Genesis

Okay. I'm going to take things pretty slow here so don't get crazy on me. I'd like to discuss certain aspects of Genesis, starting simply with Adam. Feel free to ask questions. I can't guarantee I'll have an answer, but I'll give it a try.

So here's the starting point....

Genesis begins with God creating the world and so on and then we get down to Adam. In Genesis 2, 7 of the New American Bible (hereafter NAB), we read the following:



Go down to the footnotes (keep in mind this is the official version of the Bible used by many Catholics) and you'll read the following.



My main point here is that Christians don't all take the Bible in a literalist sense, and rightfully so because much of it is based on Jewish mythology, thus carrying a lot of symbolism that is easily misunderstood by a modern generation that seems to think the books were hand-written by God himself. Such an idea is irrational.

The Bible is a compilation of books on religious subjects. It has changed a great deal over the past 2000 years, especially during the first 1000. Even today some versions contain books that others are missing because somebody somewhere was offended by something. Christians need to keep in mind that even 100 years after Christ died, no such thing as a Bible existed in anything near the form that it's accepted in today.

Okay, so moving on (or maybe moving back) to NAB Genesis 1 (and here I'll just quote the footnotes):



In essence, chapters 1 through 2 (up to verse 4a) explains the creation or development of earth in the best way early Hebrews could describe it. If you really look into it, they're right on target with modern science. Take a look at the footnotes that follow:




The footnotes further explain Genesis 1, 5:



Hence the reason the sabbath always began in the evening. I'm sure you've all seen Fiddler on the Roof and if you haven't, now would be a good time to get acquainted with it.

Anyway, I think you get the idea of where I'm going with this. Anyone care to add or respond?

reply to post by Isaac Tanner Madsen

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I applaud your desire for wanting to situate the context of these passages within their own time, language, and culture. It's a difficult thing to do when we have nearly 3,000 years separating the earliest accounts of these stories to now.

I personally do not view Genesis as a proto-scientific treatise on the mechanics of world formation. I think the ancient Israelites would have found that question interesting, but in the context in which these stories were actually written, about 700-500 B.C., around the time of the Babylonian captivity, the creation stories were meant to galvanize their faith in their one God, versus the gods of their captors. It is more a poem or hymn to God's creative power, and not a treatise on the development of planetary formation. The scientific perspective we as modern readers bring needs to be suspended while trying to understand the context of the writers of these passages.

True. The main problem that exists in Christianity today is that too many Christians view the Bible as being literal, when it is in so many ways a figurative story. Take a look at Genesis 6, 1-4. Here are the NAB footnotes:



This straightforwardly tells us that the Bible contains mythology--if not loads of it, then at least bits and pieces here and there. That, however, doesn't mean the Bible is not in many ways accurate. This is why I enjoy the New American Bible so much. It lists out specifically what is history, what is myth, and even formats the poetry and songs of the Bible so they can be distinguished from the rest of the text. In order to understand anything about the Bible, these sorts of things are necessary to take into consideration.

It is not in the best interest of the Catholic Church for the Bible to be considered authoritative.
What do you think the Protestant movement was about?
What were they protesting?
It was the fact that men put their own opinions above the word of God.
If the Bible is authoritative, we have no reason to go to men to find out what we should believe.
The canons of the Church is the highest authority on Earth, according to the Church.
Mere church goers need not trouble themselves over a bunch of old writings that they (the priesthood) understand, because they are theologians.
Just go to church every week and you will be told what you need to know.

[edit on 17-5-2008 by jmdewey60]