Topic:  Did Adam and Eve exist?

Source of this posting: Moderator response

Date originally posted: October 7, 2003

Moderator who originally posted this source: Father Joe Vetter

Question:   Hi, I have a question relating to Genesis. I attended Mass this past weekend and our priest told us that Catholics do not believe in a literal Adam and Eve and 7 days creation. I can understand the 7 days thing, since time then and time now are very different, but I thought we all believed in Adam and Eve. Is this not correct? Thank you!

Answer: 

Hi, Linh: The Bible is really not "a" book. It is more like a library--containing many books. Some of these books are poetry, others are historic. Some are literal, others are allegorical. All are inspired by God to lead us to the truth.
Scripture scholars tell us that Genesis is not intended to be read literally. It's point is that before anything else existed there was God. And God made all of creation. God created out of life to share God's very life with creation. Humans occupy a very special place in creation, but are part of it. Humans, too, were created by God and subject to God.
Adam and Eve are sybolic of the first humans--male and female. In that sense, they are parents of us all and we believe in them. But how God actually created humanity is a mystery.