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Can a Christian believe in Evolution?
- Thread starter Silver
- Start date
dyanaprajna2011
Dharmapala
For what it's worth, the predominant belief among Christian churches is theistic evolution. Young earth creationism isn't held by that many Christians, just only some of the loudest.
I believe it. But I do not believe IN evolution. Evolution is real, but it is not the cause of life. I believe evolution is a type of growth that humans do not know much about yet. We know the process but we do not know why and we do not know how. Scientists know how it works but they do not know how it started to work.
Silver
Just maybe
So Christianity is not black and white.
nazz
Doubting Thomas
Not IMO. Christianity is defined as whatever Christians believe it is. Now if you put a label in front of it like "orthodox" or "protestant" or whatever then it becomes more defined and limited.
dyanaprajna2011
Dharmapala
Some Christians would like to believe that it is, but in reality, it's far from it. Over 30,000 different denominations shows that things aren't so clear as they'd like them to be, or pretend that they are.
Evolutionists couldn't care less about how life started, that is unrelated to the past and continuing occurence of evolution. However we do know how (at least partially) and there is no reason why other than that is how it worked out. We also know a decent about about it.
I believe that a true Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ and his teachings. This requires that we live our lives according to Christ's teachings, not just give lip service to it. "He that says he remains in union with [Christ] is under obligation himself also to go on walking just as that one walked." (1 John 2:6)
Jesus taught that God created Adam and Eve. Christ also taught us to "love your enemies." Most professed "Christians" are willing to slaughter their enemies, given that option, as they regularly do in warfare. They profess belief in Christ, but then renounce his teachings. How do you think Christ feels about such persons? We are not left to wonder. (Matthew 7:21-23)
dyanaprajna2011
Dharmapala
Which would be fine, if everyone who called themselves a Christian could actually agree on anything the Bible says. As it is, most Christians believe in theistic evolution, because, what's to say Jesus wasn't speaking metaphorically when he talked about god creating Adam and Eve? What's to say he wasn't using it as a teaching tool to get a point across?
nazz
Doubting Thomas
Don't agree with the Adam and Eve bit but as for the rest of your post right on!
Jesus used the Scriptures as the final authority on matters, and quoted from them frequently in his teachings. There simply is no basis, in my opinion, to claim that Jesus was speaking metaphorically. If Adam and Eve never existed, how would it lend any weight to marital fidelity to cite the account of man's creation?
Pertinent is this quote from the Bible handbook Reasoning from the Scriptures, p.28: If the first man Adam was simply allegorical, what about the last Adam, Jesus Christ?
1 Cor. 15:45, 47: It is even so written: The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. The first man is out of the earth and made of dust; the second man is out of heaven. (Thus denial that Adam was a real person who sinned against God implies doubt as to the identity of Jesus Christ. Such denial leads to rejection of the reason it was necessary for Jesus to give his life for mankind. Rejection of that means repudiation of the Christian faith.)
Breathe
Hostis humani generis
PolyHedral
Superabacus Mystic
We know exactly why evolution works - the laws of thermodynamics say so.
Father Heathen
Veteran Member
I'm an "evolutionist" (as I am a "gravitationist") and I'm curious about the origin of life.
Father Heathen
Veteran Member
What did Christ himself teach in particular that couldn't be reconciled with evolution?
Plato
Member
Sure, 'Christianity'... 'does' believe in evolution it was discovered by Anglican Christian Charles Darwin (a prior Christian Minister) about 1860 and adopted by 80% of worldwide Christianity by 100 years later (1960).
The Book of Genesis only says that God created...'Heaven and earth, the plants and animals, and especially humans (male and female).....it doesn't say precisely...."how"...he did it...If it pleased God to do so by the process of evolution, then so be it....say 80% of the worlds Christians....they have no problem with evolution and the large majority of the worlds leading scientists, architects, engineers etc. 'are' Christians.
Only in the USA among it seems the US denomination who call themselves simply 'Christians' is there a problem......as the Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, Orthodox, Presbyrterian Christians have accepted evoloution for a very long time. All these Christian denominations consider evolution as part of God's plan, 'within' and not against the Biblical Genesis.
The Book of Genesis only says that God created...'Heaven and earth, the plants and animals, and especially humans (male and female).....it doesn't say precisely...."how"...he did it...If it pleased God to do so by the process of evolution, then so be it....say 80% of the worlds Christians....they have no problem with evolution and the large majority of the worlds leading scientists, architects, engineers etc. 'are' Christians.
Only in the USA among it seems the US denomination who call themselves simply 'Christians' is there a problem......as the Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, Orthodox, Presbyrterian Christians have accepted evoloution for a very long time. All these Christian denominations consider evolution as part of God's plan, 'within' and not against the Biblical Genesis.
skywrath32
Member
Not everything written in the bible is literal. Genesis might have a deeper meaning other than the story of how humans were created. I still believe that God just started the universe. First he created the laws so that the universe will be balanced then he made the big bang. There is no such thing as evolution to the universe, Its just the way humans perceive it.
I meant that the study of evolution is not concerned with the origin of life.