Why do some Christians assume that everyone descended from Adam & Eve?

Question

Are they not aware that there are hundreds of creation stories, and the one they favor isn't compatible with (or even mentioned in) any of the others?

Christians, have you ever considered that your family tree can not be traced back to Adam, Eve, or Noah? Why do you think this is?

Before the alternative views of Christian creation roll out, let me state now that I am aware that the story is not meant to be taken literally. This question is addressed to those that do take it as a literal account of historical creation. If you have problems with anyone taking this account literally, take it up with them and tell THEM that they're wrong.

Reality Man, I didn't use them as a template, didn't you read the question's header? I could swear I specifically said "some Christians" and not "all Christians." Oh, that's right, I did. It says so right there in the question's header. Is that good enough for you, or would you prefer I start naming specific people?

Tony RC, according to Jews, it occured approximately 5768 years ago. Would you like a link to the Jewish Calendar?

Answer 1

Because it says so in the Bible, and the Bible is the infallible word of God, even the contradictions and errors. It has to be - the preacher said so!

Answer 2

First of all this is no assumption. What we believe about the creation of man is based on the Bible. And how can you say that it isn't traceable. To some people you can't even trace back 3 to 4 generations. It's no mistery of why we can't trace back. We don't even know the exact # of years ago Adam and Eve were alive. No one does. It's probably impossible to figure it out but this is not the answer your looking for. My answer to your question is because of Faith to the Word of God. Think about it, if this were false why would God put this into his word? I know what you're thinking and I agree he didn't write it but he did inspire the people that did write it. That's not it, the bible is The Book that has had more persecution and enemies than any other in all of human history-yet it's the most known, it's the most poplular the most soled. How can this be? Easy it's God's will to protect it from being extinct because it's His Word. THE END(sorry it's so long-I got carried away. lol)

Answer 3

If one were to have faith in Christianity then one would assume that the beginning of life came from Adam and Eve. Is it probable, not likely, but if we are to put our faith in the teachings of the Bible than this would be the most relatable scenario for Christians. Also, it's not just Christians, but Judaism is based off the Old Testament, and Genesis is the first book of the Torah as well as the Bible....

Answer 4

Adam and Eve isn't really literal, it's a traditional Jewish story associated with the creation of the world. no one really knows how old the earth is, or when humans came to be on it. my guess is evolution. I'm a Christian who recognizes that Adam and Eve is just a traditional account of how sin came into the world. it probably didn't happen that way. my guess is man had the ability to do good or evil, and he did evil.

Answer 5

The people that you are alluding to are Christians who take the Bible literally. If they have bought those stories exactly as told, you're probably not going to have much luck reasoning with them.

I have a problem with people like you who use people like them as a template for all Christians. I don't think that most educated Christians see the story of Adam and Eve or Noah's Ark as much more than parables...but definitely worthy of study.

Just like there are a lot of what you apparently consider "ignorant" Christians, it only stands to reason that there are equally as many "ignorant" atheists. If some atheist sets his children on fire in some jealous rage, am I then to assume that all atheists like to burn up their children? One atheist doesn't speak for all atheists.

You might try having some conversations with more Christians; you obviously haven't scratched the surface with your "research" on Christians. You might find that they are a lot more thoughtful than you originally estimated.

If there is a God – and I believe strongly that there is – you are the guy who will have some explaining to do, not me. Still, I don’t think that you’re going to Hell. I actually don’t believe that God is that petty. He might be a little disappointed in you for not giving His existence a little more thought, however.

Answer 6

According to current findings in genetics, scientist claim that all human beings are descendents from one single woman. It also shows that they are descended from one single man, who appears to have lived about 1000 years after the woman. (In the range the Bible appears to place between Eve and Noah).

As Noah had three daughter-in-laws, each descended from Eve, the line would be traced through tehm back to Eve. But all the males (his three sons) came from Noah, so the line would be untracable back beyond him.

"Two efforts have recently been published on DNA comparisons of the world’s women and men. The conclusion is that all women in the world have descended from a single female ancestor, and that all men in the world have descended from a single male ancestor.

In 1987 a UC Berkeley group reported that DNA studies of a larger number of women worldwide show that they are all descended from a common female ancestor. Molecular filaments extending from the DNA nucleus — called mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) — are inherited maternally. Of ~1016 mtDNA molecules within a typical human, they are usually identical. Mutations of mtDNA occur several times faster than those in the nucleus, so that there are sufficient differences in the global population to be statistically significant (even though a majority of code sites still show no variation)."

Ref:Rebecca L. Cann, Mark Stoneking Stoneking, and Allen C. Wilson, "Mitochondrial DNA and human evolution," Nature, 325, pp. 31–36 (1 January 1987).

In 1995 Dorit, et al., reported that paternally-inherited DNA studies of a representative cross section of the world’s male population show no variation, and hence that all men are descended from a single male ancestor. Special care was taken to assure a representative distribution throughout the world’s ethnic population. They express surprise, as the finding is inconsistent with expectations from evolution theories. Using a mean mutation rate deduced from an evolutionary framework, they calculate that the common male ancestor was less than 800,000 years ago (95% confidence) and probably less than 27,000 years ago, assuming a rapidly diverging population (the star model). Because the mutation rate is much more likely to have been underestimated than overestimated, these ages are likely to be reduced further. Dorit consider four possibilities: (1) A recent origin for modern Homo sapiens, (2) A recent selective sweep, (3) Recurrent male population bottlenecks, or (4) Historically small effective male population sizes (which they dismiss in footnote 15 as implausible for a 300,000 year period). The first would suggest Adam, the second and third would suggest Noah, and the fourth lacks credibility.

Ref:Robert L. Dorit, Hirashi Akashi, and Walter Gilbert, "Absence of Polymorphism at the ZFY Locus on the Human Y Chromosome," Science, 268, pp. 1183–1185 (26 May 1995).

The deduced existence of a single female ancestor, and also of a probably-later single male ancestor, is easily understood in terms of the Genesis account of (Adam and) Eve and then Noah. The dating of the common female ancestor is not now concordant with the Genesis chronology, though redating the colonizations of Australia and New Guinea consistent with Genesis chronology presently comes within a factor of two for Eve; the upper-limit dating of the male ancestor is consistent with both Adam and Noah.

While the last word has yet to be spoken on the DNA evidence, as of now challenging the Genesis account has been, and still is, fraught with risk."

Sure sounds to me like there is a good reason to argue that all humans are decended from Adam/Eve and Noah.

Answer 7

Just a response to those that are twisting the genetic research about the genetic "adam" and "eve"
It does NOT support the Adam & Eve story. it says that:
our most recent paternal ancestor would have been about 84,000 years younger than our maternal one.
So there is no adam and eve. This supports more Evolution.

Answer 8

You are so wrong. Go to the Discovery Channel's website.
The Scientists now have proof that Adam and Eve really did exist. They can prove through DNA that we can be traced back to the start of creation. Dare to read Atheists.

Answer 9

We don't assume everyone descended from Adam and Eve, we believe they did.

As far as I know, nobody has achieved the feat of tracing humanity back to its very origins, not even scientific theorists. So the story of Adam and Eve as contained in the Bible has as much factual basis as any other theory.

Answer 10

the huge majority of Christians do no longer interpret this tale as literal. Even the Catholic church has formally stated as Genesis a metaphor and helps evolution. there are in ordinary terms a handful of idiots that surely think of Genesis is an argument of actuality. And from an evolution viewpoint, we did all evolve from a single race from Africa.

Answer 11

as a Catholic I have always know that Adam and Eve symbolizes the rest of humankind. I wasn't aware that there are people who actually believe that Adam and Eve (as in those two people) really existed.