, and all men back to one man (doesn't work that way for women because of the chromosomes). It's a good read...

The only thing he can't account for is Rh negative blood. It popped up out of nowhere...

edit on 8/21/2011 by visualmiscreant because: added comment

Thanks for the name of the book. I wonder about the Rh negative...I have read quite a bit lately about this...

Originally posted by lonewolf19792000
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.

Lilith was a demon... a creature, and not human like Adam.

Adam, being the only thing of 'his' kind, was given an otherworldly consort... Lilith. it is difficult to ascribe gender to other worldly beings in mythic contexts.

it is also difficult to literally interpret 6000 year old folklore that attempts to reckon the very creation of our species.

but people do it, and the next thing you know, woman are second class citizens cause they came from a rib and listened to the promptings of a snake.

reply to post by lonewolf19792000

One of the psalms talks about a flood where all flesh was destroyed. This was obviously not the same flood of Noah's time...

I understand it as a coded means of communicating the sacred geometry of how everything came to be: