Adam, Eve, and incest

[Eddi]

So...

According to Genesis, God created Adam and Eve with the intention that they were to reproduce and populate the entire world

But as there were only two of them, this would necessitate incest, in order to expand the population beyond the first generation of offspring which Adam and Eve would themselves produce:

The offspring of Adam and Eve would have to have children together, if they were to populate the world and produce a subsequent generation - this would mean brothers and sisters would have to have sex with each other...

And if you believe the biblical account, that is exactly what must have happened

That doesn't sound very wholesome and God-fearing to me

How do people who believe in a literal, biblical, Adam and Eve address this rather glaring issue of necessary incest?

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Speaking as a non-Christian with some experience growing up with Christian rhetoric, the most common answer I see to this is that humans that existed close to Adam and Eve's time were more genetically perfect and that incest back then would cause less damage.

The second most common answer I see is Bible non-literalism. This is a story and not a historical event.

 

[Samael_Khan]

So...

According to Genesis, God created Adam and Eve with the intention that they were to reproduce and populate the entire world

But as there were only two of them, this would necessitate incest, in order to expand the population beyond the first generation of offspring which Adam and Eve would themselves produce:

The offspring of Adam and Eve would have to have children together, if they were to populate the world and produce a subsequent generation - this would mean brothers and sisters would have to have sex with each other...

And if you believe the biblical account, that is exactly what must have happened

That doesn't sound very wholesome and God-fearing to me

How do people who believe in a literal, biblical, Adam and Eve address this rather glaring issue of necessary incest?

I know that JW's say that there was enough genetic diversity in Adam and Eve and that they were closer to perfection, so their offspring would not be affected by genetic deformities.

On a related note. What did God make everything out of if he existed before creation? Did he make everything out of himself? And if he did, does that mean that everything is a part of God and that reproduction is basically God having sex with himself?

 

[questfortruth]

So...

According to Genesis, God created Adam and Eve with the intention that they were to reproduce and populate the entire world

But as there were only two of them, this would necessitate incest, in order to expand the population beyond the first generation of offspring which Adam and Eve would themselves produce:

The offspring of Adam and Eve would have to have children together, if they were to populate the world and produce a subsequent generation - this would mean brothers and sisters would have to have sex with each other...

And if you believe the biblical account, that is exactly what must have happened

That doesn't sound very wholesome and God-fearing to me

How do people who believe in a literal, biblical, Adam and Eve address this rather glaring issue of necessary incest?

The theists do not advocate incest, because the Church forbids such sin in our days. In the days of Adam, it was not a sin, because God has commanded it. He commanded not to us, but to Adam and Eve. There was no other option to populate the planet from the single blood. We all are blood-brothers, that recognition by all of us should stop the wars.

 

[Windwalker]

On a related note. What did God make everything out of if he existed before creation? Did he make everything out of himself? And if he did, does that mean that everything is a part of God and that reproduction is basically God having sex with himself?

I love this question.

Technically all of that would be correct, from a certain perspective. It's sort of like saying we are the universe's way of coming to know itself, I think Carl Sagan said. Life creating Life is the way of nature. So it's really more about creation and creativity, than just sex. Sex is more just the artist's stroke, pun intended. It's about bringing forth from itself. Life, with a capital L.

 

[Windwalker]

How do people who believe in a literal, biblical, Adam and Eve address this rather glaring issue of necessary incest?

Indeed. How do literalists deal with a long list of glaring issues like this? Why, denial, of course.

 

[Samael_Khan]

I love this question.

Technically all of that would be correct, from a certain perspective. It's sort of like saying we are the universe's way of coming to know itself, I think Carl Sagan said. Life creating Life is the way of nature. So it's really more about creation and creativity, than just sex. Sex is more just the artist's stroke, pun intended. It's about bringing forth from itself. Life, with a capital L.

For me, i don't understand how certain believers can say that nothing can come from nothing, yet don't make the logical link then that if God was alone in existence before creation then he had to get the material for creation from somewhere. He couldn't make something out of nothing as nothing comes from nothing.

So the Phallus is the stylus and the seed flows from the creators stylus to create the world? Makes sense.

 

[rosends]

There is a standard answer within Judaism which requires accepting 2 ideas.


1. Each male child was born with a sister
2. God can allow certain otherwise incorrect behaviors to reach a necessary end.

For a fuller discussion with sources, read here.

 

[74x12]

So...

According to Genesis, God created Adam and Eve with the intention that they were to reproduce and populate the entire world

But as there were only two of them, this would necessitate incest, in order to expand the population beyond the first generation of offspring which Adam and Eve would themselves produce:

The offspring of Adam and Eve would have to have children together, if they were to populate the world and produce a subsequent generation - this would mean brothers and sisters would have to have sex with each other...

And if you believe the biblical account, that is exactly what must have happened

That doesn't sound very wholesome and God-fearing to me

How do people who believe in a literal, biblical, Adam and Eve address this rather glaring issue of necessary incest?

well what exactly makes incest immoral?

 

[Eddi]

well what exactly makes incest immoral?

it's anti-family

and an abomination

 

[74x12]

it's anti-family

and an abomination

Well it's taboo now for a good reason. Of course genetic diversity wouldn't have been an issue back then.

The idea is queasy to modern mind therefore; but back then no big deal. Actually think about this ... Eve coming from Adam. So they were really the same person.

We're literally all the genetic continuation of Adam according to Genesis. This is what the Bible means about marriage. The man and woman becoming "one flesh". Literally in copulation you're one flesh because of ... joining together of human organs. I hope I don't have to go into greater detail. And secondly in creating offspring you're one flesh. The child is literally combination of the couple's DNA. One flesh.

 

[Eddi]

On a related note. What did God make everything out of if he existed before creation?

Creatio ex nihilo - Wikipedia

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Of course, we mustn't forget that the relationships must have been closer, if the Bible story were literally true. Why? Because if Eve was made out of Adam's rib, she was a clone -- genetically identical to him. Any DNA matching of their kids would show them to be not only brother and sister, but almost indistinguishable from identical twins!

 

[stvdv]

But as there were only two of them, this would necessitate incest

1: Wasn't Eve even made out of a rib of Adam? Then it was not incest, but Adam had sex with himself in a weird way
2: Are we not all Children from God? Hence don't we not all have incest with each other (those having sex)?

 

[Samael_Khan]

Creatio ex nihilo - Wikipedia

What is interesting in the article is the conflict of the idea in the early church. The church fathers rejected the idea of creation being made from God merely because they didn't like the idea, not because of a logical conclusion. They didn't explain the why of it, which is what I am questioning.

If it is admitted that the universe can be created from nothing, which is currently illogical, then why can existence not have just appeared in like manner without a creator involved, since logic is being thrown out of the window?

 

[thomas t]

So...

According to Genesis, God created Adam and Eve with the intention that they were to reproduce and populate the entire world

But as there were only two of them, this would necessitate incest, in order to expand the population beyond the first generation of offspring which Adam and Eve would themselves produce:

The offspring of Adam and Eve would have to have children together, if they were to populate the world and produce a subsequent generation - this would mean brothers and sisters would have to have sex with each other...

And if you believe the biblical account, that is exactly what must have happened

That doesn't sound very wholesome and God-fearing to me

How do people who believe in a literal, biblical, Adam and Eve address this rather glaring issue of necessary incest?

in my opinion, you can't be sure that God created A&E and noone else.
In my opinion, the Bible is as concise as possible and might have left out some other creation stories that are of no relevance for us.
Because of the flood.... all other lines of descent did not prevail, anyways...

 

[Colt]

So...

According to Genesis, God created Adam and Eve with the intention that they were to reproduce and populate the entire world

But as there were only two of them, this would necessitate incest, in order to expand the population beyond the first generation of offspring which Adam and Eve would themselves produce:

The offspring of Adam and Eve would have to have children together, if they were to populate the world and produce a subsequent generation - this would mean brothers and sisters would have to have sex with each other...

And if you believe the biblical account, that is exactly what must have happened

That doesn't sound very wholesome and God-fearing to me

How do people who believe in a literal, biblical, Adam and Eve address this rather glaring issue of necessary incest?

When the Israelites were creating the creation story as the basis for their story of origins, they just assumed that Adam and Eve were the first humans. But they failed to remove the parts of the Adam story handed down over the ages that shows the earth was already populated when Adam arrived.

13 Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”

Adam and Eve were incarnate celestial beings who were to replace the administration of the fallen "crafty beast"

 

[crossfire]

Of course, we mustn't forget that the relationships must have been closer, if the Bible story were literally true. Why? Because if Eve was made out of Adam's rib, she was a clone -- genetically identical to him. Any DNA matching of their kids would show them to be not only brother and sister, but almost indistinguishable from identical twins!

A transgender clone, at that.

 

[Quiddity]

For me, i don't understand how certain nontheist can say that nothing can come from nothing, yet don't make the logical link then that if matter/energy was alone in existence before creation then it had to get the material for creation from somewhere. It couldn't make something out of nothing as nothing comes from nothing.

I fixed it.

In the Trinitarian formula, God isn't really alone.

But either way, your question applies. To which one doesn't really have an answer.

Unless of course, it all flows from Him, whereby the act of detachment is the combustion and chaos.

 

[1213]

...How do people who believe in a literal, biblical, Adam and Eve address this rather glaring issue of necessary incest?

If there was incest, I think it was not similar problem as now, because they were not yet as corrupted as nowadays people are.