Board index ‹ Creation and Evolution

[Tim the Last]

Why do some Christians believe in evolution? why are adam and eve considers as a symbol? what are they symbolising?

[jimwalton]

> Why do some Christians believe in evolution?

There are several reasons I believe in evolution. The first is that the Bible tells us that God created the universe, not how He created it or how long it took. We recognize that God uses various means and mechanisms through the Bible to do His work. Since the Bible doesn't tell us how God created, we look to science (God's other revelation of Himself) for the how. Which leads to my second reason.

The second is that evolution is scientifically irrefutable. Since God reveals Himself in His Word and He reveals Himself in creation, those two revelations can't contradict each other. And they don't. God is the creator, the universe is His work, and process, progress, and evolution were the means. I have no problem with any of that, and neither does the Bible.

> why are adam and eve considers as a symbol? what are they symbolising?

I don't consider Adam and Eve to be symbols. They are historical beings, but they weren't the first humans. They were the first humans that God revealed Himself to. It's where the story of God revealing Himself to humanity begins.

[Tim the Last]

what about the garden of eden? Cain and Abel? Were they real people?

[jimwalton]

Yep, I believe the Garden of Eden was a real place, and Cain and Abel were real people.

In a satellite photo of 10K sq miles of Saudi Arabia/ Kuwait, you see only desert, and the assumption is that it has always been that way. But geologists have found traces of an ancient river channel crossing the Arabian Peninsula from about 10,000 BC until about 3500-2000 BC, when it dried up. The river channel shows that there was a lengthy wet period—even lush—in the region.

In addition, Kuwait is rife with pebbles, which is a clue that a river used to be there. The research shows that a river once flowed across the Arabian Peninsula, just like the river Pishon described in Gen. 2.

The Bible speaks of a well-watered area with 4 rivers. It mentions gold, bdellium, and onyx. A place called Mahd edh-Dhahab, in this general region, is one of the richest gold mines in Saudi Arabia. Scholars have often identified Havilah with the Arabian Peninsula because it is rich in bdellium and precious stones, but they have previously been unable to pinpoint the location of the river in this desert. The recent discovery of this "Kuwait River" through this area has led to the suggestion that this dry riverbed may be the Pishon.

So, the Garden of Eden may have been a literal lush location in what we now call Kuwait. It is there that God met with the literal, historical Adam and Eve, and called them out from among the other hominids/homo sapiens and chose to reveal Himself to them there.

> Cain and Abel? Were they real people?

Sure. Adam & Eve had children. One killed another one. Why is this beyond belief? After the murder, Cain left the immediate area, married a girl, and built a city (Gn. 4.17). I don't read anything implausible here.