Answers on Anthropology 
 
 I have heard that the new generation of students in Russia (and Belarus) is very sincere and serious about learning, and the sharing that we have had reflects this. Certainly it is God's doing. This is the type of people that we met when I first came to the Soviet Union in 1991. They asked much more serious and deep questions than we usually heard in America. Of course, there are answers. Mainly the answer comes from Principle. Often Principle does not directly address the question of issue, but, knowing Principle, you can often figure out the answer -- "the Principle viewpoint". Actually, such a person who developed Principle in this way, organizing it logically to construct a philosophical, scientific, epistemological, and educational system based on Principle, to cope with those existing in the secular and religious world at present, was Dr. Sang Hun Lee. It is truly the time for such a development to take place in the Unification Movement, and in an accelerated fashion, in all fields -- medicine, economics, particle physics, cosmology, anthropology, urban design, engineering, geology, sociology, art, photography... this is all our realm now as the inheritors of True Parents in the Completed Testament Age which has just opened. 
 
Now, our answer must be based not only on Principle, but on hard scientific research. Namely, Principle can guide science. For example, especially those investigating the anthropological origins of man would do very well to know, not only classical Darwinian evolutionary theory, but also more modern social evolution theories, and especially should know the Principle view. Then they would realize that God was guiding the evolution with a purpose and intention in mind. Exactly how does or did God do that? 
 
So, you should ( I should, we should) know the scientific facts, the anthropological and archaeological finds, and the state of the art in the research. Then, your original mind can operate on a seedbed, substrate, or soil of scientific knowledge. At this point I often cite the Seven Points of the Unified Field Theory, which are essential to doing scientific work which will be blessed by God: 

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The 7 Essential Points as the Foundation of the Unified Field Theory

(1) Know God's Heart; (2) Know God's nature; (3) Know God's Will; (4) Become a Godly person; (5) Know science; (6) Know the reality of the world; (7) Do God's Will.

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Then you will do work which will be pleasing to God, which will be deeply truthful, and which will benefit mankind and God's providence. Then also your work will be assisted by God and good spirit world. Furthermore, and especially, you will have the unique and high-level understandings of Principle, about the origin and purpose of the human beings and the whole universe, so that will lead you to understand and expect why things are set in the way they are. For example, a God-centered geologist will know God put gold where we can use it, and he would work for a good purpose, not just selfishly, and there is a morality of how to work and how to deal with other people, but at the same time he would know the principle of indemnity -- that a good thing never comes easily or at once, but requires hard work, perseverance, and faith -- even if it is for God's purpose. 
 
Now, to your question: 
 
"We can admit that last 4000 years in history are real years." -- Yes, at least in the central civilizations, starting with the Egyptian and Assyrian civilizations in the Middle East and the Shang Dynasty in China, in which historical records began and are preserved today. Now, as regards the Bible, we have to understand that the Five Books of Moses (Pentateuch) originate in Moses, the stories of Moses and from Moses, and the revelations he received; but in fact they were collected, written down, and organized much later -- at the time of the Babylonian captivity, around 600 years B.C. The language and surrounding cultural details attest to that. For example, camels did not exist in the region until after about 1,000 B.C., the time of the Jewish Kingdom, yet they appear in the stories of Abraham, Jacob, etc. That is called "anachronism". So, in the case of the Bible, we may say that the stories preceding Moses are not clearly datable, and more oral traditions rather than historical records. Many, many national historical chronicles, including the Russian Chronicles, begin with legends. We don't have any idea when Noah's account took place, how widespread it was, or if it really happened. 
 
"The fall occurred 8 millions years ago." -- This statement is dubious and probably wrong. I will share with you several alternative suggestions as to that timing. First of all, I personally heard Father say in Belvedere about 1989 that Adam and Eve lived 25 million years ago. I think it may have been an error in translation, to give Father the benefit of the doubt, and that Father actually meant "2.5 million years ago". Then the date is roughly in keeping with archaeological evidence. Now, "25 million years" may be a Principle, or symbolic, number, which has more a spiritual or providential meaning, than a scientific fact. In that case, we should also try to understand that meaning. The scientific evidence (from fossils) shows the following: The first mammals were 70 million years ago at the beginning of the Cenozoic Era. The first monkeys were 30 million years ago, toward the end of the Oligocene Period. Early ape fossils appear from 20 million years ago at the beginning of the Miocene Period. The most primitive ancestor of modern humans could have been "Lucy", an Australopithecus afarensis from 3.1 to 3.7 million years ago found in Hadar, Ethiopia. Then the oldest Homo fossil was just recently found in 1994 in Ethiopia with a dating of 2.33 million years ago, which corresponds closely to what Father seems to have said. Yet still, further on, the Homo line has three branches 1.9 million years ago: Homo habilis, Homo rudolfensis, and Homo erectus (the last branch seems to lead to Homo sapiens, modern man). Homo erectus lived starting from 1.8 million years ago until 400,000 years ago, which we can call the Paleolithic culture. About 1.4 million years ago the Australopithecus line, another early branch, became extinct. Then 180,000 years ago, the ancestors of Neanderthals and Homo sapiens were found, with hand-axes. Neanderthalers lived between 70,000 until 40,000 years ago. The last Ice Age lasted from 40,000 years ago until 18,000 years ago. Then, from 30,000 years ago, the forefathers of the American Indians 

migrated across the Alaska land bridge. Finally, the first settlements are found at Jericho from 15,000 B.C. So, from the above fairly solid "facts" of anthropology, we have to piece together or conclude what was the actual story of Adam and Eve and their descendants (and their ancestors?). 
 
Now, I will give you my opinion, based on Principle, plus some revelations I received. I also asked these questions seriously to God in prayer. I think I am like you and like other former Soviet students I have met -- intelligent, seeking, and not accepting "pat" answers either from religionists nor scientists. In saying so, different teachers and students of Principle have different opinions. Not only that, even Father says different things sometimes (but don't let it affect your faith!). Also, Hyo Jin Nim has said quite a bit about our first ancestors, including some new ideas. Furthermore, Heung Jin Nim in his conferences after his incarnation in the black brother Cleopus from Zimbabwe, said a lot of new and amazing things about Adam and Eve, the Fall, and Lucifer. Now, all these things don't necessarily agree with each other, but you can benefit from them in different ways, in the aspect of faith and inspiration, and also in their creative contribution. Revelation or scripture gives you a side-door window of access on many things that science doesn't touch, even about relatively modern events such as the crucifixion of Jesus, which is not even recorded in secular historical narratives! 
 
I believe Adam and Eve were one couple, specially born with God's input both in terms of genetic information and spiritual existence. What does that mean? They were born from pre-existing parents, in the physical sense -- their "parents" would be rather called animals. That lineage is now extinct, and was prepared by God only to give birth to Adam and Eve. The other relatives, from more distant branches, are indeed the apes, etc. In a sense, we come from physical parents, but our spiritual existence comes from True Parents, so we are the children of God and True Parents, and we become original ancestors of our lineage, and in the same sense, Adam and Eve were the children of God and intended to be the original ancestors of the human race. But since they fell, True Parents are the original ancestors of the human race, the new Adam and Eve. True Parents took complete responsibility for the failure of Adam and Eve. So, God prepared the physical genes through their physical lineage. Supporting this, genetic biologists have found that about 99 percent of the genes of humans and apes are identical or nearly so. Evolutionary or physical lineage can be traced according to gene correspondence, all the way back to whales, mice, and even further back among the lower animals. It upholds the classical evolutionary tree, and we should not argue with that "fact". But we can challenge the concept of accidental evolution by random mutations and natural selection through survival of the fittest. That is a satanic concept. The mutations are not random, evolution and emergence of species is not accidental but for the purpose of God and by means of the "true love gate", and species are strictly separated, not blending in with one another at all. Furthermore, natural selection is not survival of the fittest but more a question of community support, viability through supportive interrelationship. The ecosphere is an organic whole, with all the parts in vital interaction and necessity. Now, from this concept, you can understand the mea

ning in the Bible, "God formed them of dust from the earth..." 
 
Adam and Eve's spirit would have come from God directly. Namely, God was always living, holding the universe in His hands, cultivating and nurturing it to maturity, and, when ready, He descended to live in His True Children, Adam and Eve. Namely, they had a spirit which began as the seed which was the child of God, and should grow up by Principle to maturity, whereupon they would become one with God, and God would live completely in and through them, as Father says. That was God's intention. In such a way also, a man or woman of faith has the experience of God's Spirit descending to them and their spiritual life begins. There were many: Ezekiel, the Pentecost, St. Paul, St. Joan of Arc, St. Tikhon Zadonskiy... So, you see, there is a principle of analogy -- the same thing as happened at the original creation is happening now also, in a new circumstance, by way of "recreation". And the same with rebirth, or infusion of our new life. What is this spirit? It is not only mind. Animals have minds, which is in the sung-sang realm, at different levels. We also have a mind of that type. The mind can be very advanced -- for example, dolphins, chimpanzees, dogs... And the mind of animals can very much have give-and-take with the mind of man, in some ways. But what we have is the subjective "spirit". This exists, not only in the sung-sang realm of the physical world, but in an entirely other world, the spiritual world. It was uniquely created by God, and waiting for man's advent. In some sense, it still hasn't really opened yet, as the Kingdom of Heaven in heaven. So, only Adam and Eve had that spirit, different from all the animals. However, based on the human spirit, the animals can also acquire a spiritual "existence", when we love them, and remember them. This may comfort those animal lovers, which include many of us too. And so, "...God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life." 
 
Now, the time of Adam and Eve: when was that? Let us say, the first of the Homo genus were the first "human beings", and they fell. Then, did Adam and Eve look like the somewhat ugly or grotesque figures we find among those fossils? Actually, let us say so: In fact, they were not developed even physically with the kind of beauty that human beings have now. Why? Because even the cultivation of the kind of earthly and heavenly beauty of mankind was also part of the human responsibility. That is, when God's spirit descended to man, then man's "evolution" would be completed through the succeeding generations, and the children would be born more and more beautiful. In fact, this is what actually happened, because the sense of beauty in man and woman comes from God alone, and, in spite of the fall, this was not destroyed, but remained part of our original nature. Now, this may be compared with Jesus Christ, who would not appear as a modern refined 20th century educated man, but was very rough in comparison. Yet Jesus is the beloved founder of the reborn human race through Christian salvation. So God loves Him! Furthermore, look at us, Blessed Couples who are to be the parents to Blessed Children. I have my daughter Mariya, who is a Blessed Child. She is far more lovely than me and my wife. How could this beautiful creature come from such parents? The same thing was to take place with the human race, starting from Adam and Eve. Because we were so barbarian, after the fall, this development didn't take place, so, for hundreds of thousands of years, mankind remained like cavemen. You can even see them today, honestly speaking, can't you? So, you see, when someone finds faith and receives God and True Parents, they are transformed in a matter of days and weeks into a truly lovely person, even physically. "They shall be transformed in the twinkling of an eye!" (Bible) 
 
You wrote, "The fall occurred 8 million years ago." It's possible, but very unlikely. Now, I would accept a date of 800,000 years ago. In fact, to me, a date between 800,000 and 1.7 million years ago seems more right. Anyway, 8 million years ago, there is no sign that there were any so advanced species like man. But from about 2.5 million years ago, they can indeed be found. When I asked this question to God, I got the answer, "1.7 million years ago." Interestingly, the number 1.7 something-something keeps coming up. The age of the universe is quoted as variously "10", "13", "15", and "20" billion years. To me, you could average that up as "17 billion years". Usually I say "15 billion years", a little on the conservative side. 
 
Again, what was the age of Noah's ark? From the distribution of languages, if it is true that Noah represents the new father of the human race, then the figure of 100,000 years ago is very good. That figure also matches two other sources: the patterns of evolution of artifacts like pottery, tools, art forms, etc. also gives the figure of 100,000 years for the common origin of archaeological culture, and, finally, amazingly, from the genes of hemoglobin (I think, or maybe the DNA of mitochondria), you again come up with a figure of 100,000 years. Is that Noah? The common origin is scientifically termed a "genetic bottleneck", in which all but one human died out, and the whole lineage was extended from this one. The same phenomenon happens in linguistic spread too. This date could be Noah, or even Adam and Eve. But the number does not correspond to what Father said, nor to my own revelation. Also, there were very intelligent humanoids of some kind a couple million years earlier. 
 
In summary, let me say: The Neanderthals were human beings like us, descendants of Adam and Eve, and lived from 70,000 years ago to 40,000 years ago. The Pithecanthropus erectus would have been a direct or near-direct ancestor (in physical lineage) of human beings (Adam and Eve)... WS -- "What was it, Heavenly Father?" HF (with a solemn face, like Father's, when he is serious) -- "It was the real man." Then I have to say that this was one of the fallen descendants of Adam and Eve, the "cave-men", very dark-spirited, brooding people. We may think of them as the "descendants of Cain, who went to the east of Eden." In a sense, you have to think that that was the state of all people, our ancestors. Then, the ape-like ancestors, before the fall, were brighter, nicer. Take the third one you mentioned: Australopithecus. Okay, this was the other branch... HF -- "No, this was also the fallen man." Okay, Dennis, so I get such an answer from my conscience or from God. The human race must be much older than we thought, and branched much more, and must have become very ugly to God. HF -- "Yes." Now you see why Father says, "25 million years ago." You see even more, how much God suffered during such a time. Then: Principally, what are they, the species you mentioned? They are the degraded human beings, buried under time, and unspeakable. After all, God would have created His Son and Daughter as soon as He could have. And then, when they failed, He had to let things take their natural course. To Satan's delight. 
 
So, you see, "human" is not just a matter of definition. There was a decisive moment when God invested His Spirit, and they either took it, or defiled it. So you see what happened. We can't even talk about the Creation, which is of course wonderful and mysterious, without talking about the fall, which is ugly and degrading, and especially since the results or the work of the fall dominate and wash completely over the fruits of goodness. It was so then, it was so at the time of Jesus, and it is so in modern society. Yet that pure goodness is there, like a pure white lily, growing even out of the mud. Same with our original mind, which retains its goodness in the milieu of our fallen nature... same with the work of our Unification Church, in the midst of the chaos and corruption of the present society. Back to your question, Homo genus is Man. The Fall, and Adam and Eve, were further back than you like to think. They are all men; they were all perverted and deformed, spiritually and physically. The human race came out of something pure and good and true. God specially made it. 
 
Your questions are very important, central, and also philosophical. It is another variant of the cosmological questions and fundamental questions of man, religion, Cosmos, Creation, and good and evil. And we Unificationists must be able to come up with the solutions, or at least host a very good and intelligent discussion centered on God. To really speak authoritatively on it is not easy. But you must be educated in these matters, and have a humble attitude, a faithful mind, and also an open mind. 
 
Good luck; may God Bless you, in your life of faith and in your further studies. 



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