# Non-YEC Christians- Adam to Jesus in 6000 years **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 23, 2008, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-yec-christians-adam-to-jesus-in-6000-years/438888 "2008-02-23T22:06:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![turbopower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c6cbf5/32.png) [@turbopower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turbopower)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-yec-christians-adam-to-jesus-in-6000-years/438888/1 "2008-02-23T22:06:29Z")
The genealogy from Adam to Jesus can be traced in the Bible in a timeline of about 4,000 years. Here is a website that ties it all together using nothing but biblical passages.:[http://www.hebroots.com/lul7\_8.html](http://www.hebroots.com/lul7_8.html) I think most Western Christians do not actually believe that the first two humans lived only 6,000 years ago. Plenty even accept that we evolved from earlier life forms and believe the story of Adam and Eve isn’t meant to be taken literally or that the story is an allegory for when Man achieved awareness of right from wrong. But since there is an actual timeline of events from Adam all the way to Jesus, how can Adam be a mythical figure? And if Adam can be traced back to only 6000 years ago, do you believe we haven’t evolved to have any idea of right and wrong until that recently? ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-yec-christians-adam-to-jesus-in-6000-years/438888/2 "2008-02-23T22:13:58Z")
Why did God choose the name ‘Adam’ for the first man? How do we know how many years there were from Adam to Seth? Was Adam keeping track with some sort of Calendar? Did they have those calendars back then? Sorry,I jest. Is this your first post here **TurboPower**. Perhaps reading around a little might pique your interest in some of the more religious threads. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-yec-christians-adam-to-jesus-in-6000-years/438888/3 "2008-02-23T22:22:16Z")
[QUOTE=turbopower] But since there is an actual timeline of events from Adam all the way to Jesus, how can Adam be a mythical figure? [/QUOTE] Someone writing a geneology isn’t evidence of everyone (or even anyone) on that ‘timeline’ actually existing. Or of the dates and order being accurate. Or that people in the middle weren’t removed or others added in. You would need tons of additional evidence to back up the existance of other people in the geneology. Since this is a direct geneology we’re interested in, I would actually suggest that we need hard evidence supporting the existance of _everyone_ on the list since we need to prove direct lineage from Adam to Jesus (or vice versa). ---
**Author:** ![turbopower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c6cbf5/32.png) [@turbopower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turbopower)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-yec-christians-adam-to-jesus-in-6000-years/438888/4 "2008-02-23T22:46:04Z")
[QUOTE=Phlosphr] How do we know how many years there were from Adam to Seth? [/quote] Take a look at the web page I linked to. [QUOTE=Phlosphr] Is this your first post here **TurboPower**. Perhaps reading around a little might pique your interest in some of the more religious threads. [/QUOTE] Yeah, first post. I’ve been checking out the other threads. Good stuff. [QUOTE=Jophiel] Someone writing a geneology isn’t evidence of everyone (or even anyone) on that ‘timeline’ actually existing. Or of the dates and order being accurate. Or that people in the middle weren’t removed or others added in. [/quote] Are you a Christian? If so, how do you go about picking and choosing what you believe as being valid evidence while not accepting the genealogy from Adam to Jesus? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-yec-christians-adam-to-jesus-in-6000-years/438888/5 "2008-02-23T23:00:43Z")
[QUOTE=turbopower] Are you a Christian? If so, how do you go about picking and choosing what you believe as being valid evidence while not accepting the genealogy from Adam to Jesus? [/QUOTE] What does my religion have to do with how one establishes a credible geneology? Either the geneology from Adam to Jesus is supportable at all points or else it isn’t and it shouldn’t be used to support Young Earth Creationism by anyone, Christian or not. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-yec-christians-adam-to-jesus-in-6000-years/438888/6 "2008-02-23T23:16:44Z")
[QUOTE=turbopower] Take a look at the web page I linked to. [/QUOTE] I typically only read [Eddie Chumney](http://lightingtheway.blogspot.com/2007/08/messianic-cults.html) when I’m in need of a dose of unintentional humor. ---
**Author:** ![turbopower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c6cbf5/32.png) [@turbopower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turbopower)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-yec-christians-adam-to-jesus-in-6000-years/438888/7 "2008-02-23T23:20:36Z")
[QUOTE=Jophiel] What does my religion have to do with how one establishes a credible geneology? [/QUOTE] Read the title and OP again. If you don’t want to share your beliefs then don’t participate. [QUOTE=Jophiel] Either the geneology from Adam to Jesus is supportable at all points or else it isn’t and it shouldn’t be used to support Young Earth Creationism by anyone, Christian or not. [/quote] Supported at all points? It’s supported by the Bible. That’s my point. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-yec-christians-adam-to-jesus-in-6000-years/438888/8 "2008-02-23T23:45:45Z")
[QUOTE=turbopower] If you don’t want to share your beliefs then don’t participate. [/quote] That’s not how forums really work. > [@](#): > > Supported at all points? It’s supported by the Bible. That’s my point. Simply being in a book (even the Bible), in of itself, is not firm evidence. If it was, there’d be no reason to question Creationism at all. In any event, most people who attempt to reconcile Genesis with science determine that the six-day Creation story is an allegory. The Eden story occurs after the six days of creation. In fact, there’s no hint at all how much time passed between the ‘creation’ of Adam and the explusion from the Garden. ---
**Author:** ![turbopower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c6cbf5/32.png) [@turbopower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turbopower)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-yec-christians-adam-to-jesus-in-6000-years/438888/9 "2008-02-23T23:59:50Z")
[QUOTE=Jophiel] That’s not how forums really work. [/quote] Yeah, it is. Asking for opinions from people with a particular viewpoint works great in forums. Even when you run into someone like you who wants to keep straying from the topic. [QUOTE=Jophiel] Simply being in a book (even the Bible), in of itself, is not firm evidence. If it was, there’d be no reason to question Creationism at all. [/quote] I brought this up in the OP. [QUOTE=Jophiel] In any event, most people who attempt to reconcile Genesis with science determine that the six-day Creation story is an allegory. [/quote] Right. But I’m looking for actual Christians to respond to how Adam could be the father of Seth who was the father of Enos, etc. until you get to Jesus. Whether or not the six days were eons is irrelevant. [QUOTE=Jophiel] In fact, there’s no hint at all how much time passed between the ‘creation’ of Adam and the explusion from the Garden. [/QUOTE] Who cares? There is a timeline from Adam to Jesus. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-yec-christians-adam-to-jesus-in-6000-years/438888/10 "2008-02-24T00:03:38Z")
[QUOTE=turbopower] But since there is an **actual timeline** of events from Adam all the way to Jesus, how can Adam be a mythical figure? And if Adam can be traced back to only 6000 years ago, do you believe we haven’t evolved to have any idea of right and wrong until that recently? [/QUOTE] You seem to assume that this “actual timeline” is somehow a “factual timeline”. I’m not aware of any evidence to support this. ---
**Author:** ![turbopower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c6cbf5/32.png) [@turbopower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turbopower)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-yec-christians-adam-to-jesus-in-6000-years/438888/11 "2008-02-24T00:09:45Z")
[QUOTE=DMC] You seem to assume that this “actual timeline” is somehow a “factual timeline”. I’m not aware of any evidence to support this. [/QUOTE] I’m not aware of any evidence to support that Jesus rose from the dead. I’m asking for a discussion between myself and non- YEC Christians about what they accept from the Bible, what they don’t, and the reasons why. Sheesh! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-yec-christians-adam-to-jesus-in-6000-years/438888/12 "2008-02-24T00:33:31Z")
Welcome to the SDMB, **turbopower** ; enter, and fight ignorance. Hell, have some of your own ignorance fought, while you’re at it. ETA: I should have said “participants”, not “observers”. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-yec-christians-adam-to-jesus-in-6000-years/438888/13 "2008-02-24T01:43:57Z")
[QUOTE=turbopower] Are you a Christian? If so, how do you go about picking and choosing what you believe as being valid evidence while not accepting the genealogy from Adam to Jesus? [/QUOTE] Can I just check something? - the implication here is that you claim you do not pick and choose - have I understood that correctly? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-yec-christians-adam-to-jesus-in-6000-years/438888/14 "2008-02-24T02:19:17Z")
[QUOTE=turbopower] [Quote=Jophiel] That’s not how forums really work. [/quote] Yeah, it is. Asking for opinions from people with a particular viewpoint works great in forums. Even when you run into someone like you who wants to keep straying from the topic. [/QUOTE] For better or worse, **Jophiel** is closer to correct than you are on this issue. You are free to invite comment from people holding certain beliefs, but it is an open Forum and anyone is permitted to express a view. This means that the various atheists who appear to feel compelled to enter any thread on religion or belief for the purpose of posting _All religion is stupid/dishonest/evil/negative-adjective-of-their-choice_ may do so. Those Fundamentalist Christian posters who appear compelled to remind everyone that the bible is the sacred word of God and that anyone who does not accept that is doomed to damnation are free to voice their views. “Liberal” Christians (whatever that means) are free to provide their answers–which may include claiming that your question is based on false premises. Everyone gets a shot. Now, your basic question is the frequently debated point: _If the bible is not all literally true, who gets to decide what portions are not true and what criteria are used to determine that point?_ Unfortunately, your references to the timeline from Adam and your question regarding the origin of conscience probably clouded the discussion with too much extra stuff to attract readers. Now, we will attempt to prevent blatant hijacks of the thread, but we cannot hover over the thread 24/7 chastising posters who may get into sidebar discussions, so the thread may, indeed, wander around a bit. To avoid a trainwreck, just concentrate on the discussion you want to carry on and refrain from commenting on other posters’ personalities or irrelevant remarks. [/Modding] ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-yec-christians-adam-to-jesus-in-6000-years/438888/15 "2008-02-24T02:32:10Z")
[QUOTE=turbopower] Are you a Christian? If so, how do you go about picking and choosing what you believe as being valid evidence while not accepting the genealogy from Adam to Jesus? [/QUOTE] The texts in the Bible have been picked and chosen. The texts included were picked and chosen. Choices were made in completing the lacunae in the texts. Choices were made in the several and serial translations of the texts. Changes were made in generations of transcriptions of the texts. In short, the Bible is a book. To believe every word as fact puts the Bible before the direct works of God and is idolatry. This universe, this world, it’s creatures, our very cells are the work of God. We make observations on their form and function, and, with God given intellect, draw logically supported conclusions. To reject these observations based on the direct work of God on the basis of a book is Idolatry. The Bible is not God. ---
**Author:** ![Mongo\_Ponton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Mongo\_Ponton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mongo_Ponton)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-yec-christians-adam-to-jesus-in-6000-years/438888/16 "2008-02-24T02:40:06Z")
Maybe it was a different Adam. Like maybe Adam Rabinowicz. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-yec-christians-adam-to-jesus-in-6000-years/438888/17 "2008-02-24T02:45:06Z")
[QUOTE=turbopower] But since there is an actual timeline of events from Adam all the way to Jesus, how can Adam be a mythical figure? [/QUOTE] There’s a timeline of events back to a good few people considered myths. King Arthur, off the top of my head. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-yec-christians-adam-to-jesus-in-6000-years/438888/18 "2008-02-24T02:45:35Z")
Non-YEC Christian here. I do not believe the the bible was written by God, therefore it is not the word of God. I believe that the writers of the various books of the bible believed themselves to be divinely inspired. I think the bible was written at least partially as a tool for use by the young church (at least the New Testament- the Torah had been around for a while… 😉 ). I believe that the bible has been heavily edited a number of times by various people and institutions with specific aims and their own interpretations. The bible is held up as the holy scripture of my religion, but I personally believe most of the stories are just that- stories. My sect encourages my questioning. My study of religious art over the years has led me to believe that the early Christian church was a cynical beast at best, using whatever holy days/festivals/imagery popular in a particular place and time to make over as it’s own in order to secure converts (and the modern church as well, frankly). I think there are lessons for living a better life in the bible. I also think that the Jews, Buddhists and a few others have some great ideas too. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-yec-christians-adam-to-jesus-in-6000-years/438888/19 "2008-02-24T02:53:34Z")
Exactly how long did people live? When did people stop living for hundreds of years? How old were they when they had children? How long were Adam and Eve alive in the Garden of Eden? Quote the web page, if you must, I’m not going to hunt around on it. Or link to specific pages, not the root. I should point out that I can trace my ancestry _directly_ to Adam as well. Does that make him more or less mythological? (Through Golam, the Spanish Soldier, AKA Milesius. I’m descended from Ir. Assuming the geneology is accurate, and yes, I’m using John O’Hart’s geneology here, but my last name does mean ‘Son of Ir.’) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-yec-christians-adam-to-jesus-in-6000-years/438888/20 "2008-02-24T02:57:44Z")
Adam Edam Elam Élan Clan Claw Slaw Slew Sled Seed weed wees wets bets bats bass lass last lest jest Jesu Come to think of it, you’re probably going to need another 600,000 years for it to evolve another letter that you can change into that final “s”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-yec-christians-adam-to-jesus-in-6000-years/438888.md?page=2)