Adam and Eve versus ecology
Upvote:5
Given that Adam and Eve were created in a perfect state (albeit one that didn't preclude their ability to choose to sin), and given that God told them to "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that [am]moves on the earth" {Genesis 1:28}, why would we presume that those two were not a "minimum viable population"?
The population post-Flood was only 8 (and two of them are not recorded as having more children), and yet today we have a global population of ~7 billion.
Upvote:6
You can interpret the story of Adam and Eve literally. What you're attempting to do is what all scientists do, assume that the situation today has always been the same and estimate incorrectly.
What you fail to realize is that DNA has probably been copied a few trillion times from cell to cell to cell to human to cell to human. All things copied tend to break down, become unstable and begin to produce error.
If the DNA was perfect (containing not a single error), as we can expect it to be, in Adam and Eve's time, or even in Noah's time, then this would not be a problem. Modern science has already learned that every human being on the planet contains genes from one dominant male and one dominant female.
New DNA studies suggest that all humans descended from a single African ancestor who lived some 60,000 years ago. To uncover the paths that lead from him to every living human, the National Geographic Society launched the Genographic Project, headed by Spencer Wells. (link)
The particulars could very easily be up for debate, but the premise that a single male and single female were the start of it all, is truly the only evidence that we have.
More post
- 📝 Are the early followers of Christ considered Christians or Jews in today's context? If not, when was the religion created?
- 📝 Why did Philip the evangelist have a house?
- 📝 Is it sinful to watch TV series The Young Pope?
- 📝 How do Anglicans interpret the great crowd (144,000) of Revelation 7?
- 📝 What is the history of religious orders?
- 📝 How does one become an Apostle in the LDS Church?
- 📝 Why is the Last Place on Earth St. Peter Founded the Seat of his Authority?
- 📝 According to the Catholic Church, what is meant by the prophecy, "A bruised reed he will not break . . ."?
- 📝 How is Lutheran apostolic succession conferred?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, did Moses believe in the Trinity?
- 📝 What are the 19 gifts of the Spirit, as listed by Leslie Flynn?
- 📝 How do non-trinitarians interpret Philippians 2:5-8?
- 📝 Was there a time before the East-West schism where heretics outnumbered Catholics?
- 📝 What prophets came from Galilee?
- 📝 What is the relationship between the Catholic churches of various countries?
- 📝 How long did it take to form the Biblical canon?
- 📝 In LDS Doctrine, is the Resurrection a Priesthood Ordinance?
- 📝 Does Exodus 3:14 explain who God is to everyone regardless of time and culture?
- 📝 What exactly is the process of becoming a Jesuit?
- 📝 How do people who hold salvation as a one time event respond to passages of "being saved"?
- 📝 What are the differences between Apostles, Prophets, Peter and Jesus Christ in being the "foundation" whereon the church is built?
- 📝 When, and by whom, did what we now call Easter Sunday first become known as Resurrection Sunday?
- 📝 Theology question: why hasn't God stopped Satan and his demons?
- 📝 What arguments do scholars present for historicity of the fall?
- 📝 Did Oliver Cromwell ban Christmas or is this an unfounded rumour?
- 📝 What is the difference between an apostle and a missionary according to Pentecostal & Charismatic Christianity?
- 📝 Why do some churches eat leavened bread and wine for the Lord's Supper?
- 📝 Is falling to the floor during blessings or prayers supported in Roman Catholic doctrine?
- 📝 What is the basis for the doctrine of Biblical inerrancy?
- 📝 What is this box that can be found in Catholic churches?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Adam and Eve versus ecology
- 📝 If Adam and Eve were perfect, why did they choose to sin?
- 📝 Where did the notion that Adam and Eve ate an APPLE come from?
- 📝 Why are Adam and Eve considered married?
- 📝 Why did God make garments of skin for Adam and Eve when they had already made clothing for themselves?
- 📝 Why did Adam claim he was "naked" before God when he and Eve had clothed themselves with fig leaves?
- 📝 Adam and Eve Clothed in Light Before the Fall - Origin of this belief?
- 📝 How many children did Adam and Eve have?
- 📝 Where does Augustine say that Adam and Eve were in Eden for just six hours before sinning?
- 📝 According to Calvinists, how could Adam and Eve fall? How could Satan fall?
- 📝 According to Catholics were Adam and Eve aware that they possessed immortal souls before Satan told Eve that she would not die?
- 📝 Did Adam and Eve end up getting saved?
- 📝 Did Adam and Eve understand death? What did death mean to them?
- 📝 How did Adam and Eve win at Hide and Seek?
- 📝 Why did God create Adam and Eve so that they would sin?
- 📝 How do Catholics reconcile a metaphorical Adam and Eve with Original Sin
- 📝 In Catholic teaching, what specific actual sinful act did Adam and Eve commit, and what level of authority can be applied to this teaching?
- 📝 According to the Catholic Church, are Adam and Eve in heaven?
- 📝 Do Christians believe that Adam and Eve were Christians?
- 📝 How long was it before Adam and Eve sinned?
- 📝 Did Adam and Eve ever practice animal sacrifice?
- 📝 Why couldn't Adam and Eve keep both commandments?
- 📝 If Adam and Eve didn't know good from evil, how can we say they sinned (according to Roman Catholicism)?
- 📝 How could Adam and Eve have known not to eat from the Tree of Good and Evil?
- 📝 If Adam and Eve were exempt from death, why did they need to eat?
- 📝 Do any Christian traditions exist as to what type of animal skin did God clothe Adam and Eve with?
- 📝 Did God create Adam and Eve with free will and knowledge of right and wrong (good and evil)?
- 📝 Does God require us to have faith because Adam and Eve sinned?
- 📝 Were Adam and Eve meant to live forever; had they not disobeyed God?
- 📝 Does Young Earth Creationism teach that Adam and Eve only had a concept of morality after the fall?