If we are ALL descendants of Adam and Eve, then aren't we all committing incest? I thought that was a sin?

Question

Hey, I'm just the messenger folks.

Answer 1

Hmmm....its against the law in the United States...does that constitute a sin? The relationship is so far removed that it would not fall under the umbrella of incest I would think.

Worse, that some of you here might be somehow related to me...now that is frightening. Message rejected.
**JENN**

Answer 2

Nice thinking, what you're saying is that we're all related in some way. Personally, I wouldn't say we're all committing incest, because a great majority of us are unrelated, and those ancestors Adam and Eve would have been from a great long time ago. What is considered incest today is more like a definition. For example, at one point the Catholic Church felt that being with anyone related to you closer in blood than your seventh cousin was incest-- and a sin. That's ridiculous, seeing that a 7th cousin would only have great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents in common! Who would have known? Anyway, you'll be okay.

Answer 3

Actually, if you read the Bible past Genesis you would see that the authors explain that Adam & Eve were simply the first man & woman created... God went on to create many more people (not just through the descendants of Adam - otherwise tracing geneology back to him - as several biblical heroes and heroines do - would be moot) throughout the earth. Thus - we are not all descendants of Adam. I would further argue that the authors of Genesis (as well as the other books of both testaments) were not writing in a literalistic manner - but in a Midrashic manner (well-known in Jewish circles) which seeks to use symbolism to analyze and investigate the unknowable nature of God. For example, Genesis not only shows God as a supreme Creator who is behind our very existence - but also establishes a strict social hierarchy (God above man, man above woman, men above the earth). By reaffirming this social hierarchy the authors are helping to reaffirm the status quo of their time - and to some extent our own. A great resource for further Midrashic examples is Bishop Spong (a modern author in Christian investigation).

Answer 4

because the gene pool is so far spread out now we can date each other as long as we aren't dating close family. (read first cousins or closer) because of the CLOSENESS of the gene pool. The odds of having a genetic disease in any offspring that would occur would be signifigantly high it would be dangerous for them and THAT is why you are not allowed to date anyone in your family. as for adam and eve it was acceptable back then just long enough to populate the earth. However, now it is no longer necessary since the earth is clearly populated.

It became unacceptable for Lot's Daughters to have sex with him. They had to get him drunk. Their concern was that there were no other men. That's how long incenst has been unacceptable. It says in Deuteronomy you should not lie with family in the way a man lies with a woman.

Answer 5

How is this a contradition? The laws against incest weren't established until ages after Adam and Eve.

Answer 6

I can explain, I am sorry I cannot find the source

But the commandment for incest was after Adam, meaning this did not apply to Adam and first children.

Answer 7

Are we all truly descendants of Adam and Eve or are they the only examples given in Genesis?

Answer 8

Incest is imediate family and is brothers -sisters mothers-sons fathers-daugthers uncles-neices nephews-aunts grandfather and grandaughters grandmothers and grandsons.... outside of these imediate relations is not incest. Incest laws did not come until the law of Moses.

Answer 9

Immediate family members and cousins are incest, its against nature and God, cause you can have retarded children from the crash of biological information. God rather not have it, but it's not a sin, because it's not loving evil.

Answer 10

The Nephilim was satans way of corrupting our DNA, and then theres all the races, thanks to the tower of babel, so who knows, if we are the original DNA from Adam and Eve annyways.