Is Evolution Compatible with Christianity?

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: Tobolo
Defintely. The problem with die hard creationists is that God formed the Earth in seven days and evolution cannot have happened in seven days. The Bible say, however, that a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day to God. Basically saying that God is outside of time. So seven days could, and in reality would be, a very very very long time.

Old world or era theories.

 

[Atheus]

Originally posted by: TravisT
The argument between evolution vs christianity will never end. People who support evolution claim it as fact, although it remains a theory for a reason in the fact that it can not be proven.

What about fossils showing the intermediate stages between early apelike creatures and humans? If you subscribe to the 'devil put them in the earth to fool us' view that's fine, but you must accept that is truly unprovable - it does not just lack evidence as you believe evolution does, it is impossible to ever prove.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: Tobolo
Defintely. The problem with die hard creationists is that God formed the Earth in seven days and evolution cannot have happened in seven days. The Bible say, however, that a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day to God. Basically saying that God is outside of time. So seven days could, and in reality would be, a very very very long time.

There is a better question to ask about the time. Before the Earth was created, how long was a day? Think about it? A day is the time it takes the Earth to rotate around its axis once. Before the Earth was created, how long was the rotation? Clearly, there is NO definition of a day back then.

Also, the length of a day changes. The Earth speeds up and slows down its rotations (heck, it even reverses its rotation occasionally. Thus, there is a period of time between directions when the Earth isn't rotating at all. How long is the day then?

To think a day is a set amount of time is silly.

<- This post (and the one above stating that they are compatible) comes from an athiest.

 

[slsmnaz]

Originally posted by: Atheus
You can try to work christianity into evolution however you want, but when you get right down to the facts, they don't fit. The bible says god created adam and eve from his own image completely separately from the animals, and this would mean humans are in a static state, i.e. they have always and will always look the same. Science says no, humans are constantly changing.

You're still taking it too literally. Should we view Adam and Eve as the first man and woman to ever walk the earth or were they just the first to know God? Also, where is it stated that man will never change (your static state idea)?

 

[George P Burdell]

Flame-bait. Now all we need is a thread on circumcision.

 

[thepd7]

Originally posted by: Atheus
You can try to work christianity into evolution however you want, but when you get right down to the facts, they don't fit. The bible says god created adam and eve from his own image completely separately from the animals, and this would mean humans are in a static state, i.e. they have always and will always look the same. Science says no, humans are constantly changing.

In God's image has nothing to do with exact physical body unless you actually think God has a physical body. It has a lot to do with the heart and soul of man. Emotions, etc. God in the Bible gets angry, loves, shows compassion, and expresses a host of other emotions that animals do not have. That is what being created in his image means.

Originally posted by: Tobolo
Defintely. The problem with die hard creationists is that God formed the Earth in seven days and evolution cannot have happened in seven days. The Bible say, however, that a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day to God. Basically saying that God is outside of time. So seven days could, and in reality would be, a very very very long time.

True, and many Christians I know reconcile evolution and their faith in this way. As it was pointed out earlier the order is the same in both.

 

[mordantmonkey]

Originally posted by: loki8481
I learned evolution in Catholic high school (granted, they were jesuits )

it really all depends on whether or not you view the bible as a literal, historic document or as more of a symbol to teach christian morality.

:thumbsup: to jesuits. they seem the most sane of all christians.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

Originally posted by: TravisT
The argument between evolution vs christianity will never end. People who support evolution claim it as fact, although it remains a theory for a reason in the fact that it can not be proven.

It won't surprise me if someone else posts this before I finish typing it, but it is worth noting that Evolutionary theory is more complete than other scientific theories that are usually readily accepted by even the most staunch fundamentalists. Evolution *IS* a fact, however. In truth, it is many, many facts -- the collection of which compose evolutonary theory. If you had a proper understanding of the meaning of the words "fact" and "theory" in a scientific context you wouldn't make such statements as yours.

No science is EVER proven, so it is disingenuous to cast evolutonary theory in a suspicious light by positing that "it can not be proven."

{snip}

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Atheus
You can try to work christianity into evolution however you want, but when you get right down to the facts, they don't fit. The bible says god created adam and eve from his own image completely separately from the animals, and this would mean humans are in a static state, i.e. they have always and will always look the same. Science says no, humans are constantly changing.

What is God's "image"? According to most Christian doctrine, God has no physical body.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: Tobolo
Defintely. The problem with die hard creationists is that God formed the Earth in seven days and evolution cannot have happened in seven days. The Bible say, however, that a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day to God. Basically saying that God is outside of time. So seven days could, and in reality would be, a very very very long time.

That goes back (as you say) to the very strict interpretation of day. I had an exgf (wayyy back in HS) that was a creationist and believed in the full seven days. I asked her if she ever heard the phrase 'back in Shakespears day' and asked if they meant a specific day in his life or the period in which he lived. She was more open to creation as a process via evolution after that.

 

[FoBoT]

yes, god invented science, so god invented evolution

 

[Mermaidman]

Originally posted by: dullard
There is a better question to ask about the time. Before the Earth was created, how long was a day? Think about it? A day is the time it takes the Earth to rotate around its axis once. Before the Earth was created, how long was the rotation? Clearly, there is NO definition of a day back then.

Also, the length of a day changes. The Earth speeds up and slows down its rotations (heck, it even reverses its rotation occasionally. Thus, there is a period of time between directions when the Earth isn't rotating at all. How long is the day then?

To think a day is a set amount of time is silly.

<- This post (and the one above stating that they are compatible) comes from an athiest.

If the Earth's rotation slows down long enough so that a "day" lasts many years, half of the planet is going to be a tad toasty, and the other half a winter wonderland.

 

[Strk]

Originally posted by: TravisT
The argument between evolution vs christianity will never end. People who support evolution claim it as fact, although it remains a theory for a reason in the fact that it can not be proven.

As a christian, I realize that I will not be able to prove my beliefs to others. It is the idea behind faith, I think the bible clearly states that until the end there will always be people who doubt the religion. We will never be able to scientifically explain the religion.

I say we just agree to disagree. While I'm much more liberal than many Christians in regards to evolution. I do not believe that evolution is what started and created what we know now as humans. I do believe that animals are capable of adapting over time.

I will likely not revisit this thread, if I do, I will not respond to any hateful or hate baits that you may leave. Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss in a calm manner as I am sure this thread will not end that way.

It has been proven and continues to be proven -- hence it being a scientific theory and not just a theory.

The other one is that God created the initial spark of life and Evolution continued unaided from that point. This seems like gambling to me. The organism that God chose to interact with could have ended up quite different if mutations had skewed a different direction. God would have had to have said something like 'I'll get things going and I'll love whatever ends up existing'.

That works perfectly fine. Simply look at examples of genetic variation. Is all variation good? Absolutely not. There are numerous examples of genetic variations that are about as helpful as a swift kick in the nuts.

 

[glen]

Absolutely.

 

[bsobel]

(heck, it even reverses its rotation occasionally. Thus, there is a period of time between directions when the Earth isn't rotating at all. How long is the day then?

I believe your confusing Earth's magenetic orientation with it's rotation. While the amount of angular velocity changes do to forces from plate techtonics, the moon, and beyond (heck, probe flybys change our day length ) the direction of rotation does not change (it would take an impact event on say the size of the moon to possibly have that effect).

To think a day is a set amount of time is silly.

To your actual point, I agree fully.

 

[mercanucaribe]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
yes, god invented science, so god invented evolution

Science means "knowing". Evolution isn't science but a natural process.

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: Atheus
You can try to work christianity into evolution however you want, but when you get right down to the facts, they don't fit. The bible says god created adam and eve from his own image completely separately from the animals, and this would mean humans are in a static state, i.e. they have always and will always look the same. Science says no, humans are constantly changing.

everything that exists was created in god's image

 

[skace]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
yes, god invented science, so god invented evolution

yes, but man uses science, and man created god.

OH HOHO we have a paradox. *head explodes*

 

[DougK62]

Evolution is only incompatible with "sola scriptura" Christians. Catholics recognize that evolution is fact...and have for a very long time.

 

[Pacemaker]

Originally posted by: Atheus
You can try to work christianity into evolution however you want, but when you get right down to the facts, they don't fit. The bible says god created adam and eve from his own image completely separately from the animals, and this would mean humans are in a static state, i.e. they have always and will always look the same. Science says no, humans are constantly changing.

Evolution could just be the method that God used to create humans (in his own image), or you could say that it was the soul that god created in his image and your body is nothing but a biochemical machine that your soul controls. Either way you can make this fit with accepted theory.

I am not a religious BTW, but it makes more sense to me that god created the soul in his own image (God is most likely a spirit of some kind) as that is the only part of you that lives past death (if you believe in such things).

 

[TravisT]

Originally posted by: Strk

Originally posted by: TravisT
The argument between evolution vs christianity will never end. People who support evolution claim it as fact, although it remains a theory for a reason in the fact that it can not be proven.

As a christian, I realize that I will not be able to prove my beliefs to others. It is the idea behind faith, I think the bible clearly states that until the end there will always be people who doubt the religion. We will never be able to scientifically explain the religion.

I say we just agree to disagree. While I'm much more liberal than many Christians in regards to evolution. I do not believe that evolution is what started and created what we know now as humans. I do believe that animals are capable of adapting over time.

I will likely not revisit this thread, if I do, I will not respond to any hateful or hate baits that you may leave. Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss in a calm manner as I am sure this thread will not end that way.

It has been proven and continues to be proven -- hence it being a scientific theory and not just a theory.

Exactly. It is a theory, not a scientific law. A theory, whether it has "scientific" in front of it or not is not a scientific law. If Evolution could be taken as fact, it would be a law and there would no room for argument on the two beliefs.

theory - a hypothesis assumed for the sake of argument or investigation b : an unproved assumption

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: bsobel
I believe your confusing Earth's magenetic orientation with it's rotation. While the amount of angular velocity changes do to forces from plate techtonics, the moon, and beyond (heck, probe flybys change our day length ) the direction of rotation does not change (it would take an impact event on say the size of the moon to possibly have that effect).

I could be wrong there with the rotation change. I'm no expert and just was going off of elementary school education there. My teachers could have been wrong, and so can I. But my point is the same, the length of the day is not fixed, nor was it even defined when some of these events supposedly occured. Heck, couldn't a god have even spun the Earth later after most of them were accomplished?

 

[Nik]

Yes, it is.

 

[DougK62]

Originally posted by: TravisT

Originally posted by: Strk

Originally posted by: TravisT
The argument between evolution vs christianity will never end. People who support evolution claim it as fact, although it remains a theory for a reason in the fact that it can not be proven.

As a christian, I realize that I will not be able to prove my beliefs to others. It is the idea behind faith, I think the bible clearly states that until the end there will always be people who doubt the religion. We will never be able to scientifically explain the religion.

I say we just agree to disagree. While I'm much more liberal than many Christians in regards to evolution. I do not believe that evolution is what started and created what we know now as humans. I do believe that animals are capable of adapting over time.

I will likely not revisit this thread, if I do, I will not respond to any hateful or hate baits that you may leave. Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss in a calm manner as I am sure this thread will not end that way.

It has been proven and continues to be proven -- hence it being a scientific theory and not just a theory.

Exactly. It is a theory, not a scientific law. A theory, whether it has "scientific" in front of it or not is not a scientific law. If Evolution could be taken as fact, it would be a law and there would no room for argument on the two beliefs.

theory - a hypothesis assumed for the sake of argument or investigation b : an unproved assumption

Seriously, take a science class. You're embarassing yourself.

 

[Pacemaker]

Originally posted by: TravisT

Originally posted by: Strk

Originally posted by: TravisT
The argument between evolution vs christianity will never end. People who support evolution claim it as fact, although it remains a theory for a reason in the fact that it can not be proven.

As a christian, I realize that I will not be able to prove my beliefs to others. It is the idea behind faith, I think the bible clearly states that until the end there will always be people who doubt the religion. We will never be able to scientifically explain the religion.

I say we just agree to disagree. While I'm much more liberal than many Christians in regards to evolution. I do not believe that evolution is what started and created what we know now as humans. I do believe that animals are capable of adapting over time.

I will likely not revisit this thread, if I do, I will not respond to any hateful or hate baits that you may leave. Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss in a calm manner as I am sure this thread will not end that way.

It has been proven and continues to be proven -- hence it being a scientific theory and not just a theory.

Exactly. It is a theory, not a scientific law. A theory, whether it has "scientific" in front of it or not is not a scientific law. If Evolution could be taken as fact, it would be a law and there would no room for argument on the two beliefs.

theory - a hypothesis assumed for the sake of argument or investigation b : an unproved assumption

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/theory

You are using definition 6 or 7 where 1 applies.


A Hypothesis is an untested assumption
A theory is a generally accepted and well TESTED solution to a problem.
A Law is a theory that has stood the test of time and has not been improved upon.

The difference between a theory and a law is largly time. Theories are used all the time in real world applications, does that make them invalid?

We would not have stealth aircraft, nuclear technology ect. if we waited for theory to become law before we accepted it.