Adam and Eve: A story, parable, or historical fact?

I didn't either until I started actually reading the Bible....reading it closely and cover to cover. Took forever and a lot of it is really dry reading. Regardless, you'll find the book is chock full of contradictions. No doubt some 'round these parts will rush to claim that the contradictions really aren't contradictions at all and will offer up all manner of imanginative allegorical literary device explanations for them. You can plainly read the book for yourself and come to your own conclusions.

Don't take my word for it. After all, people like me are the witless dupes and rubes of the Atheist Elite who's primary aim is to kill off The One True God(tm) and usher in a new era of heathenism. Or something.

You seem overly wrapped around the axle about schools, instructors and pedigrees. As I've already explained, I've studied on my own. My library includes works from apologists, atheists, and everyone in between. This study began before the age of the internet (when people actually studied in libraries) and continues to this day. I've studied this stuff for the better part of two and a half decades. Does that make me an expert? Absolutely not. I embarked on this journey to strengthen and inform what was at the time my religious faith. Obviously, I came to a conclusion and arrived at a destination I didn't expect at all. All of it was undertaken with an open mind and open heart.

Look, this is really pretty simple and there's no cause get rattled about it. If you're going to eat up forum space and advance a position, please try to keep it coherent and concise....."credence on less reliable sources than what we have and then mix in a laughable conjectures that don't square with history or reason." I'm sure that all made sense to you, but to me it just sounds like more of the same "it doesn't square with my rigid, dogamatic and near literalist interpretations of the Bible so I'm going to cast aspersions on your intelligence and integrity."

Honestly, I don't think anyone is reading this stuff aside from you and I and isn't terribly interested in watching a bunch of puffery. Try to remain calm....you might just live longer and healthier.

I am truly sorry you seemed to have studied yourself out of your faith. I can imagine how that might make me bitter too and feel betrayed that all one hoped and believed in seems to now be false to you. More often than not it goes the other way - those curious but with open minds read the actual histories and writings and learn how amazing and profound it all is and convert.

I didn't either until I started actually reading the Bible....reading it closely and cover to cover. Took forever and a lot of it is really dry reading. Regardless, you'll find the book is chock full of contradictions. No doubt some 'round these parts will rush to claim that the contradictions really aren't contradictions at all and will offer up all manner of imanginative allegorical literary device explanations for them. You can plainly read the book for yourself and come to your own conclusions.

Don't take my word for it. After all, people like me are the witless dupes and rubes of the Atheist Elite who's primary aim is to kill off The One True God(tm) and usher in a new era of heathenism. Or something.

These really aren't contradictions at all.

Come on - really. If you imagined someone was trying to pull a fast one and deceive others don't you imagine they would have pulled one of the versions out of the text before they published rather than leaven it so obvious that you could trip over it?? Never read this before? Wow, its the first book in the bible how could you miss it?

It sounds like you come from a previously literalist (possibly fundamentalist) Protestant tradition. If so this is a very hard position to be coming from given all the reading you have done. It is bound to cast doubts.

That's the funny thing about it; I've read the Bible and for whatever reason didn't really get/think about that until fairly recently.

And though I am not an atheist, I also believe a lot of the stories are largely allegorical and I don't take them literally. (Sorry AZ!). I believe the Bible was inspired by God, but clearly still written by man and along with that 'man' part comes the exaggerations, jockeying for position/control, and cultural nuances one could expect to find.

This was great. Thanks.