Can you believe in both evolution and creation?

Question

This question is obviously not for the bible thumpers, but for those of us with open minds. I know what the fundamentalists are going to say, so say it, get your two points, and leave the rest of us alone.

I do believe that God created man in his own image, but what was that image? Christians choose to believe it is the image of modern man, but there is so much scientific evidence that not all ancient men looked like us.

Can you believe that it's possible that God created a "creature" he called man, and that it evolved into modern man? This is what I believe. Man tells us what God looks like, and he judges that from his own image, because it is the only point of reference he has.

Can you believe that some people are descendants of Adam and Eve, and some evolved from lower life forms? I personally believe in both creation and evolution, but there is more evidence of evolution.

Answer 1

It is my opinion (and everyone has an opinion) that evolution explains part of what God wanted to accomplish when he created us. I have faith, but I also think that God wants us to try to find his secrets, to evolve until we know how to behave without police or other enforcers. I think that's why we are here. I know. Bible Thumpers don't agree, but nothing in the Bible contradicts what I've said.

Answer 2

Well, if you look at the scriptures, there are a couple things that lend an idea to the possible answers. First off, there is a scripture that says to God, a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day. So, time is really flexible. There's all kinds of debate as to time, and how subjective it is. Second, if you compare the creation told in the first chapter of Genesis and the second chapter of Genesis, you will notice that the orders are not the same. For example, in the first chapter, man was created last, but in the second chapter, man was placed on the earth first. So why the discrepency?

It is my personal belief that God isn't so much a supernatural enigma as simply someone whose people have achieved very very high levels of technology that we can't possibly understand at our own level of technology. I see the first chapter of Genesis as the planning and development stage, and the second chapter as the actual application. I believe that evolution has happened both before and after the point the actual earth was built and populated.

I also believe those who wish to and work hard enough will eventually be taught about his technology and allowed to do similar feats. I think "Heaven" will actually be an education system . . . a university, if you will.

I could go into detail about why I believe these things, but I have probably bored you already =)

Answer 3

First off, that man from ape concept is a theory, not fact. Why do so many people pretend its fact when they have found no evidence to support it? Mind boggling, especially the atheists who use the "fact" of evolution to try to disprove God. I believe in evolution, I also believe everything started with God. I don't for a minute believe we descended from apes, and there's absolutely no proof to back up this theory. Have we evolved? Of course, just look at the bible. Early man wasn't very bright, as evidenced from the exodus. Face it, these guys had such short attention spans, they couldn't even remember the "no graven images" while Moses was on the moutain. If you notice, the old testament had to actually explain and go into great detail about all the laws, because man of that time apparently didn't have any concept of gray areas. Jesus could not have come at that time because I truly think humans weren't evolved enough to comprehend His message. I do believe Adam and Eve ended up in caves after being kicked out of Eden, along with all of their children, grandchildren, etc.. I understand the evolution of man concept very well, but do not believe in the ape to man theory. I don't think some people descended from Adam and Eve and others from apes. Sorry, but as close as humans and apes are by DNA, we are still not the same. I admit there are some pretty ignorant people out there, but that doesn't mean they're descended from apes. Every generation is taller, every generation is supposedly smarter (hard to believe when raising teens). That's fact. Were Adam and Eve bright? I think most likely not. That doesn't mean they were apes, just that they weren't on the top of the IQ scale. Were they hairy? I think they probably were a bit harrier than modern man, not ape hairy, just hairy. Look at Esau, his arms were apparently as hairy as a goat, but his brother wasn't. That's evolution, and its even stated in the bible.

Answer 4

If taken literally there is no room for evolution in genesis.

If you choose to omit or amend it extensively there are ways to work it in but it tends to create more questions than it answers.

You could however believe that god got the ball rolling by breathing life into the earth in the form of the amino-acids that we all originated from. That's the only semi-logical way i can justify god having any hand in the creation of life.

What's mostly likely is that man created god in HIS image. Using god to justify anything seems to be such a cop out... if something is unexplained attribute it to the supernatural and forget about it... that doesn't answer anything, it just gives you piece of mind so you don't have to ponder it any longer.

Long story short there really is no way to have the two work together without destroying the intention of either. My take is to believe what is supported by evidence and remain skeptical about anything else until there is sufficient evidence to support it. So far evolution is winning the race.

Answer 5

Yes you can.
DNA- give the opportunity for specialization for survival.
If a bird is found (male and female) where long beaks are required for survival that part of the DNA will be enhanced over time and you will have long beaked robins.
Females play a great part in evolution. Animals are far better at adaptation than man, but man can alter and does not adapt well. We do evolve in the 1000 BC the average height was about 4'8" now it almost 6'
What can I say, us Tall handsome types just get all the girls.
The fallacy of hard core evolutionists is they do not account for DNA they can't even create it in a lab under any circumstance. No DNA no life!

Answer 6

To try to wedge evolution into the bible, by saying Genesis is a "parable", and/or distorting what it says, is intellectual dishonesty. This is the problem with moderate Christians today. Nowhere else do you see this kind of vulgar bias.

If someone told you he was Santa Claus, and you believed him...

And then ten years down the road someone showed you proof that he was actually Josephus Watson, a construction worker from Mobile, Alabama....

Would you then try to make those ideas work together? Would you say that perhaps Josephus represents the "spirit" of Santa Claus, and that's just as good? Or perhaps you think he's Josephus for most of the year, but he actually becomes Santa on Christmas Eve?

Or would you use your head, and admit that you were wrong for ever thinking he was Santa Claus, eat some humble pie, and learn from your mistake?

Answer 7

You can't believe in theistic evolution, that would mean that God called cancer "very good" bc there is evidence of cancer in fossils, try explaining that to someone dying of it. Additionally, it says God created distinct kinds, this is defiant of evolutionary theory. You seem to think that bc I believe the Bible is the flawless word of God, I have a closed mind? Why should I be open minded to something that I know is against God's Word and therefore isn't true? If it were, that would mean God lied. I'd recommend answersingenesis.org, they have a few articles on this subject.

captmhunt, science can't prove anything, it can only make observations, and when you observe your theory, it becomes observation. Microevolution doesn't prove evolution, only that the genetic code is deteriorating through mutations, which don't produce new information, which evolution requires. Again, answersingenesis.org has info on that

Answer 8

i've got faith in God. i've got faith in introduction. i've got faith in evolution. How can this be? a million. God is the 1st reason (the Intelligence at the back of 'clever layout.'). 2. introduction: God is the author of all issues. 3. Evolution is misunderstood by using a quirk of the English language. What do you think of once you hear: Evolution of the Species? Is the be conscious 'species' singular or plural? If the be conscious 'species' is singular what's the plural of species? In the two situations the be conscious is the comparable, "Species." And so human beings think of that as quickly as we communicate of evolution of the species we are talking approximately circulate-species evolution. Evolution does take place even with the undeniable fact that it basically happens interior the species. It does no longer circulate species strains. occasion: A mama canines will continually provide beginning to domestic canines no longer kittens. A mama cat will continually provide beginning to kittens no longer domestic canines. Why is this? because of the fact all species are already created albeit no longer all species could yet be chanced on. while species are comparable sufficient to have an interest in one yet another and mate the off-spring is mostly a hybrid. occasion: Male Donkey + female Horse = Mule. Mules are sterile. technology teaches that surely hybrids are born infertile. added evidence that evolution does no longer circulate species line. someone-friendly ancestor? properly that is going decrease back to a single species a manner or the different splitting into 2 seperate species... on account that hybrids are infertile how is that a possibility? that's the reason i've got faith in introduction with God because of the fact the author and evolution a organic function of introduction that works interior the guy species to strengthen each and each particular species. This additionally explains why the two monkeys and adult men nonetheless exist. One did no longer evolve from the different. H

Answer 9

Can you believe in evolution and creation? I beleive you can. Modern paleontology tells us that what was once believed to be fossils of our ancestors isnt neccessarily that. neandertol, Cro Magnon, australeopyhicus were very similar but still separate species of mammal. Same as A monkey and a man are nearly exactly alike except for 1% of our DNA. But we are still separate species. These Species died out 200,000 years ago. Homo Sapien, thats us, was the one that was smart enough to survive.We are not descended from neandertol, or monkeys. if we were why are there still monkeys? wouldnt they be Humans now?Evolution states that we adapt to our surroundings and only the fittest survive. This is true and there is no way around it.
Now ask yourself this. Would God create something that wasnt able to adapt, and learn and change with his surroundings. The answer is no. Just like any other father he wants his children to survive. Today we are taller, more educated, less hairy living longer, and more likely to screw up. So yes we have Changed. if you lok at a peron born 75,000 years ago and compare him to somone born today, they would not seem to be the same species.
Secondly for those who believe in "REAL SCIENCE", just remmember that 500 years ago real science stated that the the sun revolved around the earth, 400 years ago, the earth was flat, 200 years ago meat "scientificaly" transformed to maggots then to flies. 100 years ago air flight was impossible, 60 years ago space flight was "scientificaly" impossible. And 30 years ago science knew of no way to get amessage from the USA to Australia in a split second.
Yes we evolve. Even our exact science proves itself wrong at times. thats why its called Science. Every time Science takes on the challenge of proving the Bible wrong, it has failed. But God does work through natural law. Science is just an attempt to understand those laws. i could go on but there is limited space here. Good Question though. Consider all angles.

Answer 10

Of course evolution and creation can coexist. God is the ultimate scientist. He understands every natural law in the universe and works within them. What He does isn't magic. He knows how to make things work down to the very elements, in ways we can't even begin to comprehend.

Dinosaur fossils don't eliminate the idea of creation. God called each period of creation a day, but I really doubt He thinks in terms of our 24-hour days. Who knows how long a day is in God's reckoning? So he let dinosaurs roam around for a few million years, knowing we'd need the oil they would create later on.

With the fossils of "lesser man", perhaps they were experiments. Perhaps God had never made a man before, and it took a few models before He settled on the right version, Adam. Does this make Him any less God? I don't think so.

Answer 11

If you want to believe in God, there's no reason it can't work with modern science. Fundamentalism is what causes the conflict.

Going by the Genesis account, there's nothing that says there could not have been millions of years between the days of creation. Time to God, per the Bible, does not have meaning as it does to us.

I think the Bible is largely old myths, but it's not necessarily at odds with science if you consider it as symbolism instead of literalism.