Exothermic

       Did Adam and Eve really exist just like what the Christian Bible have illustrated? Or were they just an allegory created so that it will be easy for the primitive human to comprehend? These two questions came into me out-of-the-blue on a cold winter morning. I am a Christian, a full-pledge Christian, and I have believed the story of the Bible from the moment I could differentiate Adam from Eve. But, lately I begin to question the way how it is being understood. It is not that I no longer believed; it is on how we should have interpreted the story that I am concerned with. To make everything straight, I am not going to prove the Bible wrong in fact I believe it to be divinely guided, I am just going to throw some doubts the way we handle the truth.

What allegedly happened in the Garden of Eden as told in the Bible is a widely accepted story by a vast majority of Christians prima facie. However, scientific evidence contradicts the logic of creation to be based on this story. There had been a number of scientific studies made to trace back our ancestry and the results won’t lead us back to the first couple. Although, the researchers conceded that we really have a Mitochondrial Eve or a common single lineage. But even then, it does not suggest that we originated from a single woman only, otherwise it is nearly impossible for us to flourish due to population bottle neck. Besides, the Bible also did tell that the first couple sons found their wives from other places (that if they did exist in the first place). [Note that Mitochondrial Eve is drawn from the same matrilineal tree forward in time by starting with all contemporary human females. I am not in the position to explain deeply how the theory works so, if needed to be understood clearly what it is all about; one can just “Google” the word “mitochondrial DNA”.]

Notwithstanding, radical Christians can always say God works in many mysterious ways and the story of the first couple could be one of it. But, we cannot just submit our logic to the literal interpretation of the story or else we are no better than those religious fanatics. Should we not consider that maybe the story is just an allegory? Think it this way: if it is difficult for a modern man to understand the natural phenomenon going around him, one cannot be too scientific in explaining to an ancient man his origin. It is good to note that even later it was difficult to believe that the Earth revolves around the Sun much more about evolution. I certainly do believe that human evolved from what we were before (not just apes) to what we are now; just like we evolve from a medieval man to a computer age superhuman. Evolution isn’t impossible for we all acknowledge that a day to God is a thousand years for us.

So how should we interpret the story? In my humble opinion, I believed that there is more to the story than what meets the eye. Basically, the story emphasizes human knowledge and the love of God. Firstly, the story illustrates how dangerous knowledge could be if taken beyond His approval and intended purpose. The serpent could just be a personification of what human will be when we misuse our knowledge and how it affects our relationship with God. More knowledge means more choices. More choices means more chances of sinning. Ironically, the wiser we are the more we become aware of our inequities to God. When we know that we have sinned against Him who made us, it is like going naked in front of Him because there is just nothing we can hide from Him. Now, we have the idea how Adam and Eve have felt when they gained the knowledge and was confronted by God. Secondly, the story also illustrates the unfathomable love of God. Note that in the story, God didn’t just simply replace the first couple with another more law abiding citizen. He could have just reprogram their mind or simply restart all over again just like what we will do when the much hyped Vista OS failed to perform what was advertised: reinstall. Eventually, they were punished but at the same time they were provided. And so the story goes on.

For now I have to conclude that Adam and Eve might be the ancestor of the Jews but they cannot be mine, it is just simply beyond my logic. It is easier for me to believe that the story sends a subtle message across the whole of Christianity rather than accept it literally. I also believe that there is always a point where science and religion can co-exist. It is foolishness when we close our minds to the indisputable facts science have produced and blindly accept what religion teaches; radicalism starts when we accept what we don’t understand. It is also a disaster when a person of science closes its mind from the virtues of religion; we could hasten the demise of our race when we go on unguided by the principles God had clearly laid.

To God be the glory.

“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” (F. Scott Fitzgerald)