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To: Heartlander; Dimensio
[What was the advent that made them humans?]

I just found out that this thread evolved itself (pardon the humor) into the religion forum, and so I think I'd like to attempt to answer the above question in a Biblical context.

In Genesis, God ("Elohim" literally -gods) creates Adam (literally -man) and then woman, then warns them not to eat the fruit of a particular tree but a serpent tempted them to disobey.

[[2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”]]

I understand this to mean that the fruit is a metaphor for humanity gradually attaining the brain capacity and mental ability of forethought allowing them to gain the knowledge of both mortality and morality

[[6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.]]

With this evolutionary step of greater brain capacity comes the ability to manipulate the environment including making tool and weapons, clothing and using fire. After God finds out about their disobedience:

[[ ... 16 To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children ...]]

Humans are the only animals which have a painful childbirth. The reason is because the huge head of infants necessary to cover a large brain gained through a relatively recent evolutionary change doesn't easily fit through the female pelvic opening which is already significantly larger than any other primate.

[[17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:“ Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,And you shall eat the herb of the field. 19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground,For out of it you were taken;For dust you are,And to dust you shall return.” ... 22 Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.]]

God is telling man that since he's gotten to be such a smartypants, it's time for them to give up the hunter-gatherer ways they've become accustomed to in the Garden of Eden and find out what it's like to practice agriculture and work hard all day in the fields to grow their own food.

[[24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.]]

Humans evolved the largest brain of all primates allowing our species to invent civilization, and there's no going back. Everything that follows Genesis is God's directive to USE that brain properly; He's telling us how to discipline our minds to make morally correct decisions which lead to morally correct behavior which pleases Him, and THAT is the advent of humanity.
230 posted on 09/18/2006 10:08:41 PM PDT by spinestein (Follow The Brazen Rule!)
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placemarker


231 posted on 09/18/2006 10:20:46 PM PDT by jennyp (There's ALWAYS time for jibber jabber!)
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To: spinestein
I just found out that this thread evolved itself (pardon the humor) into the religion forum, and so I think I'd like to attempt to answer the above question in a Biblical context.

Surely the intervention of the Mod was Intelligent Design in action? :)

238 posted on 09/19/2006 12:01:49 AM PDT by Thatcherite (I'm PatHenry I'm the real PatHenry all the other PatHenrys are just imitators)
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To: spinestein
Everything that follows Genesis is God's directive to USE that brain properly; He's telling us how to discipline our minds to make morally correct decisions which lead to morally correct behavior which pleases Him, and THAT is the advent of humanity.

Actually, the rest of the Book shows we CAN'T 'use our brain' properly; thus the need for a Savior.

255 posted on 09/19/2006 6:38:32 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going....)
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