Rocking Your Theology

Today, I was listening to this story (Evangelicals Question The Existence Of Adam And Eve) and it really got me thinking about my own interpretation of Scripture. In short, the article focused on the ability for scientists to map the human genome and have come to the conclusion that there is no way for all of humanity to have derived from one set of biological parents. If this is true, how would it effect the theology of an individual who believes in a literal Adam and Eve? The overarching question is, of course, "Is the Bible literal or more of an allegory?"

What happens when we have to question the fundamentals of our beliefs? The article pointed out the Church's imprisonment of Galileo Galilei in the 17th century due to his belief that the earth was not the center of the universe. They made the statement that the Protestant Church is in a similar "Galileo Moment" when it comes to accepting or rejecting the Theory of Evolution.

I know that this kind of topic can lead down so many rabbit trails and has so many implications about our faith that it would fill hours and hours of conversation. I have had to work through my own faith, but I'm curious to know how and if you have wrestled with this issue or something similar to it. For me, the strongest implications are for my children. Am I going to teach them what to believe or how to seek the truth?

Ultimately, if evolution is true and the story of Adam and Eve is a metaphor of our own innocence lost, does it change my view or need of God? I think that there are numerous concepts about God and the universe that we don't understand and will change over time, but I think that God is big enough, gracious enough, and wise enough to handle the questions that we wrestle with...

please share your thoughts

-ted