Dr.GH
Posts: 2333
Joined: May 2002
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| Quote (RFJE @ Feb. 21 2009,12:56) | If these well-meaning folks want to combine evolution with the Bible, they would have to construct a model that does not "destroy" Adam. Let me explain.
Please indulge me even hypothetically for a moment, as if I'm reporting my findings of mythology.
According to the Bible, Adam started a chain reaction. He brought sin, and because of sin he brought death. The law was added later to define sin and show man what sin was. But it had no power to help man to do right or forgive sin. A complex sacrificial worship system was set up to "push back" sin, until the redeemer came. Christ came and was seen by God as the perfect eternal sacrifice, and He is declared to be the way to God, through faith in his sacrifice.
If death came in the world because it just the ending of biological processes--starting at microorganisms--then the story of Adam is a myth or some kind of symbolic story--then there is no such thing as the original sin, nor the sin nature of man which we inherited from Adam, and therefore the death of Christ is meaningless. Then Christ and the apostles are either crazy, or liars.
Then there is no basis for the church or Christians, because there is no need for Christ, and Christ is the only person who authorizes the church--the Bible is the only source where the church finds its foundation.
SO to mesh the two is to say the church is just a social club of do-gooders, hypocrites, sexual deviates, and simpletons who need "the opiate for the masses." |
I see that your theology is a primitive as your nonexistent grasp of science. As a friend (and professional {ordained} Christian) once observed, "When I sin, I don't need to blame God, or Adam." You have not read any of the books I recommended above, and then you arrogantly demand that they satisfy your weak biblical understanding.
It is commonly pointed out that animals don't sin because they act in a way consistent with their nature. (I have had dogs with a seemingly highly developed sense of guilt- but this can be better seen as a typical placation behavior... Maybe that is all we have). Humans view themselves as apart from nature. (Then there are many that turn about and insist they are competent to tell us all just what God(s) want, demand and expect). We humans invented sin, and this can easily be reconciled with Genesis. We humans are also the only critters that experience strong dissociative states. We even induce them for religious and recreational activities.
There is not the least need for a literal Genesis to identify to origin of sin- or at least the origin of the notion of sin.
You need to do some reading about the Bible, too.
I recommend starting with some good studies of Genesis:
Since the doctrine of Original Sin was largely from Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354-430) you must read "The Literal Meaning of Genesis" (De Genesi ad litteram libri duodecim) particularly the translation is by J. H. Taylor in Ancient Christian Writers, Newman Press, 1982, volume 41.
Then (in alphabetical order)
Jewish Publication Society
2004 “The Jewish Study Bible: TANAKA translation” Oxford University Press.
Speiser, E. A.
1962 "Genesis: Introduction, Translation and Notes" New York: Anchor Bible- Doubleday
And for a more literalist approach,
Hamilton, Victor P.
1990 “The Book of Genesis: Chapters 1-17” Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co.
To contextualize Genesis within the Bible;
Barr, James
2005 “History and Ideology in the Old Testament: Biblical Studies at the end of a Millennium” Oxford University Press
Blenkinsopp, Joseph
1992 The Pentateuch: An Introduction to the First Five Books of the Bible The Anchor Bible Reference Library New York: ABRL/Doubleday
Dahood, Mitchell
1965 Psalms I, 1-50: Introduction, Translation and Notes New York: Anchor Bible- Doubleday
Pope, Marvin H.
1965 “Job: A new translation with Introduction and Commentary” Anchor Bible Vol. 15, New York: ABRL/Doubleday
The first volume of Dahood's 3 vol study of the Psalms in essential as much for the linguistic studies in his introduction as anything else. Text Critical analysis of some of the later Psalms, e.g. Ps 89 are particularly interesting, but you will need the second volume for that one. This should lead you to a more careful reading of the larger, extrabiblical literature of the Ancient Near East. Here I recommend;
Bodine, Walter R., (Ed.)
1992 "Linguistics and Biblical Hebrew." Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns
Brotzman, Ellis R.
1994 "Old Testament textural criticism: a practical introduction." Grand Rapids: Baker Academic
Brown F., Driver S., Briggs C.
2007 (reprint from 1906) “Hebrew and English Lexicon: With an Appendix Containing the Biblical Aramaic: With Strong’s Numbering” Peabody Mass: Hendrickson Publishers (The Strong’s catalog #s was added by Hendrickson Publishers).
(I assume you already have some version of Strong's. I found a recent edition, “The Strongest Strong’s exhaustive concordance of the Bible (KJV) for the 21st Century, 2001 edition (original 1894)” revised and edited Kohlenberger, James R. III, Swanson, James A. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, to be superior to others I have seen, or used).
Dalley, Stephanie
2000 "Myths from Mesopotamia: Creation, The Flood, Gilgamesh, and Others." Revised Oxford: Oxford University Press
Friedman, Richard Elliott
1987 Who Wrote the Bible? New York:Harper and Row (Paperback Edition)
Kramer, Samuel Noah
1972 "Sumerian Mythology: A study of Spiritual and Literary Achievement in the Third Millenium B.C." OP 1961 New York: University of Pennsylvania Press/ Harper.
Now this will lead into more linguistics and the Bible. Here are some excellent introductions- particularly to the remarkable literature from Ugarit;
Cross, Frank Moore
1973 "Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic: Essays in the History of the Religion of Israel." Boston: Harvard University Press
Matthews, Victor H., Don C. Benjamin
2006 “Old Testament Parallels: Law and Stories from the Ancient Near East” New York: The Paulist Press.
Pardee, Dennis
2002 "Writings from the Ancient World Vol. 10: Ritual and Cult at Ugarit" Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature
Parker, Simon B. (Editor)
1997 "Ugarit Narrative Poetry Translated by Mark S. Smith, Simon B. Parker, Edward L Greenstein, Theodore J. Lewis, David Marcus, Vol. 9 Writings from the Ancient World." Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature
Sparks, Kenton L.
2005 “Ancient Texts for the Study of the Hebrew Bible” Peabody PA: Hendrickson Publishers
Walton, John H.
2006 “Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament” Grand Rapids: Baker Academic Press
Now that you are ready for reading some solid synthesis of biblical history and theology, I suggest;
Barr, James
2005 “History and Ideology in the Old Testament: Biblical Studies at the end of a Millennium” Oxford University Press
Smith, Mark S.
2002 “The Early History of God, 2nd ed.” Grand Rapids: Wm B Eerdmans Publishing
_
2003 “The Origins of Biblical Monotheism: Israel's Polytheistic Background and the Ugaritic Texts” Oxford University Press.
Zevit, Ziony
2001 "The Religions of Ancient Israel: A Synthesis of Parallactic Approaches” New York: Continuum Press
It is possible, in fact necessary for your claim to be an expert in the Bible to be accepted, you have already read most of these books. If not, I reject your biblical competence assertions as well.
Edited by Dr.GH on Feb. 21 2009,14:23
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"Science is the horse that pulls the cart of philosophy."
L. Susskind, 2004 "SMOLIN VS. SUSSKIND: THE ANTHROPIC PRINCIPLE"
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