The main reason science and religion cannot see eye to eye is science education appears to be using a revisionist history approach to religion. it is judging by the wrong standards. For example, the modern definition of human is connected to DNA, with DNA not discovered until the 1950's.
Science before this discovery of DNA, had no idea about DNA and genes. Evolution in 1940's was based on Darwin as well as some wild notions that were not exactly true. Now we are taught that religion from 6000 years ago should have known better that science did in 1940's. The Bible should have explained Genesis using DNA. Science was wrong many times, especially before Darwin. Why do we think that science is infallible and correct now and why expect the past to use the present state of the art; revisionist history.
A more rational way to approach the ancient past is to take into account the state of the art for that time and not our time. About 6000 years ago, science was embryonic. The first theories appear; Genesis. However, the people of that time appear to have a good handle on human nature. They saw human nature acting within the fixed matrix of a creation that was beyond their embryonic science comprehension. The world was magic, but human nature was understood in terms of basic needs, fears and desires.
If they say the first human appeared, it would not be connected to DNA, since this was not in their science wheelhouse to claim. It had to be connected to human nature and new type of temperament. This new type of human had what they called will and choice, and therefore was no longer at the mercy of instincts. The new human brain could learn and comprehend good and evil, which is a human construct not condoned by creation or God.
Adam and Eve, as the first two modern humans, appears to be connected to the operating system of the brain, since a major change would be needed to allow consciousness to have willpower and choice. It was not about looking different or having more fingers and toes. It may have been epigenetic at the level of neurons, cause old genes to do new things in new ways. But they saw a difference in behavior and abilities. Deeper in Genesis human become corrupt in terms of unnatural behavior; choice.
In Genesis, the authors went out of their way to show that Adam and Eve were not born by natural procreation methods. The birth was not a biological birth. 6000 years ago, the humans were migratory herder and gathers who would have understood sexual reproduction and breeding. Adam and Eve were explained differently than the common sense of their time; sexual. It was not bloodline, like the rest of the Bible genealogy. It was like a quantum jump in disposition.
Adam and Eve have two children Cain and Abel. Cain was the tiller of soil and Abel was the herder of animals. When Cain kills Abel farming supersedes migratory herding and civilization sticks. The new human disposition begins to dominate.
In terms of DNA, these disposition difference between their two children; old and new human, shows that even though both the dispositions of Adam and Eve had been created in ways different from natural reproduction; conditioned, their human DNA decided the output of procreation; going both ways; past and future. Cain is sent away and Adam and Eve have a third son Seth, Seth is more balanced in terms of instinct and willpower.
