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I am subscribed to the 'Reasons To Believe' Newsletter. A publication and ministry dedicated to assisting those interested in faith and science.
Fazale Rana writes an interesting article: 'Where Did The Races Come From?'
He states that the Bible doesn't explain how racial diversity arose, although it is implied that humanity was scattered after the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11: 1-9. 11. September/October (2013:1)
New American Standard Bible/NASB
Now the whole earth [a]used the same language and [b]the same words. 2 It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and [c]settled there. 3 They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. 4 They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” 5 The Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. 6 The Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have [d]the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be [e]impossible for them. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their [f]language, so that they will not understand one another’s [g]speech.” 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called [h]Babel, because there the Lord confused the [i]language of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.
The newsletter notes that the Biblical account may not seem to square with the commonly held scientific concept by anthropologists of 'regional differences' explaining human racial diversity. September/October (2013:1).
It is explained that the many more years of the evolutionary model (as in Darwinian Evolution) assumed human regional differences occurred approximately two million years ago. September/October (2013:1). A model of 'multiregionalism' being assumed, the idea that a primitive type of human being migrated from Africa into Eurasia and then independently evolved. September/October (2013:1).
The regional differences assumed to occur because persons on different continents had 'separate evolutionary trajectories' which would require a vast amount of time to take place. September/October (2013:1).
However, recent 'genetic variability studies' have demonstrated that multiregionalism is incorrect. September/October (2013:1).
Instead data indicates humanity likely originated earlier as in approximately 100, 000 years ago and dispersed 50, 000 years ago. Therefore tens of thousands of years as opposed to millions. September/October (2013:1).
The newsletter explains that within a microevolutionary (not macroevolutionary model) migrating humanity can be explained through 'natural selection', 'sexual selection', and 'genetic drift'. September/October (2013:1).
Very interestingly with the data it indicates that original humanity likely appeared very much in appearance like African people groups today. September/October (2013:1). The idea being that as human beings moved to northern latitudes this caused 'lightening of the skin pigmentation' and this allowed for increased and productive Vitamin D synthesis which would require exposure to UV radiation from the sun. September/October (2013:1).
Changes in body type, from the original African type, would assist with heat retention in colder Northern climates. A change from a broader to narrower nose would assist in moving warm air before reaching the lungs. September/October (2013:1).
The view based on the data is that the regional differences can occur quite rapidly. September/October (2013:1). By this I reason in comparison to a Darwinian Evolutionary model.
Academically there is crossover when dealing with Biblical concepts of origins and scientific date and theory.
In regard to human existence beginning being potentially approximately 50, 000 to 100, 000 years ago.
From my PhD research I found that it appeared that most conservative scholars reasoned in agreement with Fretheim (1994: 153), that the Genesis text is filled with metaphorical, symbolic language in certain sections. This in no way requires a view that Genesis 1-3, for example, contains mythology, but rather contains religious history. Figurative literal language can be used to describe non-mythological actual religious history. And of course much of Scripture is plain literal, for example the Gospel ministry of Christ and the Apostles.
This understanding does allow for intellectual flexibility in regard to estimated dates in regard to origin of finite creation, the physical universe, and finite humanity.
From a philosophical perspective in light of the apparent need for microevolution (again not Darwinian Evolution) to explain humanity developing from Adam and Eve into diverse ethnic and racial groups, 50, 000 to 100, 000 years allows for much more development time and changes by the planet and also within humanity than would be as reasonable, for example, in an estimated 6, 000 years.
In light of racism, I find it fascinating that perhaps based on data mentioned, and I have read and heard similar, that original humanity may have been darker skinned as in African types and therefore Caucasians would have evolved, via microevolution from Africans.
FRETHEIM, TERENCE E. (1985)(2005) ‘The Suffering of God: An Old Testament Perspective’, in Theology Today, Volume 1, Number 1, Bookreview17. Princeton, Princeton Theological Seminary. http://theologytoday.ptsem.edu/apr1985/v42-1-bookreview17.htm
FRETHEIM, TERENCE E. (1994) ‘Is Genesis 3 a Fall Story?’, in Word and World, Luther Seminary, pp. 144-153. Saint Paul, Luther Seminary.
Reasons To Believe Newsletter, September/October 2013, Glendora, California.
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| Google Images-Almost looks like he ate his old tube monitor...Kind of like that guy that ate a bus. |
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| Google Images-Supercat? Attention ploy @ lunch? Mine used to sit on the newspaper being read. |
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| At Whim Of Wind-by Caron Smed |
