Can one believe in both evolution and God?

Question

I believe in evolution yet still think God exists. Evolution goes against the bible but to me bible is written by humans and is not factual. So does it totally not make sence to believe there is God and Heaven while also believeing in Science.

Prove Evolution: First of all evolution does not state we evolved from an ape but a creature before us evolved into an ape and Human. There are fossil records which show the change in bone structures of animals. Don't you think its evolution that caused our DNA to be 99% similar to chimpanzee whom we are close to then Indian and African Elephants! This all i can come up with right now but it is a belief not a fact so you can believe in what ever you want.

Happy New Years! (inspired by one of the answers)

Answer 1

It really depends on how literally you take the bible. Some religions believe that God created the world in six 24 hour periods, or seven modern days. If this is the case, however, are we also to believe that back in biblical times, people lived to be many hundreds of yaars old? Especially in God's eyes, I think that time is relative. People wrote the bible based on what God wanted them to write, which is why it is such a powerful book. If He said seven days, then it was seven days to Him. That could have meant many millenia in "our time" making up each day.

The beginning of Genesis does follow the order of evolution, starting with vegitation, then going to sea animals, then land animals and air animals (birds and insects and such), then man.

I personally believe that God created evolution. Why not? There is solid proof of evolution happening every day. We see it more and more as we study different groups of animals and their genes in our world today. But there is still much that is unexplained. Like where DNA came from in the first place. Scientists have replicated pretty much every condition they can think of to produce functional DNA, but they cannot. This is where God comes into play. He created DNA, and everything else in this world. We are here and have evolved because He wanted it to happen. I believe that the reason that there are still apes and so many other types of creatures on this earth is diversity. God created many types of animals, so it stands to reason that He would not want to eliminate all creatures just because a different species had evolved from them.

All in all, strictly from a scientific perspective, it is impossible to prove that God exists, so therefore, all that is unexplained about evolution is still merely undiscovered. From a scientific-religious perspective (and I don't mean Scientology), it is very reasonable, at least in my mind, to believe that God is the reason for what is unexplained, as well as the reason for evolution in general.

Answer 2

Yes it is possible. Just believe that God created man through evolution. Limiting God's abilities to those of a mere watchmaker is actually slightly belittling to God. Evolution requires far more ingenuity and creates more diversity than direct creation would. Religion and science should not contradict each other, but go hand in hand.

Nunoyvgvna Awi- Evolution has been supported by the fossil record, vestigial organs, analogous/homologous structures, the proteins on cytochrome c, etc. Also, concepts supporting the theory such as natural selection are obvious to anybody. Evolution is generally accepted as fact in the scientific community, in the same way that the cell theory and the theory of gravity are accepted as fact.

You're right htat there are no bones showing that ape turns into man. This is because apes did not turn into man. That is not what the theory of evolution says. It says that apes and man evolved from a COMMON ancestor. By the way, it's believed than man is related closest to chimpanzees, not apes. The fact that chimps and men have around 98% identical DNA supports that theory. Also, previous forms of humans, such as the neanderthals, homo habillus, and homo erectus closely resembled primates. There are plenty of bones supporting that the homo habillus varied biologically from the modern human, too. Also, the fact that many chimpanzees display near-human behavior, such as using tools, supports the theory that humans and chimps are closely related.

It's possible for the original species and the evolved species to coexist due to a type of evolution called divergent evolution. If separated long enough, different members fo the same species may adapt to different environments to a large enough extent so that they would no longer be able to breed. That by definition creates a new species. This does not happen overnight, but over long periods of time.

With DNA, humans are not closer to pigs than apes. I don't know what gene record you are talking about. Please provide sources.

Answer 3

No. You have to understand the problem is with the word "believe".

Scientists, properly speaking don't "believe" in evolution. Evolution has been presented as a testable hypothesis and tested many, many times. It is an accepted theory (the scientific word for "fact"), and an integral part of modern biology. So no "belief" is needed or wanted in this whole process. It is really badly misleading to ever use the word "believe" and science in the same sentence. Science depends only on verification and never on belief.

As for believing in God, you can believe in any silly nonsense you want. But since no belief can be verified, it is all nonsense, whether it is accepted as truth by 90% of the population or not.

Sort of like the percentages of Americans that believe in angels and UFOs and other silly things.

Answer 4

Yep sure as shootin buddy.
In life G-D gave us all the tools and a free will to use the Science mother nature etc., to help ourselves, because we wanted to be able to govern ourselves that is why the scriptures foretell the story about Adam and Eve their banishing and the fact they did not listen and wanted to be G-dlike, not G-d but G-dlike. So here we are after all the eons of time have passed and you are still not sure that science and G-d is one? Religions can be a real drag, they tell you that science is not natural and that G-D did not want that? Well then why did he give it to us to use, and the brains to figure it out? Evolution is scientific, all it tells us is origin of birth in some but not all, there are always going to have mysteries and we will not ever figure out G-d that is too enormous for all the billions of brains together to fathom. But more power to you, keep searching it is fun isn't it? Love that in you.

Answer 5

In spite of what opinions there are, the truth is what it is - and we and our opinions can't change that. We can have all the opinions we want and they are simply opinions, because facts are limited by the evidence on hand. Science is built on theory and theories proven within the limits of available evidence. What we know about God has been passed down to us. Who's to say. Every day new information is discovered that disputes old opinions, every day more people turn to God. I think they are tied to each other. I learned about evolution, I learned about God. I don't see any reason why they both cannot be truthful. Why does it have to be one or the other.

Answer 6

Yeah, why not? Scientists claim that we had gone through evolution but did they say that evolution itself its not created by God? God created us and who knows, He might created evolution too. Maybe God did created a creature but not satisfied with it then created apes. Then maybe He wasn't satisfied and created us instead together with all the other animals. But we can't really know for real. It's best just to believe in what YOU think. Maybe both is true...

Answer 7

There are many theories that can answer your question. The one that i feel that is most relevant is the idea that god created the world and universe to appear as having a history. as odd as this may seem, consider the fact that god created Adam and eve as adults and not as children. By definition, humans grow from babies to adults. The same way, god could have created the earth with dinosaur bones already buried and many more signs that could suggest a previous history just as the molecular make up of Adam would suggest that he came from a man and woman, genetically.

Answer 8

Of course yes... it is a reasonably free world!

Fact is... that is where I come from too. I do believe in evolution and the universal cause and effect syndrome. But that takes me to the key question as to what can be the very first cause to start this chain of cause and effect.... obviously that cause was itself not caused by any other, or else it could not be the very first cause. And that gives only one possible answer.... God for me is that first cause which has caused it all but which itself was merely willed rather than caused!!

Answer 9

Absolutely.

Heaven is not "in the sky", and hell is not under the crust of the earth - but it was reasonable for people to think that - until they knew more about it. It is entirely possible that God caused the world to form in several days, but what's a "day" to God, and why wouldn't that happen through evolution?

Answer 10

I am a Christian Past, what I would call Bapticostal, and I believe that God uses evolution to HIS means.
We can not deny the evolution of man and animals. I don't think that has ever been the sticking point.
Did GOD create mankind in HIS image?
YES.
Is there such a thing as evolution?
YES.