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C
There are two possibilities regarding being a Christian and believing in evolution.
1. Theistic evolution. The belief that God created the planet and seeded it with simple life forms, set in motion evolution, and then (normally) created humanity once the evolutionary process reached the appropriate place.
2. Micro-evolution. The belief that God created the world and a set of super-species (such as a protocanine, a protofeline, a protobovine, etc.) and, of course, man. These super-species then split into the present species. Proto-canine became the wolves, dogs, foxes, etc.
Theistic evolution is often used by those who have deistic tendencies.
1. Theistic evolution. The belief that God created the planet and seeded it with simple life forms, set in motion evolution, and then (normally) created humanity once the evolutionary process reached the appropriate place.
2. Micro-evolution. The belief that God created the world and a set of super-species (such as a protocanine, a protofeline, a protobovine, etc.) and, of course, man. These super-species then split into the present species. Proto-canine became the wolves, dogs, foxes, etc.
Theistic evolution is often used by those who have deistic tendencies.
S
My wife believes in evolution and she's a Christian; she believes in theistic evolution as per charisenexcelcis's description. I think the problem with believing in evolution (other than the fact that I don't think it's true) is that you're letting science define truth and not the other way around. But I think you can definitely be a Christian and believe evolution.
S
Christians honestly don't care because Christianity doesn't deal with the mechanics of creation, they simply aknowledge the creator and his role. Personally, I find evolution has such gaps, holes, and flawed logic that it is poor science. I consider evolution to be more religion than science so I don't argue religion with adherents; ultimately it depends on where you put your faith. I am pleased to put mine where revelation continues to strengthen my faith. That faith, called Christianity, is reinforced by science but not dependent upon it. The religion of evolution has to constantly change and rethink its position as tenets don't pan out and "promising lines of inquiry" turn out to be deadends or hoaxes.
I wish schools would require logic; many of these discussions would be much more interesting and enlightening if people learned how to think instead of what to think. Mature Christianity requires a lot of critical thinking because it requires personal understanding. Being born to a Christian family and being raised in the Christian faith doesn't make you a Christian; it just gives you a head start. Deep inside your mind and heart is where the transformation occurs, and it is personal, profound, and potentially life-changing. I say potentially because we remain at war with our sinful nature and "humanness" throughout our lives. Every Christian experiences crises of faith, moments of doubt. Contrast that with the religions of atheism and evolution. Doubt isn't tolerated and the surety and certitude of positions they take would be powerful if Christians could develop that level of unquestioning faith.
I wish schools would require logic; many of these discussions would be much more interesting and enlightening if people learned how to think instead of what to think. Mature Christianity requires a lot of critical thinking because it requires personal understanding. Being born to a Christian family and being raised in the Christian faith doesn't make you a Christian; it just gives you a head start. Deep inside your mind and heart is where the transformation occurs, and it is personal, profound, and potentially life-changing. I say potentially because we remain at war with our sinful nature and "humanness" throughout our lives. Every Christian experiences crises of faith, moments of doubt. Contrast that with the religions of atheism and evolution. Doubt isn't tolerated and the surety and certitude of positions they take would be powerful if Christians could develop that level of unquestioning faith.
G
If people read the Bible and not just a verse here and there, they will come up with there own conclusions.
What if the concept of evolution wasn't in world and everyone read the Bible, do you think anyone ever would come up with the concept of evolution from just reading the Bible or listening to men?
What if the concept of evolution wasn't in world and everyone read the Bible, do you think anyone ever would come up with the concept of evolution from just reading the Bible or listening to men?
MY vote, is Noooooooooooooooooooo!!!!! you can not believe in evolution and be a bible believing Christian, if the Bible is wrong about evolution , then it could be wrong about the salvational issues, or in other words if the Bible is false on the evolution issue how can we know what issues in the Bible are true. alittle leaven will leaven the whole lot!!!!!!!
Mt 4:4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Ge 1:1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Joh 1:1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.Joh 1:2The same was in the beginning with God.Joh 1:3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
All things were made by him, Not all things evolved from the things of God, but all things were made by God!!!!!!!!
Joh 1:14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Mt 4:4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Ge 1:1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Joh 1:1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.Joh 1:2The same was in the beginning with God.Joh 1:3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
All things were made by him, Not all things evolved from the things of God, but all things were made by God!!!!!!!!
Joh 1:14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
F
sure theist evolutionists that each day wasn't a literal 24 hour. In genesis the word for day was yom which means 24 hours. at the end of each day it says and the evening and morning were the xday and that means a 24 hour period. plants came the 3rd day and the sun came the 4th day if it was more than a 24 hour period then the plants would have died.
For the theist evolutionist who say that God started the creation process and let evolution finnish, when he created man God said "it is finished that same Christ said when he died on the cross. God said it is finnished meaning nothing more that creation was done or he would have said I'm finnished with creation then you could possible said he let evolution continue the process. If you need more explanation, I'm happy to give it to you.
For the theist evolutionist who say that God started the creation process and let evolution finnish, when he created man God said "it is finished that same Christ said when he died on the cross. God said it is finnished meaning nothing more that creation was done or he would have said I'm finnished with creation then you could possible said he let evolution continue the process. If you need more explanation, I'm happy to give it to you.
S
forgiveandloved: I'll be straight with you, I'm actually an atheist sociology student doing a study on opinions of evolution and those beleiving in it amongst christians, I'm attempting to see how people balance religous beleif along with scientific beleif which can be seen to contradict such religous beleif,I thank you for your help on the methods such people use, i take it you are a creationist christian... if so do you have any opinions on the relationship between both groups of christian (evolutionist and creationist)
M
I can't speak for creationist christians but I don't see why we can't have empathy for christians believing in evolution.
I fail to understand this all or nothing literal approach to Genesis and the creation account. "The Bible was written by men of faith, not men of science." (The King and I) The story of creation was not intended as a primer on how the world was created. It is there to tell us why God created the world. It is there to show us that God created the world with purpose and meaning and that we are created betzelem elohim (in His image) and that our lives have purpose and meaning. We are to be holy as He is holy. We are to love God, love our neighbor, love the stranger, the poor, the widow and the orphan. We are to be imitators of God, showing kindness, mercy, and compassion. Doing justice and righteousness. We are to love righteousness and hate sin. The creation story tells us that God is Lord over all creation since He made it and we are but the work of His hands. None of this changes because the creation account in Genesis is read allegorically rather than literally. Our duty to God and each other does not change because the earth is several billions of years old rather than 5,770 years old.
It is not a salvational issue to believe in creatoin vs. evolution. It does not make us any more just, any more caring, any more compassionate whether we believe God created the world in six days 5,770 years ago or whether it happened several billion years ago.
And to clear up a few misconceptions about evolution....
Evolution does not explain the origin of life. Evoultion explains the diversity of life and how species came to be from earlier species.
Evolution does not say that people are descended from apes/monkeys.
Evolution makes no claims about God or any deity, for that matter.
Evolution is a scientific theory supported by thousands of scientists from every major scientific field. It is supported by facts. The word "theory" has negative connotations. People like to dismiss evolution as "just a theory." But in the scientific world, if something reaches the level of theory, it is not mere speculation but has been tested and attempted to be disproven and withstood those tests and found to be true.
Science admits of error, of the possibility of being wrong, and therefore hypothesis are continously tested to see if they hold up under scrutiny.
A literal reading of Genesis does not admit of the possibility of error. It leaves no room for debate. If the Bible records that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, and if the record of genealogies in the Bible all the way back to Adam indicate a universe that is no more than 10,000 years old, then by God, that HAS TO BE THE CASE. Any other interpretation is false and heresy.
I dislike this fundamentalist approach very much. It shackles the mind. There's no room to allow the discoveries of science (geology, paleontolgy, archaeology, anthropology, genetics, biology, chemistry, astronomy, cosmology) to shape our understanding of the world and how we got here.
But, whatever. It's not salvational. And I don't think an allegorical reading of Genesis means I should discount the rest of the Bible or the teachings found therein.
M
I am an adamant Creationist; however to answerer your question, yes you can be an evolutionist and still be a Christian. The Bible only gives two requirements to become born-again: to believe in thy heart that Yeshua is Lord and to call on Him. (Romans 10:13 "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved!" , Romans 10:9,10 "...If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.")
Evolution vs. creation is like everything else in the Kingdome… we grow in His grace and mercy. Before I was more educated in the Scripture on the issue I use to accept the gap-theory… where evolution and creation co-exist. However, my salvation was never in question! This is the same as asking can you still drink alcohol and be saved or commit any other sin and be saved. I personally believe believing in evolution is sin, but G-d deals with it just like He does all of our sin.
Evolution vs. creation is like everything else in the Kingdome… we grow in His grace and mercy. Before I was more educated in the Scripture on the issue I use to accept the gap-theory… where evolution and creation co-exist. However, my salvation was never in question! This is the same as asking can you still drink alcohol and be saved or commit any other sin and be saved. I personally believe believing in evolution is sin, but G-d deals with it just like He does all of our sin.