Where did we really come from?

@gicolet (1702)
United States
November 17, 2008 7:24pm CST
Are we descendants of Adam and Eve or are we from an ape-like ancestor? Which one do you believe in?
2 people like this
14 responses
@iZoran (111)
• Serbia And Montenegro
18 Nov 08
Although I have an interest in this, I also have no firm opinions on much that I have studied regarding the Bible. The book of Genesis is in my opinion, poorly translated seeming to start then start again! The original Adam story in the Jewish Talmud tells of Adams first wife Lilith who was created equal to Adam, and refused to play second best so was banished by God who then created Eve from rib of Adam. The Biblical story of Adam and Eve refers to Gods in the plural and also to Adam in the plural as if Adam were a name of a race. Genesis also says that the sons of God saw the daughters of men and took them as their wives. So basically Genesis is an interesting book worthy of much exploration. The Bible itself is just a collection of books that have been accepted as worthy of appearance, however there exists many other books which didn't quite make it! Looking at the Biblical version we have God creating man from mud and woman from the rib of Adam, and if we look at God as being the master scientist then this is not so improbable seeing as man is made from proteins which are made from amino acids, or basic elements found in the earth. Also every living thing is simply a different mix of amino acids, makes you wonder that we have much in common with a tree! Todays scientific technology is not so far away from extracting dna from a rib and creating women of our own. (Makes me wish I'd become a scientist!) The weirdest explanation however of mans appearance on earth comes from Sumerian mythology, stories apparently much older than the Bible which tell of a race of beings called Nephilim (also mentioned in the Bible as those who took the daughters of men...) in his studies, Zeccharia Sitchin reveals how this ancient mythology tells how the Nephilim wished to create a slave worker (LULU) to help them complete their tasks on earth. A creature similar to them apparently existed on earth in those days (possibly Apes?) which 'were similar to them' (The Nephilim) A complex story then unfolds which would sound quite bizzarre without our present day knowledge of science. Female Nephilim were impregnated with the seed of the earth creature, and the results were doccumented. A whole series of experiments is outlined where every possible combination is tried. Seed of earth creature with egg of Nephilim, Seed of Nephilim with egg of earth creature. Insemination, implantation, you name it every variation was tried. The end result was man, similar in every way but with a foreskin. It was later decided to create woman as it would be quicker for man to reproduce than it would be to keep up with the implantations and many things went wrong. It seems our frustrated Nephilim scientists finally created themselves implanted into an earth creature giving rise to the term 'Original Sin' Origin meaning source and sin meaning a transgression. It makes you wonder then about foreskin-less Phallic symbols in ancient history and if these may be a reference to the 'Gods' or Nephilim? Also, as much of this is tied in with Jewish mythology could this then be an explanation of the reason behind circumcision? Loads to ponder really!
@gicolet (1702)
• United States
18 Nov 08
Wow...that's very interesting. That's really something to think about. Thanks for sharing.
@nake89 (557)
• Finland
10 Dec 08
Evolution. - Each depiction between man an "monkey" is an evolutionary step towards the future.
I like any person with any education believes in evolution. Speciation is a proved fact. Adam and Eve is glorified dogma.
@patgalca (18164)
• Orangeville, Ontario
18 Nov 08
The ape theory doesn't sit right with me. There are still apes on this planet. How did an ape evolve into a human being? How could they have started as fish and become apes and then humans? Sorry, it just doesn't wash with me. Adam and Eve are the first human beings and we are all decendents of them.
@redchase (347)
18 Nov 08
i love discussions like these. we DID NOT evolve from monkeys. we both came from a common ancestor. that is why we are both different but still exist. its like an automobile company making cars and trucks. they both came from the same place but are different things. we are great apes but different types of apes. nothing really hard about it. its easy to see the evidence by seeing transitional fossils. and the fish thing, its all a matter of adaptation to environments. we can see evolution in our lifetime with other animals, so its not something that is impossible. and if you sit down and think about it, we're animals so it happens.
@gicolet (1702)
• United States
18 Nov 08
lol I know...I believe in the evolution of man but how come there are still apes on earth? That's what I don't get. Can you imagine Gisele Bundchen came from an ape ancestor? It's amazing how it happened.
@gicolet (1702)
• United States
18 Nov 08
oh, my message above was for patgalca.
@edujccz (929)
• Philippines
19 Nov 08
I am a simple man so I go basic, evolution until now was never been proven, lets go to relationship Adam and eve are handsome and beautiful thus men and women are beautiful Adam and eve can talk, men women can talk Adam and eve are sinful, the monkeys are sinless Adam and eve can think and decide, monkeys until this time still live in trees the only relationship i have with the ape is that i know how to climb ha ha ha ha ha LOL funny theories,LOL see yourself in the mirror and you will know the answer LOL.
• Thailand
21 Nov 08
iZoran you are correct in your statement that understanding the DNA code will have incredible consequences. It already has. With the human genome now fully sequenced one of the main consequences that has resulted its irrefutable proof of the facts of evolution. There's no denying it, we are the product of evolution. Evolution, being a fact does not detract from our spiritual nature and in no way disproves the existence of God. Evolution and God can coexist, there is no reason to deny either. Dr. Francis Collins the director of the Human Genome Project is in fact an evangelical Christian. He finds no conflict with the facts of evolution and his commitment to a belief in God. If this man, who has a far greater understanding of the facts than either you or I can reconcile his belief in God with a full understanding that evolution is a fact an ongoing process why can't you? Being spiritual does not require ignorance of science and faith in a myth. You can not be spiritual if you do not understand how the world works. Evolution is an important part of how the world works and it is better to do a little research and understand the process than it is to blindly deny it because it somehow threatens your faith. Knowledge does not endanger you it is in fact an important step on the road to enlightenment.
@edujccz (929)
• Philippines
20 Nov 08
redchase good day to you, Oh oh oh, you gave me a head ache,you seems to have studied a lot about the behaviour of this species.Sorry but I failed science when i was a kid and more so that im not interested. Any way just for discussion,its a natural thing that a living species will have to make their beds and be comfortable, a year to a man is seven years to a dogs life,every animal has a feeling and some of them shed tears, better a parrot coz he can mimic a word,my dog even cry and has more intelligence than a chimpz, better a parrot that can mimic a word, my neighbor whose face is more like a bulldog then his ancestor is more of a dog,LOL , just for laughs. I wonder why many dont stop telling that their ancestor are the apes, just maybe because they cannot accept that there is a God. for me I will not accept either for I'm more beautiful than an ape and I thank God for that. LOL On the other areas of this topic, people will say there is ignorance for not believing in evolution theory, why so important? Does every one need to master science in order to live, Is it more important than knowing God? But I do like climbing trees, LOL Happy posting!!!
@redchase (347)
19 Nov 08
lets see.. can you honestly tell me theres no such thing as an ugly ape and a good looking ape? even chimps recognize that there is beauty amongst them and in the world. look some stuff up. it'll enlighten you. some chimps like watching sunsets. some chimps in labs work to see pictures of attractive female chimps. apes can talk, maybe not in the same vocal way that you and i talk but they have a complex communication system that has obviously helped them stay alive. their communication system is made up of body language, vocal sounds, and facial gestures. the sin part im not sure of. if you consider cruel murder a sin, then apes have been capable of it and not for survival either. apes have been known to take part in warfare for territory. much like gangs do. just for territory not because of need. and apes do have a thought process. it has been tested that chimps and gorillas have the approximate intelligence of a 4 year old child. apes make tools to use and are even capable of lying. in the wild apes have been known to make beds in which to sleep. they even play in the rain. so maybe they just like living outside or maybe they dont have the intelligence to build permanent homes. i mean, go ask a 4 year old to make a house and see how far that gets you. dont tell me that the only things you have in common with apes is that you can swing from trees. look at some monkey pictures and tell me you havent seen a person that looks slightly like that.
@Mel_G_23 (14)
18 Nov 08
In all honesty, I believe we are descendants from apes, but I prefer the Adam and Eve theory!!
18 Nov 08
Why can't both be correct?
@012401 (200)
• Philippines
18 Nov 08
Adam and Eve is not a theory, that is fact based from the Bible. Rather man came from apes is just a theory.
• Thailand
18 Nov 08
012401 the story of Adam and Eve is a myth warped in religious dogma. Evolution is proven scientific fact.
• United States
4 Dec 08
Evolution is THE central theory of biology. no other concept accounts for biological phenomena like evolution can. a serious scientific discussion of biology cannot occur without some appeal to this concept. In my experience, those who disagree with evolution do so because they are ignorant of it on some level. evolution is one of the strongest concepts in science. this is not emphasized enough. it has withstood nearly 150 years of scrutiny including the DNA explosion. if anything was going to disprove a concept that is essentially about heredity it would have been DNA and genetics. much the opposite, they overwhelmingly agree with evolution. We do not have to appeal to darwin to save evolution, the current body of evidence is much much larger than he ever could have imagined. We have the fossil record which shows a logical chronology of life from primitive to modern forms. we have genetics which are direct indicators of heredity. any given species has billions upon billions of base pairs, the only way to have the same code in the same region is through heredity. since there are so many regions of DNA, any of them can be compared. DNA codes for amino acids which make proteins which do everything the body needs. the amino acid code is redundant, meaning more than one code can produce the same amino acid. this eliminates design since the number of DNA sequences that can produce the same individual is a far larger number than you can comprehend. cytochrome c is a protein that nearly every organism has. one study calculated that there are 2.3x10^93 (thats 2 followed by 93 zeros) possible functional sequences of this protein alone. function is not a reason to have the same sequence, only heredity. then there are ERVs, endogenous retroviruses. viruses infect cells by inserting their genetic information and highjacking the cell's machinery. well sometimes they infect a sperm or egg and their insertion gets passed on. what are the chances that the same virus infected unrelated animals in the same region of DNA? pretty much impossible. can design produce this? No! this isnt a percentage of the copias evidence for evolution and here's the best part: every one of these lines of evidence links humans with other apes, most closely chimpanzees. We are related to chimpanzees. That is a fact. every biological indicator of heredity agrees and not a SINGLE one disagrees. however you want to fit that into your religion or philosophy is your business but as far as anything factual is concerned, we are related to chimpanzees.
• India
18 Nov 08
i am surprised that in this ultra modern age also people like u all belive in a story of adam and eve,the whole world cannot be made with in a few days it all was made in years and years and is still developing into some what which the humans cannot discover.but there is a supreme power which made start to this universe but not like this myth story
@gicolet (1702)
• United States
18 Nov 08
shivram, i didn't say I believe in the story of adam and eve. The story exists and it's hard to ignore when a lot of religious people still believes in it thus I asked the question.
@gicolet (1702)
• United States
19 Nov 08
That's true. A lot of religious people are so emotional and totally blinded by the teachings of their church. They should really try to be logical and not stick to what they were brought up to believe.
• Thailand
18 Nov 08
Let me see if I have this right? What you are asking is if I believe an old Sumerian myth from the Bronze Age or whether I believe in the best evidence twenty-first century science can provide. That is a bit of a no brainer. I will go with the answers from science that have some real relevance in my life. I always chose knowledge over ignorance.
@Galena (9110)
18 Nov 08
apes. much more likely. in fact, seeing as we are a species of ape, even our parents were apes, let alone ancestors.
@sweety_81 (2124)
• India
11 Dec 08
With all due respect to all the major Religious Texts ;I believe more of the Human Evolutionary Theory that says we and Monkeys evolved from a single branch of Primeval Apes . We branched away Millions of years ago . The Human beings are probably 2 Million Years Old .
• United States
19 Nov 08
what a Q. where does anyone begin. i definitly am not religious so id say the latter. However even that explaination has so many loopholes, so say we did descend from apes, what did apes descend from? I took pyshical geology in school and a lot of evolution can be seen in the rocks, however its like having 2 pieces of a 10000000 piece puzzle to guess what the picture is.
@iZoran (111)
• Serbia And Montenegro
21 Nov 08
My point exactly islander 7, where did this human ingenuity evolve from?
@Abear1 (20)
• United States
18 Nov 08
I was raised to believe The Adam and Eve story which is a Catholic belife. The Catholics also frown on Incest. So the problem is Incest had to happen in order to continue procreation of Human Beings on Earth. They never talk about that.
@nake89 (557)
• Finland
10 Dec 08
Well myths usually don't make much sense.
1 person likes this
18 Nov 08
No incest was necessary. People are not taught the who truth. Read for your self, in chapter one on day six God created man and woman, he created them at the same time, how ever it does not say he created Adam on the sixth day, Adam had not yet been created, he was not the first man. In chapter two you will read that after the seventh day, God was walking through the forest and found there was no man to till the ground, so he formed Adam from the dust of the ground.... Later he made eve because "it was not good for man(Adam) to be alone, and "NONE OF THE LESSER SPIECIES WERE A SUTIBLE MATE". Look closely at what it is saying. There were already men and women on earth when God made Adam and Eve, the reason he made Eve, was to be a suitable mate for Adam. Why were not the previous man suitable? Evolution does play a role in life, God used it and still uses it. But as further evidence, Cain went away and married one of these other "women", and if you see the reason God sent the flood, and why he spared Noah? Because the bible says Noah was perfect in his generations. The bible and especially the book of genesis is about a particular blood line of man, There are three mentioned in genesis, the first bloodline of man, the Adamic bloodline, and the bloodline of Cain, through out the bible this is repeated often. It is a royal blood line that still exists.
1 person likes this
@gicolet (1702)
• United States
18 Nov 08
freethinkingagent, I agree that people were not taught the whole truth. If Adam was not the first man though then who was? If lesser species were not suitable mate for Adam then were those lesser species the apes? If they were apes then I don't think they were considered men. You said men and women were already on earth before God created Adam and Eve. You said Cain married one of these women. Who was it? An ape woman? Aggh! sorry...I'm so confused I'm not even ready to talk about Noah.
1 person likes this
@randis1 (112)
• United States
18 Nov 08
Why not both?
@randis1 (112)
• United States
19 Nov 08
How is it not a very logical proposition? Read Gould.
@randis1 (112)
• United States
19 Nov 08
Or Ruse. "Can a Darwinian be a Christian"
@iZoran (111)
• Serbia And Montenegro
21 Nov 08
I was wondering Islander 7 if you can be completely satisfied in your science? I haven't seen or heard of any examples of any other species closely related to us or not who have self awareness and conscience and ability to do complex mathematics, invent cars and trains and telly's etc, create works of art, great buildings and on and on. Did this ability evolve from one of these other species? Surely the fact that man thinks, creates, invents, poses and resolves problems etc etc did not evolve? Does this statement alone justify the need and existence for religion? Look again. By ignoring the mind of man which clearly sets us apart from animals, we are putting ourselves distinctly in the category of animals. So whilst Pavlov observes dogs, science controls people on his findings, basically controlling the animal within and denying the true nature of a human, which is spiritual. Looking at adam and eve and rejecting it based on science is immature and misguided. The Bible is not about science. It is about mans true spiritual nature. The only guides to this nature in science are the numerous psychotherapies, psychologies which treat man as an animal, which have never worked and will never work because they deny the actual core of who and what mankind is. What do you think?
@mythociate (21438)
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
6 Mar 13
Both. Whether we were created or evolved, there was a point when one of us sparsely-haired, bipedal mammals stood up, beat its chest & said ... something like "Mine-mine-mine!"