Pre-Adamite theory?

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I’ve just downloaded ‘I Have Landed’ by Stephen Jay Gould onto my Kindle and among the essays included in this book is an essay on Pre-Adamite theories.

Pre-Adamite theory takes a few forms from what I can tell, but the one that Gould is proposing basically takes the form that there were older, pre-existing peoples before Adam, and the Genesis account refers to the specific origins of the Jewish race.

Has there ever been any specifically Catholic discussion on this idea? All I can find online is Protestant, mostly hardcore Creationist material.
 
The only person I’ve ever heard profess this theory was a very old, protestant bigot. His argument was that Adam was the first white man and the people who predated him were black. Therefore, people of color were not made in God’s image. Any white person who produced children with a person of color was destrying God’s creation and their children were abominations and not God’s creation. So, obviously, I didn’t take the guy too seriously.
 
Adam is considered by Catholics to be the first human soul. We don’t presume to know his actual name (Adam means “man”) nor do we presume to know when he lived, where or how many generations passed since him. Neither do we presume the way in which he was brought into being.

We are only required to believe that we are descended from one pair of first parents.
 
Allegra said:
The only person I’ve ever heard profess this theory was a very old, protestant bigot. His argument was that Adam was the first white man and the people who predated him were black. Therefore, people of color were not made in God’s image. Any white person who produced children with a person of color was destrying God’s creation and their children were abominations and not God’s creation. So, obviously, I didn’t take the guy too seriously.
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I’ve actually seen, in older ‘Christian’ material, these same words, virtually down to the letter.

I don’t think that Gould’s source material actually said anything about color of the skin though.
 
Kouyate42 said:
I’ve just downloaded ‘I Have Landed’ by Stephen Jay Gould onto my Kindle and among the essays included in this book is an essay on Pre-Adamite theories.

Pre-Adamite theory takes a few forms from what I can tell, but the one that Gould is proposing basically takes the form that there were older, pre-existing peoples before Adam, and the Genesis account refers to the specific origins of the Jewish race.

Has there ever been any specifically Catholic discussion on this idea? All I can find online is Protestant, mostly hardcore Creationist material.
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The following is an interesting article on Adam & Eve:

ArguingWithAtheists.com/Pages/Evolution.htm
 
SonCatcher said:
Adam is considered by Catholics to be the first human soul. We don’t presume to know his actual name (Adam means “man”) nor do we presume to know when he lived, where or how many generations passed since him. Neither do we presume the way in which he was brought into being.

We are only required to believe that we are descended from one pair of first parents.
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This is the correct motorcycle.👍
 
Allegra said:
The only person I’ve ever heard profess this theory was a very old, protestant bigot. His argument was that Adam was the first white man and the people who predated him were black. Therefore, people of color were not made in God’s image. Any white person who produced children with a person of color was destrying God’s creation and their children were abominations and not God’s creation. So, obviously, I didn’t take the guy too seriously.
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:newidea: lol what a bigot!
 
I have my own Pre-Adamite theory…I don’t think it contradicts anything in Catholic Teaching.

Question: Who did Cain marry?

Answer: It is important to note first of all that Cain’s line did not survive. It was destroyed during the flood.

Note that Cain’s age was not specified as to when he married. This suggests that Cain married immediately after he was exiled from his family. If you notice, Cain never repented from his sin and when he left he had not reconciled with God. His soul was dead and he was essentially no better than the animals that surrounded him. Cain united himself to an ape. His children inherited no soul and their behavior illustrates that they fell further and further away from God. Genesis 4, “23And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. 24If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.”

Seth, on the other hand, married within the family. The Spiritual Soul given man by God remained in tact and was passed on by the Sons of God (Seth’s line). That is why they are called the sons of God. Genesis 4:26 “And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.”

At that time, the sons of God (Seth’s line) began to mix with the daughters of man (Cain’s line) and the result was that fewer and fewer men were born with a Spiritual Soul until God had to lament, “My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years…Genesis 6:3”

And the only ones who remained blameless in that age were Noah and his sons, who were from Seth’s line. Then came the flood and all of Cain’s line was destroyed. A new beginning.
 
Are there any reliable books that I can read about how the difference races came about and possibly what civilizations seth’s line followed as well as cain’s line until the flood came. I like learning the history behind all of this.
 
My theory or imaginative speculation is that the creation account speaks metaphorically about the “days” of creation, and that there were large intervals of time between what God created. Adam was created with the first immortal soul, and if there were others before him then they had souls like animals which died along with the body. But in my speculation I imagine those “people” to be more animal-like.
 
Kouyate42 said:
I’ve just downloaded ‘I Have Landed’ by Stephen Jay Gould onto my Kindle and among the essays included in this book is an essay on Pre-Adamite theories.

Pre-Adamite theory takes a few forms from what I can tell, but the one that Gould is proposing basically takes the form that there were older, pre-existing peoples before Adam, and the Genesis account refers to the specific origins of the Jewish race.

Has there ever been any specifically Catholic discussion on this idea? All I can find online is Protestant, mostly hardcore Creationist material.
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in my acadamic pursuits i have yet to find proof of such a thing

but as far as i can tell evidence for pre-flood civilizations is the event so far with more supportable

evidence/scholarly speculation
hope this helps

Shalom
God Bless
 
TREminator78 said:
Are there any reliable books that I can read about how the difference races came about and possibly what civilizations seth’s line followed as well as cain’s line until the flood came. I like learning the history behind all of this.
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i know of three pertaining to that and that mention extensivly
hope this helps

Shalom
God Bless
 
De_Maria said:
I have my own Pre-Adamite theory…I don’t think it contradicts anything in Catholic Teaching.

Question: Who did Cain marry?

Answer: It is important to note first of all that Cain’s line did not survive. It was destroyed during the flood.

Note that Cain’s age was not specified as to when he married. This suggests that Cain married immediately after he was exiled from his family. If you notice, Cain never repented from his sin and when he left he had not reconciled with God. His soul was dead and he was essentially no better than the animals that surrounded him. Cain united himself to an ape. His children inherited no soul and their behavior illustrates that they fell further and further away from God. Genesis 4, “23And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. 24If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.”

Seth, on the other hand, married within the family. The Spiritual Soul given man by God remained in tact and was passed on by the Sons of God (Seth’s line). That is why they are called the sons of God. Genesis 4:26 “And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.”

At that time, the sons of God (Seth’s line) began to mix with the daughters of man (Cain’s line) and the result was that fewer and fewer men were born with a Spiritual Soul until God had to lament, “My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years…Genesis 6:3”

And the only ones who remained blameless in that age were Noah and his sons, who were from Seth’s line. Then came the flood and all of Cain’s line was destroyed. A new beginning.
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Interesting; yet it avoids the obvious . Please refer to Genesis 2: 27-28.
 
De_Maria said:
What Bible is that?
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Thank you for the question. My apology for the typo. It should be Genesis 1: 27-28,
St. Joseph Edition, The New American Bible.

In my humble opinion, God creating man in His “image” and insuring that all humans descend from the original couple is key to understanding human origin, human nature, and human history.
 
Kouyate42 said:
I’ve just downloaded ‘I Have Landed’ by Stephen Jay Gould onto my Kindle and among the essays included in this book is an essay on Pre-Adamite theories.

Pre-Adamite theory takes a few forms from what I can tell, but the one that Gould is proposing basically takes the form that there were older, pre-existing peoples before Adam, and the Genesis account refers to the specific origins of the Jewish race.

Has there ever been any specifically Catholic discussion on this idea? All I can find online is Protestant, mostly hardcore Creationist material.
Click to expand...
If you’re getting your Bible interpretations from Gould, you are going to have problems.
 
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