Why do some Christians think that the Bible could make sense without a literal interpretation of Genesis?

Question

Every Biblical doctrine is based on a literal fall and a literal Adam, and the absence of death before Adam. God said that the Earth was good when he created it. Why did death enter the world? Because of man's sin. If you think about it, every Biblical doctrine comes back to Genesis 1-11.

Why did Jesus die on a cross? Genesis 1-11 (Adam's original sin).
Why was Jesus called the last Adam? Genesis 1-11. Why do we wear clothes? Genesis 1-11. Why are things made after different kinds? Genesis 1-11. Why is there suffering in this world? Genesis 1-11. Why are there so many different languages? Genesis 1-11 (Tower of Babel).

Christians who believe in evolution are basically calling Jesus a liar. Jesus referred to ADAM and EVE when he made their arguments. He referenced Genesis more than any other OT book. Genesis MATTERS.
Update : If you can't trust Genesis, you might as well throw the whole Bible out.

Too many Christians COMPROMISE on the FOUNDATION of the word of God. Genesis is not extraneous information. It is the BASIS upon which the Gospel is built.

Answer 1

Why do some Christians think that the Bible could make sense without a literal interpretation of Genesis - you missed Romans 5:14, referring to "Adam's transgression" (as you point out, you must take Genesis literally or Jesus has no mission), and the genealogy of Jesus traces him back to mythical Adam and Eve (Luke 3:38).



Bible nonsense.

Answer 2

1) Why do some Christians think that the Bible could make sense without a literal interpretation of Genesis?



Logical thought.





2) Every Biblical doctrine is based on a literal fall and a literal Adam, and the absence of death before Adam.



That's obviously not true. Don't believe it? Explain how this doctrine is "based on" the literal fall and death of Adam:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exo%201:1-4&multilayout=cols&version=NASB;KJV

Clearly, that particular doctrine does not depend on the existence or fall of Adam. Nor do hundreds of other Biblical doctrines.





3) If you think about it, every Biblical doctrine comes back to Genesis 1-11.



Again: that is (rather obviously, in my opinion) incorrect.





4) Why did Jesus die on a cross? Genesis 1-11 (Adam's original sin).



No. Jesus died on the cross because people (in general) sin - not because Adam (in particular) sinned. If Adam never existed and never fell, people still sin. If Adam did exist and fell, people still sin. The need for Jesus' sacrifice - the need for forgiveness of sin - does not *logically* require that Adam existed or that Adam fell.





5) Why was Jesus called the last Adam?



Obviously that term is used to describe a parallel between Jesus and the **Biblical account** of Adam

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1co%2015:45&multilayout=cols&version=NASB;KJV

but that parallel's function does not *logically* require that Adam *actually exist*!





6) Genesis 1-11. Why do we wear clothes?



*As a Biblical doctrine* that, of course, relies on the existence and fall of Adam - because **it is a part of the Biblical story of the existence and fall of Adam**. That's like arguing, "The story of Harry Potter must be true because the story of Harry Potter says that Harry was a wizard."





7) Genesis 1-11. Why are things made after different kinds?



Again - rather obviously in my opinion - that doctrine does NOT rely on the existence or fall of Adam.





8) Genesis 1-11. Why is there suffering in this world?



The simple answer given by the Bible is "sin". Again: that doctrine does *not* require that Adam existed or fell - unless you are again using the Biblical story of Adam to verify the Biblical story of Adam!





9) Genesis 1-11. Why are there so many different languages?



The Biblical story of Babel does *not* logically rely on the existence or fall of Adam!





10) Christians who believe in evolution are basically calling Jesus a liar.



Basically, you just lied!





11) Jesus referred to ADAM and EVE when he made their arguments. He referenced Genesis more than any other OT book. Genesis MATTERS.



All of those statements are *absolutely correct*! - and irrelevant to whether or not Adam existed and fell.





12) Update : If you can't trust Genesis, you might as well throw the whole Bible out.



That is a completely unreasonable assumption.





13) Genesis is not extraneous information.



Agreed. Who doesn't?





14) It is the BASIS upon which the Gospel is built.



Balderdash. **Jesus and his teachings** is the basis upon which the Gospel is built.





Note: personally, I consider Genesis to be historically accurate (except for a couple of insignificant recognized anachronisms). However: that does not mean that the things you have written are true or reasonable! There **is some merit** to the theory that some of the stories of Genesis (including the fall of Adam) are allegorical rather than historical (even though I do NOT accept that theory as true). The problem is that your argument **does a very, very poor job** of discrediting that theory!

Answer 3

Was God not clever enough to use the big bang, evolution and science as his tools then?



The Pope, Catholic Church, Church of England and mainstream churches all accept the big bang and evolution!



Lord Carey the former Archbishop of Canterbury put it rather well – “Creationism is the fruit of a fundamentalist approach to scripture, ignoring scholarship and critical learning, and confusing different understandings of truth”!



Nice that Christians and atheists can agree and laugh together even if it is at fundie expense!



But behind the laughter is the despair at the fundamentalists striving so hard to destroy Christianity by turning it from a religion to an ideology!

Answer 4

I agree that Christianity makes no sense if Adam and Eve did not literally show lack of faith in God by disobeying Him. Sin entered into the world because of that act of rebellion and Jesus came to not only undo what happened then, but to achieve even more than what Adam 'lost'.



It certainly is problematic if any professed Christian says mankind evolved from ape-like creatures, for that would utterly rule out Genesis being true. I personally do not see how that person could account for who Jesus is (the Word of God who was with God in the beginning - which alludes to Genesis 1:1) and why He suffered, died, and was resurrected.



However, I also know that no Christian is called to profess to know HOW God made everything, or even how long it took Him. We must believe Genesis 1:1 as the starting point for faith and everything else follows from that. The Genesis creation account is a theology of life starting on Earth, not a theory of the biological processes for that. But it remains clear that if Adam was not created perfect (sinless) as an actual man, then the rest of the Bible makes no sense. I do not know why some people think they can dispense with the actual man, Adam, and his actual sin against God, and still agree with Jesus being the Second Adam as explained in Romans 5:12-23.

Answer 5

The minute you take a section of the Bible which is clearly filled with symbolism and abstract lessons and turn it into a literal science/history lesson you have just invalidated the Bible.

The entire Bible is not hinged on Adam and Eve being literal historical figures. In fact, it weakens the rest of the Bible if they are literal historical figures because it diminishes all the symbolism and meaning in Genesis.

If I am being pestered by a kid and I say "Get lost, kid." I am really telling to kid to go do something other than pester me. Hopefully this kid will understand that. It takes the meaning out of my request if the kid takes it literally an ends up on the missing persons list. Figurative symbolism loses it's true meaning if you take it literally when it's not meant to be.

Answer 6

Which is why religion is wrong. Science has disproved all of those things. There was no world wide flood (Noah) There are more than 2 original DNA sequences (Adam and Eve)

I could go on but it won't do any good. The bible is a great story but that is all it is. A story that was put together by men to keep the masses in line.

Answer 7

Because they realize that acting like the Genesis story actually happened is pretty silly considering how much we know these days so their choice is either compromise or throw the entire thing out completely. It's pretty hard for some people to let go of their delusions so they choose to compromise.

Answer 8

Are you aware that the Old Testament is really a Judaic text and that most Jews do not take the Genesis story LITERALLY?

Answer 9

Only ignorant simpletons think that Genesis has to be read at face value. The majority of Christians AND even ORthodox Jews know that Genesis 1 is a poem, a song to the miracle of creation. Certainly NOT scientifically, nor historically accurate. The fall of man works just fine as an allegory/parable.

But you are probably not interested in finding out the truth. I make a prediction that you will select the answer here that "best" illustrates your own willful ignorance. So be it.



For those that care ....



Even when reading a text 'literally', one is still obliged to research the symbolism, metaphorical expressions, idioms, and at the very least, the correct translation of the terms, and of course, to understand the cultural context. The YEC fundees/fringe (and ironically some atheists) have not bothered to do so.



The funD misunderstanding "creates" a lot of controversy where none needs to be. Adam and Eve are allegorical representatives of humanity reaching self-awareness. Does the Prodigal Son have to be real? Does the Good Samaritan have to be real?

Christ taught using parables, and the allegories in Genesis 1 - 11 are no different.



One obvious symbol in Genesis 2 is " the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." The eating of its fruit represents the beginning of the mixture of good and evil together in humanity. It was believed that before our consciousness, our awareness, of good and evil, the two were separate, and the potential for evil only existed outside of us. The "talking snake" represents a manifestation of evil that existed outside of us. When the forbidden fruit was consumed and internalized, this changed and gave rise to the "yeitzer hara," or our inclination to commit evil ourselves.



The threat of "death" is not physical but spiritual. The allegorical character of Adam was not struck dead when eating the metaphorical fruit. Disobeying God and eating the fruit caused mankind to experience spiritual separation from God (being expelled from the metaphorical Garden).



Our spiritual natures and our physical drives, instincts, desires are always in conflict. This spiritual separation from God (aka "sin") was given the opportunity to be healed, and humanity to be redeemed, through the physical sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Christ showed humanity that physical death is just one part of our existence, that we are also spiritual beings and can we can find our way back to "paradise" (the metaphorical garden where humanity can co-exist with God), by having faith that our spiritual duality is ultimately more important than our mere physical existence. The power of LOVE comes from God. The power of LOVE can heal all spiritual mistakes. The power of LOVE is manifested in the human form of Christ. As Christ said to the thief crucified with Him, "today you will be with me in paradise" -- a return to the "garden" where God and humanity can again dwell together in harmony.



Here's the thing, those who read Genesis at face value are forced to live in denial of physical, tangible, scientific evidence that proves the universe and life did not "pop" into being as outlined in Genesis 1. They have no choice but to ignore the world God created.



Those that read it correctly, can enjoy and appreciate science, and also stand in awe of God's awesome power at work in the universe.



Evolution is a biological fact of life. Denying it won't change reality. Common descent is proven by our own DNA. Ignoring that fact will change nothing at all.



You are basically the ones claiming that the Bible is worthless, and God is a liar, because you refuse to acknowledge the fact that Genesis 1 - 11 ARE allegories, and biology, organic chemistry, physics, astronomy, cosmology, geology, archeology, paleontology, etc. all prove that Genesis 1 is not factually accurate.

Answer 10

Jesus is not mentioned in the Old Testament. God created evolution.

Answer 11

You are completely correct. That is why when the clergy compromise and say that the Genesis account is "figurative", they have burnt the rest of the Bible.