What are your opinions on evolution? I find that evolution can be incoporated into religious beliefs, even Christianity. After all, the Old Testament is considered more parables and myths rather than a historical overview. After all, who can say that evolution ISN'T part of "God's plan?" I believe that the creation myth was a way for early man to understand something that they couldn't understand in full terms. What do you think? Peace and love
If you're saying it was an invented mythology by primitive humans, I would agree. If you're saying that this is the story given to man by god for that reason, I would disagree. It would seem to me that if there were a god interested in his creation (humans) having knowledge of their origins, he could very well explain it all, and people would understand. After all, he is god, right? Why would you go off on a tale of gardens and talking snakes and exile instead of just saying all matter is made of tiny particles too small to see, and humanity was the end result of a changing lineage?
First of all, I don't believe that God instructed the authors of the bible what to write. That assumes that there is a Christian god, which I don't. I believe the bible was created by man to explain what they couldn't comprehend. Second, let's pretend for a second that there is Christian god and he did tell the authors what to write. How could those people understand something that they could not see, hear, or experience? It's hard enough to explain evolution to people who live in this age, so how would early man be able to grasp genes and atoms? In short, they wouldn't. Jesus often spoke to groups and even his disciples in parables so they had a better chance to understand his messages (which the messages were still not understood fully and lost their original meaning). It would make sense that if "the son of god" used parables, why wouldn't his "father?" What I'm saying is that god would have, in his "infinite" knowledge, told those people something that they could comprehend. But once again, this explanation for the creation of the bible and its stories is as likely as me flying from a ten story building. It ain't gonna happen. When I was in Catholic Sunday school, we were told that the old testament was stories that were not literally true, but had moral value. So even to Catholics, evolution is not something (generally) disagreed with b/c the church had a history of making claims that were later disproven. From what I remember, the church generally stayed out of the realm of science and there are many scientists who are christian. They keep their faith out of science. Personally, I had a geology professor who is a devote christian and she taught her specialty of geology w/o a mention of religion. I just want to hear what other people think about evolution and provide evidence that supports evolution, especially of humans because there are SO many misconceptions. A couple days ago, I watched an episode of "King of the Hill" and one religious character had someone dressed up as an ape, saying that the ape was the family's "grandfather" & that was what "evolution" claims. Although it was a joke, I found it very distasteful b/c there are people who DO believe that evolutionary scientists claim that humans "came" from apes. I guess ignorance of reality really pisses me off, especially if people were taught "the full story" of evolution. Too bad certain religious sects live in denial of scientific FACTS. Peace and love
Catholics don't have a problem with evolution. At the Dover School Board trial on teaching Intelligent Design, the star witness against Intelligent Design was Dr. Kenneth Miller, a distinguished evolutionary biologist and devout Catholic who defended Darwin and natural selection. Several vatican scientists and two popes have said good things about evolution. Christians who have a problem with evolution are mostly Evangelical Christians, but even there, Dr. Francis Collins, head of the human genome project and a devout Evangelical Christian wrote a book that includes chapters supporting Darwin against ID. So you're right.
Yes, it is possible to become scientifically knowledgeable about the world and still be religious! After all, faith explains the divine while science handles the mundane. Peace and love
On the topic of evolution - I would like to mention that Darwin, believe it or not, believed in a "Creator". It's in "The Origin Of Species", right at the end of the book. Amazing, because the modern day evolution debate would have me(personally, if I didn't read Darwin for myself) believe that Darwin, the king of evolution, was an atheist. Just an interesting fact which is generally unknown by the masses. Look into it for yourself. Read "The Origin Of Species" and you will read it at the end of the book. Will it prove anything? No, nonetheless, it is interesting.
At the time of Origin of Species, Darwin was a theist. However, he did NOT believe this god was the creator. I have read and reread the last chapter of his book and what you claim is not there. Darwin spoke against creationism and other naturalists. Towards the end of his life, he became agnostic, not atheist. BTW, Darwin was not the "King of Evolution" any more than James Hutton is the "King of Geology". There were theories about evolution before Darwin, including one created by Darwin's grandfather. However, Darwin was the first to back his claims with evidence, so much evidence that he could not be ignored. There was another man who sent Darwin a draft of his hypothesis on evolution, which was very similar to Darwin's but Darwin had evidence, while the other guy did not. Although it had been over a decade since Darwin's journey, he wrote Origin of Species within a year of receiving a competing draft. If you can find a quote where Darwin acknowledges a Creator, not a god, please post it. The closest quote I found was this: "To my mind it accords better with what we know of the laws impressed on matter by the Creator," If this is the quote, read what comes before and after this fragment. He is specifically referring to naturalists who believe in creationism, not stating that he believes in a creator. Peace and love
Yes, he believed in God as a creator(reread the quote you have posted). He just didn't believe that God created species as they presently are, but that species evolve. I am not claiming that he held the christian view of God, just that he did believe in God and was not an atheist. This fact is not known by many, and many seem to think that Darwin was an atheist. This is not so. Yes it is, you have quoted it and I have read what comes before and after, and it doesn't change a thing. "WE" is inclusive and he, Darwin, is speaking and is part of "we" in his statement - he does not state "they"(referring to naturalists as you have stated) but "we". "To my mind it accords better with what we know of the laws impressed on matter by the Creator,". In the quote, he is not quoting naturalists or referring to what naturalists believe etc. - he is part of "we" in his statement. Yes, Darwin did not believe that species were created as they presently are, but he did believe in a creator, as the quote above reveals. By "King of Evolution", I only meant that his name is the most well known among scientists regarding evolution - that is all.
Think of the capacities of some of the people you know. If there were a Creator should He not give us our origins in a manner everyone could understand? I'm sure it is far more complicated, think of all there is to know. Plus if we had a big book spelling out everything to know about our lives, what would be the point of living them? Think of all the legacies that would be left to dust if the Bible had been a big biology book. Though I despise science in a way, somewhat because the only true mystery its left us with is what mystery itself is, and where did it come from? I believe there are few who could hold a fraction of how God's universe truly works and came about. If you get my meaning of course.
I dont believe the book actually states that Darwin believes in the Christian god. Either way, Evolution is 100% real. It is happening all around us, wether you want to or not. yes it can be "god", but I certainly doubt that, I think we are here by a very lucky shot. And nobody that knows if we are the only planet with life on it, so who knows what comes next.
Granted, it would not have made much sense for god to explain about dna and genetics, but natural selection is a very easy idea to understand. Those that don't are more refusing to understand than they are unable. Instead of making a story that doesn't really explain much of anything, he could have explained the hereditary nature of traits, and that traits may change over time, bad ones weeded out and good ones preserved, and that by that mechanism, humanity came from the same stuff as all other species on earth. It wouldn't take much more space than genesis, I don't think.
