Q: Where did Cain get his wife?

Copied from the Answers In Genesis website. http://www.answersingenesis.org/home.asp

A: The Bible teaches clearly that all human beings are descendants of Adam and Eve — Adam is called ‘the first man’ (1 Corinthians 15:45) and Eve is called ’the mother of all living’ (Genesis 3:20). Other parts of Scripture should leave us in no doubt that all other people who have ever lived are descendents of this first couple (Acts 17:26, Romans 5:12). So at first, there had to be inter-marriage between brother and sister.

Originally, there would have been no risk of this causing harmful deformities in the offspring. There is a problem today, because all of us have inherited copying mistakes in our genes, called mutations, which are usually harmful. Mutations are one effect of God’s curse on the entire creation because of Adam’s sin (Genesis 3:19, Romans 8:20ﾖ22).

Fortunately, we carry two copies of each gene, one inherited from each parent (called alleles). Usually we inherit mutations in different places, so usually the mutated gene’s effect is fully or partly masked by the ‘good’ gene. But if close relatives marry, then there is a one-in-four chance of a child inheriting mutant alleles in the same place (locus) from both parents. This one-in-four chance applies to each mutation, of which there are thousands, so the chance of some deformity is great.

But Adam and Eve were created ‘very good’ (Genesis 1:31) — the Hebrew meod tov indicates physical perfection without any blemishes. So they would not have had copying mistakes, so brother-sister intermarriage would not have had the problem it has today. Harmful mutations would take many generations to accumulate to levels where close intermarriage would be dangerous for the offspring. Even Abraham, living long after the creation of mankind, married his half-sister Sarah, and they were the ancestors of the very vibrant Jewish and Arabic people groups.

But as many centuries passed, many harmful, degenerative mutations accumulated in the human gene pool. So God gave laws through Moses against intermarriage between close relatives (Leviticus 18ﾖ20). Today there would be even more chance of deformity/disease in the offspring of such a union than in Moses’ time.

Gen. 5:4 says that Adam and Eve had both sons and daughters besides Cain, Abel and Seth, without saying when they were born. Because of the long life-spans before Noah’s Flood (see Living for 900 years?), Adam and Eve could have had many children. Some could have been born before, and some after Seth. Note also, Seth was born after Abel’s murder, because Eve specifically named him as a replacement (Genesis 4:18). Genesis 5:3 says that Adam was 130 when Seth was born. So by the time of Abel’s death, over 100 years of childbearing had occurred, so there could have been many sisters, or maybe nieces and grandnieces, for Cain to choose from. Regardless of the identity of Cain’s wife, some of Adam’s children must have married their siblings. The Bible indicates that Cain was already married before he settled in Nod. Incidentally, the martyrdom of Abel was confirmed as a historical fact by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself (Matthew 23:35, Luke 11:51).

See a more in-depth answer to the Cain’s Wife question, extracted from the new Revised & Expanded Answers Book.

Many other questions are answered online in our Q&A section.

DINOSAUR BONES:
JUST HOW OLD ARE THEY REALLY?

An evolutionary dinosaur expert reveals some fascinating facts!

Carl Wieland

First published in:
Creation Ex Nihilo 21(1):54–55,
December 1998–February 1999

MOST PEOPLE THINK that fossil bones (of which the most well-known examples are those of dinosaurs) must be very, very old — because, after all, they have turned to stone, haven’t they?

Even millions of years might, to some, not even seem long enough to allow for natural processes to gradually, molecule by molecule, replace the original substance of the bone with rock minerals.

But this common picture is misleading. A recent book, co-authored by a world expert on dinosaurs, points out some things about dinosaur bones that are of great interest to creationists.1

For one thing, it says:

• ‘Bones do not have to be "turned into stone" to be fossils, and usually most of the original bone is still present in a dinosaur fossil.’2

‘The amount of time that it takes for a bone to become completely permineralized is highly variable. If the groundwater is heavily laden with minerals in solution, the process can happen rapidly. Modern bones that fall into mineral springs can become permineralized within a matter of weeks.’

So even a rock-solid, hard shiny fossil dinosaur bone, showing under the microscope that all available spaces have been totally filled with rock minerals, does not indicate that it necessarily took millions of years to form at all.

Now of course if a dinosaur bone is indeed permineralized, it would give it great protection from the normal processes which cause things such as bone to just naturally ‘fall apart’. So a permineralized bone might indeed be anything from a few weeks to millions of years old.

However, in a situation where the dinosaur bone has been prevented from being invaded by mineral-rich water, one would expect that over millions of years, even locked away from all bacterial agents, dinosaur bone would, in obeying the laws of thermodynamics,3 just disintegrate from the random motions of the molecules therein.

There are actually instances, mentioned in the same book, in which dinosaur bones in Alberta, Canada, were encased in ironstone nodules shortly after being buried. We are told:

• ‘The nodules prevented water from invading the bones, which for all intents and purposes cannot be distinguished from modern bone.’4

We have previously told you about the unfossilised dinosaur bone which still contained red blood cells and hemoglobin (see online article).5 Also, we wrote about ‘fresh dinosaur bones’ in Alaska.6 Let the evolutionist experts writing this book confirm this:

‘An even more spectacular example was found on the North Shore of Alaska, where many thousands of bones lack any significant degree of permineralization. The bones look and feel like old cow bones, and the discoverers of the site did not report it for twenty years because they assumed they were bison, not dinosaur, bones.’

In summary, therefore:

• Most fossil dinosaur bones still contain the original bone.
• Even when heavily permineralized (‘fossilized’), this does not need to require more than a few weeks. The creation/flood scenario for fossilization would allow many centuries for such permineralization to occur, even under less than ideal conditions.
• Where bones have not been protected by permineralization, they are sometimes found in a condition which to all intents and purpose looks as if they are at most centuries, not millions of years old.

REFERENCES AND NOTES

• Philip J. Currie and Eva B. Koppelhus, 101 Questions about Dinosaurs, Dover Publications, 1996. Currie is a well-known dinosaur authority. He is Curator of Dinosaurs at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, Drumheller, Alberta, Canada. Koppelhus is a visiting researcher at the same institution. Return to text
• Ref. 1, p. 11. Return to text
• The Second Law of Thermodynamics formalizes the relentless tendency of all systems to strive toward the most probable arrangement which, in the absence of some specific ordering agent, is the one in which the molecules exhibit the maximum disorder. For more information, see this article. Return to text
• Ref. 1, p. 12. Return to text
• C. Wieland, ‘Sensational blood report!’ Creation 19(4):42–43, 1997 (see online version). Return to text
• M. Helder, ‘Fresh dinosaur bones found’, Creation 14(3):16–17, 1992 and ‘Buddy Davis: The creation music man who makes dinosaurs’, Creation 19(3):49–51, 1997.

Noah's Flood covered the whole earth

First published in: Creation Ex Nihilo 21(3):49, June–August 1999

Many Christians today think the Flood of Noah's time was only a local flood, confined to somewhere around Mesopotamia. This idea comes not from Scripture, but from the notion of 'billions of years' of earth history.

But look at the problems this concept involves:

• · If the Flood was local, why did Noah have to build an Ark? He could have walked to the other side of the mountains and missed it.
• · If the Flood was local, why did God send the animals to the Ark so they would escape death? There would have been other animals to reproduce that kind if these particular ones had died.
• · If the Flood was local, why was the Ark big enough to hold all kinds of land vertebrate animals that have ever existed? If only Mesopotamian animals were aboard, the Ark could have been much smaller.1
• · If the Flood was local, why would birds have been sent on board? These could simply have winged across to a nearby mountain range.
• · If the Flood was local, how could the waters rise to 15 cubits (8 metres) above the mountains (Genesis 7:20)? Water seeks its own level. It couldn't rise to cover the local mountains while leaving the rest of the world untouched.2
• · If the Flood was local, people who did not happen to be living in the vicinity would not be affected by it. They would have escaped God's judgment on sin.3 If this happened, what did Christ mean when He likened the coming judgment of all men to the judgment of 'all' men (Matthew 24:37–39) in the days of Noah? A partial judgment in Noah's day means a partial judgment to come.
• · If the Flood was local, God would have repeatedly broken His promise never to send such a flood again.

REFERENCES AND NOTES

• Jonathan Sarfati, 'How did all the animals fit on Noah's Ark?', Creation 19(2):16–19, 1997; online at http://www.answersingenesis.org/Docs/1122.asp. See also John Woodmorappe, Noah's Ark ﾗ a Feasibility Study, Institute for Creation Research, Santee, California, 1995. Return to text.
• Note that the Bible talks about mountains rising (in connection with God's rainbow promise, so after the Flood): see CEN Technical Journal 12(3):312–313, 1998. Everest has marine fossils at its peak. Therefore, the mountains before the Flood are not those of today. There is enough water in the oceans so that, if all the surface features of the earth were evened out, water would cover the earth to a depth of 2.7 km (1.7 miles). This is not enough to cover mountains the height of Everest, but it shows that the pre-Flood mountains could have been several kilometres high and still be covered. Return to text.
• Some 'progressive creationists', who cannot accept a global Flood because of their commitment to millions of years for the ages of fossils, try to promote belief in a 'universal' Flood. This leads many unsuspecting evangelicals to think they believe in a world-wide Flood, but what they mean by this is that even though it was a local flood, all humanity outside of the Ark perished in it. However, it boggles the mind to believe that after all those centuries, no-one would have migrated to other parts. Or that people living on the periphery of such a local Flood would not have moved to the adjoining high ground rather than be drowned. Return to text.

Creation Versus Evolution as World-Views

Taken from the Defender's Study Bible Online Help and Supplemental Information on CD.

The origins controversy is not fundamentally a scientific issue, but rather a life-and-death struggle between the only two basic worldviews, each embracing the origin, destiny and meaning of the cosmos and all things in the cosmos -- material, biological, and spiritual. 

COMPARISON OF THE TWO WORLD-VIEWS

 Creation                                                                          Evolution

1.  Self-existing eternal Creator                      1.  Self-originating or self-existing cosmos

2.  Cosmos created by divine fiat                   2.  Cosmos organized by itself

3.    Basic systems completed in                   3.  All systems developed by still continuing natural processes

     the past by supernatural processes

4.  Net changes in created systems                 4.  Net changes in evolving systems

   "downward" toward disorganization                "upward" toward higher organization

 Since each model of origins entails a comprehensive worldview, embracing the whole of reality, each is basically philosophical or, better, religious. The canard that evolution is science and creation is religion is obviously false since it is impossible for scientists actually to observe or repeat unique events of the past. Evolution is based on the premise of naturalism, not science. In fact, evolution is the underlying premise of more religions than creation. Note the tabulation on the following page:

 RELIGIONS BASED ON THE TWO WORLD-VIEWS

 Creation                                                                                                    Evolution

Biblical Christianity                                            Non-Biblical Christianity (liberalism, esoteric cults, etc.)

Orthodox Judaism                                             Non-Orthodox Judaism (Reform Judaism, Nationalistic Zionism)

Orthodox Islam                                                 Non-Orthodox Islam

                                                                         Ancient Pagan Religions (Babylon, Greece, Rome, Egypt, etc.)

                                                                         New Age Mysticism (Witchcraft, Goddess Worship, Satanism, etc.)

                                                                         Hinduism (Sikhism, Jainism, etc.)

                                                                         Confucianism

                                                                         Buddhism

                                                                         Taoism

                                                                        Shintoism

                                                                         Animism

                                                                         Humanism

                                                                         Atheism

 Of the three creationist religions, only Biblical Christianity acknowledges that the Creator must also become the Redeemer and Savior. Thus Islam and Judaism, relying on human works (in addition to faith in the Creator), become humanistic in effect. All of the other religions mentioned are basically evolutionary religions, assuming an eternal space-time cosmos, the intrinsic processes of which (often personified as various gods and goddesses) have developed the cosmos into its present form.

FRUITS OF THE TWO WORLD-VIEWS

 The Lord Jesus Christ said, "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit" (Matthew 7:18). By this test, the evolution "tree" is certainly corrupt, for its "fruit" has been uniformly evil. Note the following list of harmful philosophies and evil practices. The leading advocates of these philosophies have in every case based their pseudo-scientific rationale on evolutionism.

Evolutionist Fruits

                Harmful Philosophies                                                           Evil Practices               

Communism                         Nazism                                   Abortion                               Drug Culture

Racism                                 Imperialism                             Promiscuity                          Slavery                  

Atheism                               Humanism                               Pornography                         Genocide

Materialism                          Amoralism                               Chauvinism                           New-Ageism

Scientism                             Pantheism                                Euthanasia                             Pollution

Monopolism                        Anarchism                              Bestiality                               Satanism

Occultism                            Social Darwinism                    Homosexuality                      Criminality

Behaviorism                         Freudianism                            Cannibalism                          Witchcraft

 The above list could be extended. On the other hand, true Biblical creationism has produced good fruits. Consider the following list.

 Creationist Fruits

 Wholesome Human Social Relationships

•  Monogamous marriage established by God with the first human couple (Genesis 2:21-25; Matthew 19:4-6).
•  Dominion mandate established human stewardship of man under God over the physical and animal creation, viewing every honorable occupation as a service to God (Genesis 1:26-28; Colossians 3:23).
•  Human government ordained to maintain order in society as service to the Creator (Genesis 9:1-7; Romans 13:1-7).

 True Science

•  Founding fathers of modern science (Newton, Kepler, Boyle, etc.) were creationists, "thinking God's thoughts after Him."
•  Uses scientific method based on premise of orderly creation, capable of being understood and described rationally, because designed by intelligent Creator.

 True Education

• Transmitting truth learned via obedience to dominion mandate from one generation to another, thereby "subduing" the earth.
•  Centered and controlled in the home and family, stressing, first of all, obedience to God and His Word (Genesis 18:18, 19; Ephesians 6:4).
•  Transmission of truth through God's people (Matthew 28:19, 20; 1 Timothy 3:16).

 True Americanism

•  Founding fathers of American system -- though not all Bible-believing Christians -- were all creationists.
• Declaration of Independence assumes American freedom required by obedience to Creator (e.g., "all men created equal").
• Background of the U.S. Constitution based on English common law, which was derived mainly from Scripture and efforts of many Bible-believing founding fathers.

 True Christianity -- every major doctrine and practice based on creationist foundation

• Christology -- Christ as Creator (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16; etc.).
• Gospel -- founded "everlastingly" on God first as Creator, then as incarnate saving Word (Revelation 14:6, 7).
•  Saving faith -- centered first of all on God's work as Creator (Hebrews 10:3811:3).
•  Sound evangelism -- note John's example, along with his purpose in writing his Gospel (John 20:31, 31; 1:1-12).
•  Sound missionary effort -- see Paul's example (Acts 14:1, 15-17; 17:2-4, 23-34)
•  Fellowship (Ephesians 3:8-12).
•  Christian life (Colossians 3:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17).
•  Christian home and family (Matthew 19:3-6).
•  Biblical revelation and inerrancy (Psalm 119:89, 90; Hebrews 1:1, 2).
•  Redemption (1 Peter 1:18-21; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2).

 CONCLUSION

 The true worldview is not evolutionary humanism, as taught in the majority of the world's educational institutions, but Biblical creationism, centered in the Lord Jesus Christ as Creator, Redeeming Savior, and coming King and Lord of All.  

THE BIBLE ANSWERS EVOLUTION

1. Evolution allows man to not be responsible to God. So man sets his own rules.

Judges 17:6 (KJV)  ⁶In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

2. Man's wisdom is placed above God's.  But, we know that only God has the handle on wisdom. 

 Colossians 2:2 (KJV) ²That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

 Colossians 2:3 (KJV) ³In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

3. What the Bible says about man and his thinking that he is all knowing.

1 Corinthians 8:2 (KJV)  ²And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.

4. Evolution tells us that dinosaurs "evolved" into birds. The Bible tells us that the birds came before the dinosaurs.

 Genesis 1:20 (KJV) ²⁰And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

 Genesis 1:24 (KJV) ²⁴And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

5. Evolutionists say that a small river made the Grand Canyon over millions of years of erosion. But they weren't there to see this happen.  Christians, however, have the upper hand on this one. We know someone who was there.

 Job 38:4 (KJV) ⁴Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

6. Six days or Six geologic periods? God could have created everything is just one day; in just one second, but possibly, He chose to do it is six days to set a precedence for our workweek. God compares the creation to what?

 Exodus 20:11 (KJV) ¹¹For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

7. God, being omnipresent (always existing), sees time differently than you and I. As is stated in His word:  You can't hold to the first part of this verse and not carry the second part with it.

  2 Peter 3:8 (KJV)  ⁸But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

8. Evolution states that through gradual change over millions of years, a single cell organism changes form from one species into another species. The Bible, what does it say regarding multiplication of various species. How does this differ from evolutions ideals?

  Genesis 1:11-13 (KJV)  ¹¹And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. ¹²And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. ¹³And the evening and the morning were the third day.

Genesis 1:20-26 (KJV)  ²⁰And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. ²¹And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. ²²And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. ²³And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.²⁴And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. ²⁵And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.²⁶And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

9. Evolution has brought with it down through the years the idea of "races" of mankind. And in the past even the idea that some were inferior to others. The Bible tells us about mankind... compare.

  1 Corinthians 15:45 (KJV) ⁴⁵And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

 Genesis 3:20 (KJV) ²⁰And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

 Acts 17:26 (KJV) ²⁶And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

10. Evolution tells us that death and survival of the fittest led to the placing of man on this earth.

The Bible says all God made was "Good".  And that death came into existence only after the coming of man and then his sin.