Religion or Evolution?

Question

I currently do not a religion or belief about how the world was made, what happens after death, etc. But I have been researching religion vs. evolution for a few months now, since a colleague of mine has been talking to me about her religion as a Jehovah Witness.

I have a few questions about both theories (evolution and religion)

RELIGION
Is there only one Bible?
Who wrote the Bible?
Who were the first humans?
Were they born?
What happens when we die?
When was the bible written?
Is there proof that God exists?
Why are there so many different religions?
Will human life exist forever?
Why did God make so many different human races?
If God exists, why are there so many bad things in the world? ie, Cancer.

EVOLUTION
What proof is there that evolution exists?
Where did it all begin?
What happens when we die?
Will life exist forever?
What is the oldest fossil found?
How do you know it is that old?

Any answers would be great!

Answer 1

1. There is one bible, but humans don't have pure copies of the original and don't have perfect translations into modern languages.
2. The entire bible is the Word of God. Almighty Jehovah is the Divine Author, working through some 40 human penman.
3. Adam was the first human. Eve was the second.
4. Neither Adam nor Eve was "born" from a pre-existing human. They were each created by Jesus as Jehovah's creating agent.
5. When a human dies, the remembrance of his life and all that he was remains in God's memory. Whatever hope that human has to live again remains in the common "grave" of mankind unless and until some resurrection occurs. The physical body decays and returns to its elements.
6. The bible began to be written about 1513 BCE and its writing was completed about 96 CE.
7. The existence of the universe argues for the existence of a loving Almighty God. Bible consistency and bible prophecy help confirm the existence of a Supreme Intelligence.
8. There are so many religions because Satan controls this "world" and it serves his purposes to keep humans distracted and divided. Satan enjoys any worship that is not properly directed to Almighty Jehovah God.
9. The bible seems to indicate that human life will continue forever, and that faithful individual humans will each live forever (as Adam was intended to).
10. There is one human race, within which there is variety of physical features. All of creation demonstrates that Almighty Jehovah prefers variety over monotony.
11. There is so many bad things in the world because Satan argued in the Garden of Eden that Almighty Jehovah was not the best ruler of mankind, and he argued that mankind with Satan would do fine alienated from Almighty Jehovah. Jehovah has allowed this temporary time (now several thousand years) for Satan's claims to be proven one way or the other. The time is nearing when Satan's "experiment" will yield to Almighty Jehovah's original purpose for the earth and mankind.

Terribly sorry for the lack of Scriptures in this particular answer, but the question's juxtaposition with "evolution" implies a skepticism of the bible anyway.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/dg/
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/

Answer 2

First of all there is a verse in the Old Testament that mentions 'a thousand years is like a day' in God's eyes. Thus applying this to the 7 days of creation there is a closer line - up where both religion and evolution come closer. Also if you look into the Sumerian tablets that have been uncovered by Archaeology, there are seven tablets of creation and each one logs a thousand years of creation of the god Marduk and it was logged that 'on the seventh tablet not much was readable. Read and rest in sumerian were similar root words.
Bibles, now of days there are way many versions/translations of the Bible and saddly most pastors/ministers/etc are only told to preach certain areas of the bible and avoid other areas. As far as if there is a God and all. Most religions toss different rules and regulations and reduce the 'church age' to nothing but an offerring/dues collecting club. Read the bible on your own. See what message rings true to your heart. The New Testament can be confusing because what Jesus tries to establish gets twisted by Paul. If you read up on Buddhist scrolls written around Jesus' lifetime, it's Jesus' example of living life and his teachings that were more important - his rising from the dead wasn't mentioned in any letters/gospels till 100 years after the event. Roman soldiers were ordered to bury his body that night when he was taken from the cross, which was the real reason why he wasn't in the cave when the rock was moved. Gospel of John never even appeared till 200 - 300 AD for it to be too accurate as the other three gospels are. Live life in a way where you are good and giving and forgiving to all people. Be true to yourself. God comes from within but is not found within if you are swallowed by the evils that plague the world all over. Never once has it been said that the world is a perfect place.

Answer 3

Ask your friend to study with you or have them find someone to study with you. It's free & will definitly help you. As a JW, God wrote the Bible by using his Holy Spirit or "active force' to inspire men to write the Bible. Adam/Eeve were 1st but disobeyd God & threw us into imperfection. That's why things are so bad 2day. Over 1000's of years, we have gotten farther & farther away from perfection like Adam & Eve had. But Jehovah's Son Jesus came down in human form from heaven to be a sacrifice 4 mankind. Rmember, Israelites had 2 sacrifice animals to atone 4 sins. Well Jesus was like a permamnet sacrfice. A perfevt man, Adam, sinned & imbalanced mankibd scale. Jesus, another perfect man, was that sacrfice to replace what Adam lost. I could sit here 4 hours explaining 2 u these things. That's why it's important 2 sit down & study with one of us. But We have a book called "Life-How did it get here, by Evolution or Creation?" We can get one 4 u (4 free) & read it. you may like it. Also visit watchtower.org

Answer 4

Yes there is proof that God exist! The bible tells us the stories of his life and his life now in heaven. Human life will not exist forever. Only the people who believe in God ans have him in their hearts will live in heave for eternity. God does not cause bad things to happen. The people in this world have chose to make it a bad place with their poor choice and judgments. God has given us a choice and some of them just make the wrong choice, their for that is where all the bad in this world comes from, not God..

Answer 5

I can answer some of the evolution questions:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evidence_for_evolution
2. Evolution doesn't address the beginning of life. That is abiogenesis. http://www.chem.duke.edu/~jds/cruise_chem/Exobiology/miller.html
3. You're dead
4. life, in some form is inevitable given the size and makeup of the universe. There will always be the possibility of a planet that can sustain life. Then abiogenesis comes along.
5. stromatolites, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil#Earliest_fossiliferous_sites
6. I'm pretty sure from radioactive dating.

Answer 6

Scientists will be happy to address your questions in the biology section, if these sites don't answer your questions:

http://www.talkorigins.org/
http://evolution.berkeley.edu/

There is no debate. Evolution is a scientific fact. Those who tell you otherwise are either stupid or lying.

Religion has no bearing on the validity of science.

You might as well ask 'religion or gravity'?

Answer 7

I would suggest just asking one question at a time. Just how much time do you think most people have?

Evolution is simply a fact, It is one of the most solid theories in all of science. I suggest getting a good book such as "What Evolution Is" by Ernst Mayr

Answer 8

There are tons of evidence for evolution. Start out here:

http://www.talkorigins.org/origins/faqs-qa.html

SInce there is no proof for a god, all the details of creationism are pretty much useless.

Answer 9

Radiometric dating supports the theory we evolved into what we are now. But life has gone through mass extinction more than once, so it's possible that we evolved out of 'nothing' more than once too. It does make you think...

Answer 10

The two aren't mutually exclusive.