Reply #213: About the paradox

[sangh0]

I'd like to urge you to rid yourself of the idea that to be a Christian one must interpret the Bible literally. I, and a majority of Christians, do not believe this. Even the Pope has said that Hell, which according to the Bible is a specific place, is not a specific place but instead a state of mind/soul.

IMO, the Creation myths (please note that there is more than one creation myth in Genesis. More on this below) are not meant to be interpreted as literal and detailed descriptions of how the universe, the Earth, and life, were created. Instead, they are metaphors which are designed to help us understand the nature of the universe and nature of life. Because they are metaphors, we need not be overly concerned if some of the facts from one creation myth seem to contradict some of the facts from another creation myth.

So before I'd make any attempt to reconcile the differences between Genesis and evolution, I'd first want to reconcile the differences between the two most well-known creation myths from the Bible, one of which describes the universe as being created in 7 days, and the other known as the story of Adam and Eve.

In the first myth, God creates the animals, and later creates both Man and Woman at the same time. In Adam and Eve, God creates Adam, then He creates animals to amuse Adam (who names them and then gets bored), and THEN he creates Eve. The sequences of these stories differ, and therefore contradict themselves. But that should only bother those who require that the Bible be interpreted literally. I am under no such illusion.