Why do a lot of Christians think they are not allowed to believe in evolution?

Question

In my Science & Religion class, we read one book that was written by mostly devout Catholics, and they accepted evolution. Another book was written by mostly evangelical Christians, and they also accepted evolution. Another book was called, "Can a Darwinian be a Christian?" and the answer was yes.

So what's the problem?

Answer 1

because it is not mentioned in the bible therefore it cant be true. besides that, nowadays the issue has become so polarized that to cross the lines and hint that both could be true gets you put out by both sides and labeled as crazy. you are pushed very hard to choose a side.

Answer 2

With a literal view of the creation story, the problem is obvious, but as we know, not all take it literally.

Some people take the creation story to be symbolic or allegorical. There are different levels of this, but some will totally agree with evolution, saying that the creation story was just the short version or a metaphor for how it really happened.

One problem I see is that there's a geneaology in the Bible that goes from Adam all the way to Jesus (again, don't know if this geneaology is accepted in Islam or if there's another or what). That line of people is about 6 thousand years long, and implies that humanity has been around only that long. This we know is not true from a scientific standpoint.

Now, if you say that the story of Adam and Eve is just a metaphor, then when does that geneaology stop being a metaphor or symbolic and start being a literal ancestry?

And if that line is symbolic (and having a symbolic geneaology seems to not make sense in the first place) somewhere along the line, how do you say any of it can be known to be true? Some people will even go so far as to say that the Bible is not infallible. If the Bible is not infallible, that then begs the question as to which parts to believe and which parts to disbelieve.

So, I think there are real obstacles to overcome in believing Christianity and accepting evolution as well... However, I also know that as you have said, plenty of people manage to have both with no problem. One shining example would be Ken Miller, who is a Roman Catholic biologist and professor at Brown University. He argued against the teaching of intelligent design in the courts of Dover, Penn.

Answer 3

First I thought it was funny one of the answers mentioned
"Challenge the antireligion school system and use your mind to develop your own theories." Did you read the paragraph under the question? She was assigned three books written by Christians! Yeah those godless liberals giving our children books written by religious leaders!

The main argument that I see is that there are those who are literalists when it comes to the Bible. When something is disproved or is shown to be false it brings into question that the entire book is a fabrication instead of being God's holy word. The problem I believe with this idea is that there are metaphors and similes all throughout the New and Old Testament. The mustard seed is a symbol of faith. The way it grows in lush soil mimics the way faith becomes stronger in a person. This section of the Bible
is not about gardening but I believe that the literalists to argue that
everything is as it is written is too take a lot of the Bible out of context. Just like you would if you saw the mustard seed part as a
horticultural experiment.

I believe that the Bible is a wonderful and Holy book but I also believe that it needs to be looked at in context. There are parts for instance that don't condemn slavery as evil because it was a large part of that time and culture. Now that isn't saying that the final Christian word on Slavery was moot but it says that that part needs to be looked at in the context of 1500BC.

Finally I think that pride is what keeps us from believing Evolution as a religious group. We can subdue every animal and can control the land, sea and air. Why should we be created from primates? But I think that what connects us to the natural world and our different eco-system is the unspoken knowledge that we are still one of God's creatures. That cold hard truth hits home
every time whenever someone dies. Yeah we do have opposable thumbs but we die. Yes we do live longer than a housefly but is
it that much better at the end?

Course it could be like the Chimp in cage that sees that man in the suit who comes into the zoo and hurriedly takes his children and wife to see the attractions and then gets a call on his cell phone from his boss, cutting his trip short. So he pushes his family out the door and tries to get a refund on his admission because he didn't use the whole hour of his headset. Then tries to get his SUV valet ticket validated again. The chimp thinks: "Poor Animal." Are we really that evolved as we think we are?

If you want to read more I recommend you read the Origin of the Species. And check into Skeptic magazine. They have some very lucid points concerning evolution and why people believe it and don't. I also recommend you read the Bible. At least Genesis.
But the main point I want to you to consider is to always ask
always be learning. Peace.

Answer 4

i'm not a Christian, yet i do not comprehend how human beings somewhat believe the Bible is a record of issues that somewhat got here about. It disturbs me that this kind of vast quantity of human beings are uneducated, or maybe as they war to make jabs at evolution they obviously have not taken a technology type. in case you opt for to positioned down evolution, study what that is first! Evolution has been shown on a small scale, there is clinical data, and the concept has been examined and retested. technology continuously recheks itself, and tries to disprove itself previously accepting some thing as truth. faith has taken an opposite attitude: writing a e book and claiming it replaced into written with techniques from an invisible guy. Justifying the Bible and affirming that is actual in elementary terms because it says that is actual is a unadorned fact fallacy. Their line of reasoning is going some thing like this: a million. The Bible claims to be the written note of God. 2. The Bible says it is actual. 3.hence, the Bible is the written note of God. this kind of argument is completely invalid in any type of discussion. affirming that some thing is, and then affirming that is actual is only a similar element as affirming some thing itself. i have suggested a vogue, a minimum of the position I stay in Tennesee, that the most non secular pious each and anybody is those who couldn't discover the money for a good preparation. some Christians positioned down the Bible with techniques from affirming that evolution is "only a concept." in reality, gravity is likewise only a concept. the vast Bang has been shown in this kind of vast quantity of diverse techniques that interior the clinical community there's no human being, no human being, who denies that it got here about. The Bible is evidence of not some thing. that is little more advantageous than a chain of fables, loosely-strung mutually, and claiming to embody some type of wide-spread moral code. Ridiculous.

Answer 5

Many Christians believe that if evolution is true then that would disprove God and all of their beliefs... I'm pretty sure the bible does not mention evolution but rather It starts with God creating everything and two people named Adam and Eve... Well they must believe in Dinosaurs but those aren't mentioned in the bible either... Adam and Eve is just a story that should not be taken literally... The bible dates humanity back only a few thousand years whereas evolution has shown us that humans go back way further than that.
Great question!!

Answer 6

The problem is that when you start taking Genesis as mythology and parable then where do you stop? Is the whole Bible just a moral story that never really happened? What other scientific evidence will disprove parts of the Bible? This is why Christians don't accept Evolution. It makes the Bible look really stupid and takes away a lot of it's authority.

Answer 7

Wow, I love this question. Would actually like to talk with u on yahoo.. I was raised in a strict pentocostol home. I was taught that u cant have sciecne and religion. For some reason I was obsessed with science and religion as a child (and still am) and I always knew there was an evolutionary perioud... If u want I can tell u all about it.. Christians are so stubern that they dont want to belive it because of going out side the box. Actually evolution and a pre-adam world is in the bible. People just over look it....


Oh and Dinosaurs are mentiond in the bible..

If want to chat give me a yell on yahoo... electronicgod666

Answer 8

The church that they go to does not teach or read the beginning of the book of Genesis. and they have not read the Jewish Torah . Even though they are a Sept of it.
so they cannot believe that something has to be created before it can evolve.And the world was created just as it is by a perfect Creator that doesn't have to play with a chemistry set to make perfect beings.

Answer 9

For Christians, they believe that man is created by God. God created by one time not by evolution.

But for me, as a Christian, regardless of the Bible, I just don't accept the theory of Darwin. It was his assumption and anybody can consider and choose to believe whether his theory could be right or wrong. i chose not to belive because his assumptions have still alot of
blanks and need a lot of factors.

So, what's your problem?

Answer 10

My question to you would be, "why do you insist on trying to bring us over to your side"?

Your first issue is that you are listening to a SCHOOL TEACHER and reading APPROVED material about religion.

Open your mind. Challenge the antireligion school system and use your mind to develop your own theories.

If you come up with Darwinism, than more power to you. If you come up with creation, than more power to you, but whatever you do, don't let your SCHOOL shape your thinking in this area.