Why do Theologians get so upset towards Evolution?

Question

Darwin discovered (it’s no longer a theory, it is a scientific fact) that all life on Earth, including humans, evolved from earlier life forms. That is why life on Earth is so diverse and so much alike. Evolution and natural selection has had 4 billion years to produce life on this planet. So with that being said, if you believe in God then why wouldn’t that count as the “work” of God?

Instead of trying to embrace what science shows us, most theologians would prefer to not acknowledge the discoveries made in science. All science does is it allows us to view the awesome machinery of nature. I find it much more humbling to know the truth about how we got here, instead of some ancient story. Only a person's faith sees that as the work of God.

Please explain this, how is it that the genes of Modern day humans (you and me) and modern day Chimps are 99.4% the same? That is not a made up fact. That is truth, as revealed from science. With that simple tool of science, we have discovered a much more grandur scale of life. Why is that so scary? Which would you rather believe, the hard truth or a reassuring fable?

Cleatus (I love the name) to your response. Whales, dolphins and chimps all have form of communcation. Neaderthals, we creative as well. Humans developed a creative mind THRU evolution. We were using are brains more, the same with music. Once we settled down, we discovered ways to simply entertain ourselves. As for the perfect creature, there is none. Like galaxies, stars, planets and people. We all are born, live and die. That is nature of life.

Answer 1

Mainstream Christian theologians do not get upset about the theory of evolution (I believe it is still a theory).

A vocal minority of creationists, those who take the creation story in the Bible literally, do get upset because evolution contradicts the actual words of the Bible.

Most Christians including Catholics believe that the Bible contains religious truth but not always historical fact.

The Creation stories in Genesis tell the religious truth that God created the universe and it was good.

Evolution is the most scientifically sound explanation of God's creation at this time. Tomorrow someone may come up with a better theory.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Theory & fact difference:

The modern synthesis, like its Mendelian and Darwinian antecedents, is a scientific theory. When speaking casually, people use the word "theory" to signify "conjecture", "speculation", or "opinion", and the word "fact" to signify true, or verifiably true, statements [10] In this sense, "theories" are opposed to "facts". In a more strict sense, though, fact and theory denote the epistemological status of knowledge; how the knowledge was obtained, what sort of knowledge it is. In science, fact tends to mean a datum, an observation, i.e., a fact is obtained by a fairly direct observation. In contrast, a theory is obtained by inference from a body of facts.

So the popular concept that theory is not fact in untrue. You need to be a Biologist to understand the theory of evolution. As expressed by some here, all theologians do not denounce the theory of evolution.

Have you heard of the story of 4 blind men and the elephant? Each one touched different parts of the elephant's body and proclaimed that what they touched was indeed the elephant. One said that an elephant is like a big snake(he touched the trunk); The other said, "No, an elephant is like a wall"(he touched the elephant's side), the third said that " It is like a pillar"(he touched the leg) and the fourth said,"It is like a big fan"( he touched the ears).

The moral of the story is, When we do not see the whole picture then we think that what we know or see is THE truth. As none of us witnessed the evolution, we are saying what we think is the truth.

The fact is NONE has SEEN evolution. So we should not be blind to others point of view. Those who ask for proof know very well that even they cannot prove anything.

Answer 3

Well, please let it be noted that not all theologians get upset over evolution. For proof, feel free to check my source (the link to the center that I am a member of).

To comment on your question, I would agree with some of the previous statements that evolution is still a theory, not a fact. Now, there has been much research and benefits that have come from using the Evolutionary theory, but like most of science, it too is not a permanent or stationary thing. Good science evolves (pun intended) and changes with additional research and inquiry. Darwin's theory has already changed since he wrote it, since new discoveries in fields like genetics have altered it. It happens to be, for lack of a better phrase, our best guess at how things happened.

Overall, I would agree that it is sad to see some theologians rejecting the realm of science as merely a source of lies, since all truth is indeed God's truth.

Answer 4

I am sorry that this answer is so long and yet abreviated and may require more explanations, but I do not know how much space one has to write in these little boxes. Yet I will try to answer as best I can in so short a space.
In answer to your question about Theologians getting upset about Evolution certain other factors must come to light to answer the question. First of all serious Theologians do not think Evolution is contrary to the Genesis account of creation. In both Genesis and Evolutionary Theory a single subject matter is contemplated; the Origin of Life. However, one must be careful here. They (the author of Genesis and Evolutionists) study the same object, but are not asking the same question. In Genesis the author is trying to describe an event that occured before recorded history and is trying to find out "why" creation reached its present condition. In Evolution scientist are not asking "why" but "how" creation came to be and its mechanism of growth and diversity. Therefore, neither is in confrontation with the other for neither is debating the same question. Therefore, Theologians do accept what science presents. It is discounted when each field of study tries to answer the other's question. If Evolutionists are trying to answer the "why", they are searching outside of their field. The same is true for Theologians in trying to answer the "how". This is a little simplistic, but I hope it is helpful for you to see the conflict is pretty much resolved these days.
However, in reading some of the answers others took on this subject, I discovered a disturbing trend. It is rather simplistic and a "cheap shot" for anyone to say that Scripture and the Genesis account is a myth. Now don't get me wrong. GENESIS IS A MYTH. However, I do not mean Myth as we do in the present age. We have forgotten what a myth truly is. Today a lot of people believe a myth is a meaningless and untrue story. Yet, ask any serious scholar and they will beg to differ.
A Myth is a valid literary method used to explain reality or a truth. In fact, all the symbolism within a myth clearly describes the greater and grander reality or truth that it points to. Therefore, a myth is capable of containing the ordinary and extraordinariness of reality and truth. The ancients (and even biblical authors) understood this and used it as a valid means of explaining reality.
However, Recorded History or Sciences cannot do this or contain this, it is limited and can only speak about what is empirically given. The only science that MAY be able to attain this is Quantum Physics for at least that is a science open to possiblities.
How we got to the point of forgetting the usefulness of myths is because of Enlightenment philosophers of the 1900's. And so, any who say a myth is meaningless and useless and should not be studied or believed in is offering an opinion not of their own making. They are just repeating something said from an earlier time and never bothered to study why they would even accept it themselves.
Still, more must be explained. When a myth is told it is symbolic of the truth it presents. For example, in the old Aesop's fable of the Fox and the Grapes the Fox is angry because it cannot reach the grapes it desires. The fox leaves scowling at the grapes and says, "They are probably sour anyway."
The point of this story is that man is covetous and an ingrate. The story is explaining something about human behavior with the use of the fox. Now why did they use the fox? Well, the fox, in ancient times, was not representative of slyness. It was symbolic of foolishness and comedy. If you look in the book of Judges in the Bible and read about Samson, the story of the foxes there was to evoke a comedic tale. We still practice this today it is just that we use the Chimpanzee instead.
Yet, for me and anyone else to prove this story is speaking a turth, do we need to find a fox that speaks? Much less a fox that speaks the Greek it was written in? Obviously not. The truth that the story is pointing to is the imporant thing to remember and is easily proven by human experience. Have we not all been or met someone who was covetous and ungrateful for the good things in life? If you say yes (and may we all be humble and honest enough to say so), then the myth has done its job and the truth is told. Therefore, myths and even certain myths within the Bible are not to be discounted as untrue or meaningless. Also, it is not proper to study Scriptures believing that the writers did not use myths within the text. When that happens all kinds of misinterpretations occur. Finally, not all of the Bible is myth. There is actual history, science, poetry, philosophy, politics, etc. etc. contained within its pages. So, for anyone to dismiss it as pure myth is missing the point that Scripture cannot be pidgeon-hold into any catagorey. It can be and should be used as a valid document for any discussion. To forsake it is to dismiss an authoritative record. It is just as valid as any other serious and authoritative work whether historical, politcal, or philosophical.
Forgive me for being so long winded, but the implications of your question does lead to deep and weighty explanations.
May the Lord bless and keep you. May He let the light of His face shine upon you.
God's and your beast of burden
Fr. john

Answer 5

Actually, few modern theologians still get upset about the theory of evolution. And, despite the fact that I and many other people, both Xtian and otherwise, believe that evolution occurred and is occurring, evolution is still a theory. It can't be proven conclusively, and probably never will be, given the amount of time we've got to account for... That doesn't mean that it's not a useful theory, though...

I totally agree with evolution being an AMAZING example of God's intelligence being illustrated in nature. Those who get schizo about evolution are usually very insecure in their spirituality and are too afraid to ask God questions about his Word. A careful reading of Genesis, for example, betrays huge clues about the scientific explanation of how we got here...e.g. 7 days of Creation = 7 stages of life on earth, leading up to Homo sapiens.

Having said that, a lot of the "facts" that you've added in your further comments are not facts, but conjecture - for example, we know very, very little about Neanderthal man and the facts of his existence. He was indeed intelligent since he could use tools etc, but we cannot say whether he was gifted with a conscience, a propensity to create culture and language, a sense of time/death/etc as Homo sapiens is.

Answer 6

Gee , NOW if I say "It's A Fact" that makes it so !!
Ha Ha Ha, you are just as foolish as any kook that blindly accepts a religion. Fool, there has nerve been "proof", "science", recognizes that the statistical improbability of evolution simply and effectively rule it out as a possibility.
Yet if I draw a series of pictures depicting the "proof" of evolution, millions of halfwits will erroneously conclude "see, there's evidence".

Answer me this evo believo, If evolution is in it's purest form,"survival of the fittest", then one would also agree that each surviving "animal" would only posses attributes that would ensure it's survival, right?
Acknowledging this, explain these attributes of mankind;
1. Language(The 1000's of languages and dialects).
2. Creativity( why do humans build beyond the basics of survival).
3. Music( what role does music, or any art form play in the survival of the human species?).
4. Why do we die?( It seems that a perfect creature would continue living, or evolve to the point of surpassing death).

Answer 7

Is it wrong and bigoted to say that something that conflicts with what we believe to be true (namely Evolution) is wrong and shouldn't be taught?
Darwin discovered some similarities, and then a survival of the fittest...those simple notations about how life continues did not prove Evolution. Christians embrace what science shows us. We just believe its foolish to think that all of science is completely non-objective, and totally devoted to truth. Scientists have agendas and things that they want accomplished. Does no scientist ever think about being famous? Or about making lots of money?
Science isn't set against the Bible. Poorly drawn conclusions set themselves up against God's revealed word, these are guised as scientific discoveries.

Answer 8

Evolution is a lie, and God creatiing the earth, and the universe etc is a Fact.

Genesis Chapter 1:1

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Pick up a bible and read on and learn!

Answer 9

So you would rather believe Darwin than God! How sad! The Bible says: "I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction. But we who are being saved recognise this message as the very power of God. "I will destroy human wisdom and discard their most brilliant ideas."

So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant degaters? God has made them all look foolish and has shown their wisdom to be useless nonsense. Since God in His wisdom saw to it that the world would never find Him through human wisdom, He has used our foolish preaching to save all who believe. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the mighty power of God and the wonderful wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is far wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God's weakness is far stronger than the greatest of human strength.

Evolution is not a scientific fact, because if this was the case how do you explain how there are male and female? What about the survival of the fittest? Evolution says that one species can change into another over thousands of years. There is no evidence that there is any change in species over thousands of years. It actually takes far more faith to believe in evolution than to believe that God created.

Answer 10

I don't know why. Many theologians consider themselves to be theistic evolutionists. This is not what Darwin hypothesized; his belief was that evolution occured by random mutations without the need for the guiding hand of God.

Many creationists believe that people who believe in Darwinian evolution cannot possibly believe in God, too. But this is false.