Christians, Atheists: Can you answer me this question?

Question

Hi everyone. Please read this:
This question is for the christians that believe in the Genesis not as a allegory, but as real account. It DOESN'T MATTER what you believe about the AGE of the Earth, I only want to discuss about the Origin of the Mankind, ok?

Let's start then:

You can say that the Theory of Evolution is not perfect and it needs to be completed. (I'm OK with that).

You can say: "Evolution doesn't explain everything, e.g. the love, the sense of justice" (I'm OK with that).

But, seriously do you really believe that it's a better explanation to tell: "Mankind began 6000 years ago in a garden, but because of Adam and Eve ate a forbidden fruit, the world succumbed to chaos".

Please IMAGINE this HYPOTHETICAL SCENENARIO for a moment:
Let's take out of the picture the doctrine of eternal damnation, for a moment.
Let's forget the treat of "if you don't believe this story, then you will be doomed".
Let's assume that you haven't heard of the Bible, Genesis or Jesus.

Now you began to wonder how the mankind came to be, and someone comes and tell you the story of the Genesis.

QUESTION: Could you really still accept that explanation?
When you're told that story, don't you think in your mind, for minute, just a minute, that all this sounds like a tale?

Atheists: What do you think when you heard that story for the first time?

Answer 1

I was brought up a Lutheran and bought the whole Genesis story, hook, line and sinker. I was a kid, I believed, it was pretty and colorful and no one said that it was subject to questioning.



By the time I examined it as a teen and an adult, it was hard to break free from it, not because it made sense (clearly it doesn't) but because I had been hammered with it as being true from birth. Looking at and analyzing it, I finally did realize it was all a lie, but it still had that crumb of "childhood belief."



I am free of that now, and cannot believe I ever believed it. And I KNOW that if I had not been taught this preposterous tale from the day I took my first breath, I NEVER would have believed it.



I applaud your gigantic efforts to get the Christians to see reason, to try to get them to break out of the box that they are in, but reading their answers, I am not surprised that they resist all attempts at getting them to consider the mere possibility that the story of Genesis is a fable.



They are super stubborn. Why? They think that their immortal souls depend on clinging to this silliness, and that damnation awaits those who doubt.



I think you deserve a medal for your efforts. I used to ask questions like this. They never listened, and I finally gave up. I got tired of banging my head against a wall.



Best regards,

Lady Morgana

happy atheist

Answer 2

Life as we know it requires other life to exist.



So for me, the leap that life started from no life is asking people to drop all understanding we have of how life exists and continues.



We dont know how the first life started and we really dont have evidence for how it started that makes perfectly logical or rational sense at this point, so I would think any explanation at this point seems a bit far stretched, including this idea that life (which we know requires life to continue) started from no life.



So does the story seem a bit out there, sure, but I wouldnt assume that people that had a limited understanding of science would be able to explain it given the fact that we cant explain it. So I would just assume that we just dont know how it actually happened and even if you believe in creation that still doesnt explain the how it happened because the creation story doesnt tell you how God actually did it.



Evolution vs creation, it doesnt matter. We dont have enough info on either to make this dramatic claim that either is absolutely ridiculous.



For all we know aliens planted life on Earth and in reality, is that really that far fetched?



We just dont know so why bother pointing fingers and telling people they are idiots or ridiculous for believing one way or another, esp when you know that there are spiritual messages that the creation story is trying to portray, which is something people writing the stories would have found more value in than the scientific reasoning.

Answer 3

We do not. I'm a Theologian, no longer a Bible student. I understand the recommendations, however, I cannot quote from the Bible besides! The Bible is, correctly, exceptional proof for matters, which I would possibly not pass in to listen to. But, to reply with a quote, you might additionally need to exhibit why it's well proof as good, and, there simply is not the room right here to do this. So, I do not do it, except the query specially asks approximately a particular verse.

Answer 4

Genesis is a shortened version of what really took place, but what is told is basically accurate..



Humans or life can only come from a first "kind", life cannot spring up into existence from many different "kinds"..



Therefore the Genesis account of Adam and Eve is essentially accurate..

Answer 5

It's a bit like a fairy tale, I grant you. But there's something about fairy tales that has the ability to illustrate complex spiritual relationships and speak to the deepest concerns of the child in all of us. That is true of the Bible, too. Only a grown up thinks he has no use for magic.



Yours in Christ, Nick

Answer 6

Well, to be honest it would be weird, but understand, that God does not expect people to believe in him based upon blind faith, he wants us to learn more about him and grow in Spirit. I would need more than the story of creation to believe. And why I believe now? God has worked in my life and has answered my prayers, I find it hard to understand how someone could doubt a trustworthy person.

Answer 7

The story made perfect sense to me, but then again i was 7

Answer 8

When it was taught in catechism class when I was a kid, I was thinking "is it almost 11 so we can leave?" I didn't want to say anything and get smacked by the nun.

Answer 9

evolution isn't meant to explain everything, being able to explain everything doesn't make it any better or worse. evolution is a matter for science to deal with. conscious human behavior is a matter for ethics to deal with.

Answer 10

tl;dr



The man came from a bacterium which divided, mutated, and grouped together to make the disgusting wastes of space we call "Humans"

Answer 11

its a myth base on nothing but several line in a book which is boring and full of contradictions

Answer 12

I'm sorry, but your asking to christians to use logic.



That doesn't come easy for them

Answer 13

Was your goal to confuse us into suicide? Because it's working.