[mukraker]

PLEASE keep this on an intelligent plane. I'd really like to read your thoughts on it all, from fundamentalists to athiests. Thanks.

[Lunatic Fringe]

Geez, this is the type of question the 3rd grade Sunday School asks.

[RedCell]

Check this out...

http://www.lukemastin.com/diary/bible_family_tree.gif

[HitmanLV]

If you take the narrative literally, God was certainly free to create other humans. We know Adam and Eve were the first two, and they had two sons. God could have created many other humans and all of the above would still be true.

[Coyoteman]

So where did we come from?

Scientists have produced evidence that humans evolved from ape-like ancestors.

[TheRealDBear]

IB4TZ

[P-40]

So how did the human race descend from just those three surviving humans?

Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel...were actually amoebas. :)

[Lunatic Fringe]

OK, now the serious answer...


Life evolved by accident over the course of billions of years of violent evolution. It exists across the hundreds of billions of galaxies in many strange and wondrous forms.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

Man. Evolution is the Solution

[butternut_squash_bisque]

The 3 questions which Mankind needs to answer:

1) Why are we here?

2) What does it all mean?

3) Why do men have nipples?

Get past those three, and you'll achieve Nirvana, into Eternity...

[KarlInOhio]

Genesis 5

3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. 4 After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 5 Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.

There is no explanation of where Cain's wife in Genesis 4:17.

[GSlob]

Well, being amoeba-like creatures, Adam , Eve, Abel etc multiplied by cell division.

[steve8714]

Don't know. The scripture is the inspired word of God, not all word for word event history from eyewitnesses. Its purpose is to bring man closer to God, not to explain the minutia of the universe. How long are seven divine days?

[El Cid]

I presume you are joking, but on the off chance you are sincere:

Genesis 5:3-4 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:

Lifespans were long. Our ancestors genetic material had less defects than they do today. And close relatives could marry without creating 'impaired' (e.g., Carter-esque) offspring. So we are the ancestors of Adam and Eve and the product of the marriages between their off-spring. But you don't need to go as far back as Adam - you just need to go back to the 8 on the Ark: Noah and Mrs. Noah, Shem and Mrs. Shem, Japeth and Mrs. Japeth, and Ham and Mrs. Ham....

Why does this matter? Care less about your family tree, and more about whether you are a new creation in Christ.

2 Peter 1:10-11 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

In the Bible, this happens right after Abel is killed by Cain, and Cain is exposed by God. Cain says to God:

Genesis 4:14 - to dai thou castist me out fro the face of the erthe; and Y schal be hid fro thi face, and Y schal be vnstable of dwellyng and fleynge aboute in erthe; therfore ech man that schal fynde me schal slee me.

Translation into more understandable English:

Genesis 4:14 - today thou castest me out from the face of the earth; and I shall be hid from thy face, and I shall be unstable of dwelling and flying about on earth; therefore each man that shall find me shall slay me.

You see, mention is made of other men. So, obviously Cain and Abel (and Adam) weren't the only men on the earth before Abel was killed. It's not a matter of editing. It's a matter of SO MANY children who were conceived by Adam and Eve. (They really were fruitful & multiplied.)

Three lines later we read:

Genesis 4:17 - Forsothe Cayn knewe his wiif, which conseyuede, and childide* Enoth; and Cayn bildide a citee, and clepide the name therof of the name of hise sone Enoth.

Translation:

Genesis 4:17 - Forsooth Cain knew his wife, who conceived, and begat Enoch; and Cain built a city, and called the name thereof by the name of his son Enoch.

After Cain was cast out, he found a wife (if he didn't have one already). So Cain and Abel (before Abel was killed) weren't the only two children on the earth.

Very next line is:

Genesis 4:18 - 18 Forsothe Enoth gendride* Irad, and Irad gendride Manyael, and Manyael gendride Matusael, and Matusael gendride Lameth;

We've suddenly made a giant leap from Cain having a son named Enoch, to Enoch begetting his own children.

So, I wouldn't say it's been edited. It's just been written in a way to further along the genealogy and the story.

Here's the version I use, the Wycliffe Bible.

*I do like the term childed (and gendered), but for convention's sake, I've used begat.

[grey_whiskers]

Sorry, couldn't resist.

I'll do penance in my next post, I promise.

[grey_whiskers]

Here's the penance:

Cheers!