Christianity and evolution

[Michaelangelo]

Hi. I am not particularly religous but my 5 yr old DS is asking lots of questions about being a christian, he is also a big fan of dinosaurs and we have talked about evolution. What I want to understand so I can answer his questions in a balanced way is - is being a christian compatible with believing in evolution, how does the fact that dinosuars existed millions of years ago before people fit with God made the world. Can anyone help.

Thx

There is a lot to contradict it. That is another myth. What the evidence cannot do is prove without doubt that a god exists - but this is another misunderstanding of what scientici fact is anyway; scientific fact can only say that somehting is more likely to be true, based on the evidence to hand and if this evidence is contantly tested and consolidated by many sciences and scientists, that is what is known as scientific fact - broadly and simply put anyway.

If you had read Dawkin's you would see that he doesn't have a problem with 'whatever gets you though the night' belief at all. Harris might do, but again, all their arguments are collpased, which is an injustivce to all of them individually.

And it isn;t you who he is challenging - as you have already said, you are not rejecting rationalism - you have no need to be insulted by a title and any negative inferences you imagine are present in it.

All I could do, as I always do, is advise you to read the books - you might find Harris a tad strident - Hitchens takes a more direct aim too.

Ah well, it sounds like I'd better find time to read it and make up my own mind on the contents. I've not read any of his since The Selfish Gene, which I had mixed views on. Do Harris and Hitchens each have a particular publication which would be a good start? If they have a few books out I would prefer to go for the "biggy" where they put out their ideas clearly rather than risk misuderstanding by starting at one edge!

No evolution and religion are not compatable.

Evolution is a made up Theory by a man namely Mr Charles Darwin.

If you believe in creation then you know that you are accountable to a creator God.

If you believe in evolution then you believe you just happend here by chance and that you are resposible or accountable to no-one but yourself.

IMO - evolution brings man/woman down to a expendable thing, vis a vis abortion and such, just a bunch of cells.

Creation makes you look at those cells as something created and loved by God.

Watch this....

kids4truth.com/watchmaker/watch.html

Beeper, as you will see if you read above evolution is accepted even by many christians. Though to be honest I don't think evolution and religion are compatable really.

Your link was fine, but is not an accurate comparison. Watches do not grow and develop, nor do they breed. Life does and natural selection can be shown to be true now, not just in the past.

You may not realise this, but atheists do not 'believe in evolution' at all. We see it like all science as being extremely likely given all the evidence. In this case so likely as to be virtually proved (There is little that is ever 100%)

Belief is not knowing if a thing is true or not but 'deciding' that it is anyway. It has no place in my life at all.

I AM only accountable to myself. That makes the decisions I make in life very important and a serious responsibility. I don't have or need anyone to instruct me.

Excuse me if I am wrong, but you seemed to be hinting at the old "non believers have no morals" thing. I feel obliged to point out that religion teaches that one must be 'good' to get a reward and to avoid punishment whereas atheists who do good do so because it is the right thing to do.

er yes Beeper - profound insight you have there

I don't get it Beeper. I'm a christian and a scientist. I don't understand why being created by a process of evolution means that God doesn't exist. Its like a baby evolving from a clump of cells. We know that God hasn't physically made that baby out of dust and breathed life into it and placed it in the mother, He has created a process whereby new life can come into the world.

I cannot accept evolution because the root of my faith is in the word of God. The word of God states that God created man in his own image.

I understand that lots of christians say that they have faith but that they don't believe in the Bible or all aspects of it.

Jesus said the was the 'Logos' 'the word made flesh'. The bible states that God created the word by the power of 'his word' and Jesus was the incarnation of that 'word'. Therefore to me the actual word of God is holy and sure. It explains everything to me about creation and Gods plan. The word of God is what I live by and what I hold up before myself as a mirror to reflect the truth about myself and the world.

Greyriverside, Hi, I no sense to I judge, I leave jugement to God about who is good/bad. Religion teaches that you have to be good to avoid punishents etc. Having a saving faith in Jesus teaches the opposite that you can never be good enough before a holy God. The whole reason for the cross was on the basis that it is Jesus goodness/holyness that we rely upon/ have faith in in order to merit forgivness. Naturally once this has been appreciated by the person who has come to faith they will then out of 'love' see changes within themselves towards the ends of loving God and loving others, but by no means will one ever attain a self perpetuated holyness, it is the power of God within that prompts and enpowers these changes. In truth the most sincere and faithful christian will know that they are not really better than anyone else, regardless if that person where a believer or not.

I am not surprised that some athiests dont believe in evolution, either.

Chicken run, Hi, for my part the human body and the whole process of life itself is too finely balanced to be part of a large accident. Its just to much of a jump for me.

When I first came to faith, it was not creation/evolution that drew me, it was the realistation of the immense love that God had for me that brought me to him, it was the bonds of love and not punishment that made me love him. After that creation did not seem such a problem, for me the simple act of loving and Jesus dying to secure my love and future was enough.

Big post sorry.

Should read "the world by the power of his word".

Blessings

...and here the insanity begins. Byee!

(If that gets deleted, I am offski)

...and here the insanity begins. Byee!

(If that gets deleted, I am offski)

Beeper - we obviously come at this from very different viewpoints, and I don't want to get too far into argument as this is one of the big issues Christians have debated for a long time, so I think it unlikely we will reach a clear resolution here . But, could you just clarify for me how you reconcile an utter and literal belief in what is written in the Bible with the findings of science when the two clash? Do you take the view that science can never reach a complete understanding of the universe without faith in God? Or that the scientific method is in some way flawed?

You see, for me, my faith is built on Scripture, Tradition and Reason, and I cannot switch off my God-given reason just to say that scripture is infallible, any more than I can throw out scripture and tradition to live purely by what I can prove by reason. But I do believe that the universe which God created can be understood by reason alone, as anything else would mean that God's existence could be proved by the gaps in our possible knowledge, and that would negate faith.

I agree, this debate would run and run.

I see science as totally compatable in all its aspects with creation, in the way that God is indeed the scientist and the creator.

I dont't personally have a 'greek' mindset that seeks to agrue and reason out things with my own mind. I just trust the 'word'.

This I see and know would make me seem stupid and foolish to some, and I times past I was one of those who thought the same.

This is the impass I suppose, I live my life totally by faith in things regarding creation and the bible, I dont argue with it I just accept it, and try to live it.

My own reasoning I found for over 30 years in respects to spiritual things was very faulty and brought me no peace, but now I have peace. I must look like a unducated fool but infact I am a uni graduate and study histroy and many other subjects, but in this regard I take my final authority from the Bible.

Anyway,,,, it was a good discussion.

Enjoy your journey.

Beeper - thanks for the clarification. I guess I have a greek mindset!

I have never seen any incompatibility with Christian belief and acceptance of evolution. I'm far less eloquent on the subject than AMumInScotland but agree with what she has said entirely.

It is the same story told at different times to different societies using different words.

I wonder why it isn't obvious to more people.