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

RELIGION
1. There are many Bibles, even among Christians. For example, the Catholic Bible has books that the Protestant Bible lacks. Most non-Christian religions have holy books, too.
2. The Bible was written by human beings, and edited by human beings.
3. This depends on your particular religious belief.
4. This depends on your particular religious belief.
5. This depends on your particular religious belief.
6. The Christian Bible was written down between 900 BC and 100 AD. Oral traditions go back much longer than that, though.
7. No.
8. Because religion, unlike science, can have as many versions of truth as there are humans in the world.
9. This depends on your particular religious belief.
10. This depends on your particular religious belief.
11. Now you've finally asked an difficult question.

EVOLUTION
1. Too much to list here. Try links 1 and 2 for a brief overview. But the primary evidences are (a) the fossil record, and (b) the proven interrelatedness of species from DNA analysis. For example, 70% of the genes in yeast also occur in humans.
2. Unknown.
3. Not a question science can answer.
4. Unknown.
5. Some remains of fossilized bacteria are about 3.5 billion years old (see link 3).
6. Rocks that old are dated with the isochron method (see link 4).

Answer 2

RELIGION

1.Is there only one Bible?

YES; however there are many translations and even paraphrases, many of which are biased toward a certain belief. For example, the KJV and others are strongly biased toward the trinity. In the original languages, however, this, speaking of God's Word, is true: "Your word is truth." -- John 17:17.

2.Who wrote the Bible?

Jehovah God is the author of the Bible, but he used about 40 human "secrataries" to actually write it down. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:21)

3.Who were the first humans?

Adam and Eve. (Genesis 3:20; 5:1; Luke 3:38; 1 Corinthians 15:45; 1 Timothy 2:13)

4.Were they born?

No; they were directly created. (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:7, 21, 22)

5.What happens when we die?

Sleep, awaiting a resurrection. (Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2; John 5:28, 29; 11:11-14, 23-26; Acts 24:15; Revelation 20:13)

6.When was the bible written?

It began to be written about 3,500 yearsd ago, and was completed about 1900 years ago.

7.Is there proof that God exists?

Yes. (Isaiah 40:26; Psalm 19:1, 2; 139:14; Romans 1:20; Hebrews 3:4)

8.Why are there so many different religions?

Satan, selfishness, etc. (Matthew 15:14; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 11:12-15; 2 Timothy 4:3; etc.)

9.Will human life exist forever?

Yes. (John 3:16; 17:3; Romans 6:23; Psalm 37:9-11, 29; compare Matthew 5:5.)

10.Why did God make so many different human races?

There is only one human race. Not facetious; we are all basically same. Diversity in appearance only, we all come from the same ancestors. -- Genesis 3:20; Acts 17:26.

11.If God exists, why are there so many bad things in the world? ie, Cancer.

Man chose to not live under the sovreignty of God. This situaution will continue much longer. (Romans 3:23; 5:12; Revelation 21:3-5; see also Matthew 6:9, 10.)

EVOLUTION
12.What proof is there that evolution exists?

There is no evolution of the kind where one kind changes into another kind. Therefore no proof.

13.Where did it all begin?

Not sure of the meaning of this question. Where in the universe, or where on earth, or what?

14.What happens when we die?

We sleep, awaiting the resurrection. (That is the end of all according to the evolution hypothesis.)

15.Will life exist forever?

Yes. (But not according to the evolution hypothesis.)

16.What is the oldest fossil found?

I do not know, but the datings are not accurate due to fact of not taking into account extenuating circumstances that affect the appearance of age.

17.How do you know it is that old?

ADDITIONALLY, you would do well to obtain the following publications from Jehovah's Witnesses:
Life - How Did it Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation?
Is There a Creator Who Cares About You?
What Does the Bible Really Teach?
September 2006 Awake! (Special Issue dealing with subject of creation/evolution.)

These should answer all the questions more fully than can be done here, and provide much additional information as well.

Answer 3

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 4

RELIGION
Is there only one Bible?
Yes. But there are many translations due in large part to the fact that there are so many languages in the world. Addionally, some religions, such as Catholicism, have added books to the Bible that they feel should have been included.

Who wrote the Bible?
The Bible is comprised of 66 books from some 40 different writers. These include Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Gad, Nathan, Jeremiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Mordecai, David, Solomon, Agur, Lemuel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obediah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, James, Peter and Jude. There were other writers besides David for the book of Psalms.

Who were the first humans?
Adam and Eve.

Were they born?
No. They were created by God. According to Genesis, Adam was formed out of dust from the ground and God blew into his nostrils the breath of life. (Gen. 2:7) God built Eve from the rib of Adam. (Gen. 2:21, 22)

What happens when we die?
We cease to exist. Ecclesiastes 9:5 states that the living are conscious that they will die but the dead are conscious of nothing at all. Verse 6 says their love, hate and jealousy have perished and they have no portion in anything that has to be done under the sun.

When was the bible written?
The dates range from 1513 BCE to 98 CE.

Is there proof that God exists?
Look around you. There is plenty of evidence. Not to mention the various prophecies contained in the Scriptures that have already been fulfilled.

Why are there so many different religions?
Because Satan uses whatever means he can to distract people. Many religions have some truth to them, but they also have lies weaved in as well. Its up to us to weed through them to find the truth. According to the book of Matthew, Satan has sown "weeds in among the wheat".

Will human life exist forever?
According to the Bible, yes. God didn't create the earth to be uninhabited and he created humans to care for it.

Why did God make so many different human races?
God apparently likes variety. Just as among animals there are different kinds of dogs, cats, etc. If everyone was exactly the same it would be rather boring, don't you think?

If God exists, why are there so many bad things in the world? ie, Cancer.
Because we're living in a world alienated from God. Adam and Eve chose to live without God's rulership and the result has been that God has allowed them (and us) the opportunity to see for ourselves whether or not we can ruler ourselves successfully without him. That being the case, he has removed his protection from us, but fortunately for us this won't last forever since he made provisions immediately after Adam and Eve rebelled.

EVOLUTION
What proof is there that evolution exists?
I have yet to see any proof of evolution. There isn't any archeological proof that I've seen of one species jumping to another.

Where did it all begin?
According to evolutionists, there was a "big bang" and the universe was created. If you want an excellent book on the subject, read Life - How Did It Get Here? By Evolution Or Creation? This is a Watchtower publication and you can receive a free copy from any one of Jehovah's Witnesses or by going to you local Kingdom Hall and requesting one.

What happens when we die?
The same thing that happens when we die according to the Bible - you cease to exist.

Will life exist forever?
I would say that an evolutionist would have to take into consideration the fact that humans are ruining the earth and are on the verge of annihalating themselves. Based on that, the answer for an evolutionist would probably have to be NO.

What is the oldest fossil found?
Probably a plant fossil...since they existed before animals.

How do you know it is that old?
They don't.

Answer 5

There was only one original Bible, we of course do not know if there were more than one copy. most/Any you find now are either translations or versions. A version is basically a retelling. a translation is an attempt at reprinting in another language the original message.

The Bible is considered by many, myself included, to be inspired by Jehovah. The actual writing was done by several humans.

The first Humans were Adam, Jehovah then Made Eve. They had 2 sons.Cain then Able. They had several more sons and daughters.

It is believed that Adam was not born and neither was Eve.

On a scientific level allot of things happen. Among these the body begins to decompose. On a spiritual level, generally speaking when you die, you are dead. Conscious of nothing.

I hope to answer more next time.

Answer 6

I'm a follower of Jah and the teachings of King Selassie I, but I'm well instructed, I think, in religion.
Since there's not only a Bible, a Religion, a point of view of the world I suggest you visit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion

Here you will find useful information about each of the main five religions in the world, like history, teachings, points of view on life after death, etc...

Why are there so many different religions?
Because people are different, the history of a country, of a culture, develops in ways that are different an unique. Besides, Bibles are texts written by men, which can be interpreted in different ways, for example, how many interpretations, besides the Catholics church, are of the new testament?

Will human life exist forever?
Again, that depends if you believe in religions, we Rastafarians believe that the prophet Selassie I will come back to judge and those who have done harm to the world or other people will be punished.

Why did God make so many different human races?
That is if you believe god created us all, I am a firm believer of evolution, even though In the books Jah created all, but that's personal, there are some teachings I don't believe in.
Evolution created different races, so that they could survive in different areas, natural selection.

If God exists, why are there so many bad things in the world? ie, Cancer.
That's just something tou will have to ask him...

EVOLUTION
Again: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution

What happens when we die?
Well, Biologically we transform into organic material and are absorbed by the ground and eaten by smaller organisms...

Will life exist forever?
If we don't blow ourselves before the King comes...

I think that your questions, however valid, are to open, I mean, every person, from a different religion, or point of view is going to tell you something different.

I follow Jah, he takes care of me, but I don't think he created me, I think he's just watching, judging, and a day will come when he will punish those who have profited from the nature and hurt people.

Answer 7

RELIGION
Is there only one Bible? = YES
Who wrote the Bible? = IF YOU MEANT WROTE AS VERB=MAN WROTE IT DICTATED BY GOD
Who were the first humans? = ADAM AND EVE
Were they born? = BIBLE SAID CREATED, NOT BORN
What happens when we die? = PHYSICAL BODY WILL DECAY AND SPIRIT OR SOUL HEAVEN OR HELL
When was the bible written? = WHEN YOU SAY BIBLE IT MEANS BOOK, BIBLE IS MADE OF MANY BOOKS, THESE BOOKS WERE WRITTEN ON DIFFERENT TIMES
Is there proof that God exists? = YES, YOU
Why are there so many different religions? = RELIGION MEANS RELATIONSHIP TO GOD, THERE ARE DIFFERENT BELIEFS BECAUSE MAN IS A RATIONAL BEING.
Will human life exist forever? = YES
Why did God make so many different human races? = ONLY HE KNOWS THE ANSWER ITS HIS RIGHT TO DO WHATEVER BECAUSE HE IS GOD.
If God exists, why are there so many bad things in the world? ie, Cancer. = EVIL EXISTS TOO, BUT GOD IS SOVEREIGN.

EVOLUTION
What proof is there that evolution exists? = IF YOU MEANT DARWIN'S THEORY OF EVOLUTION, THERES NO PROOF, WHY? BECAUSE ITS ONLY A THEORY , NOT A FACT.
Where did it all begin?
What happens when we die? WE EITHER GO TO HEAVEN OR HELL
Will life exist forever? YES
What is the oldest fossil found? A BACTERIAL CREATURES, WHICH RESEMBLE "POND SLIME" AND ARE ESTIMATED TO BE APPROXIMATELY 3 1/2 BILLION YEARS OLD. FOUND IN AUSTRALIA.
How do you know it is that old? BECAUSE OF THE PROFESSIONAL AND LICENSED PALEONTOLOGIST, HAVE YOU HEARD OF THAT?

Answer 8

My answer is that evolution is a religion: it requires faith in things unseen, just like a religion does.

There is evidence for both evolution and religion. It comes down to your basic belief about whether there is a God or not.

If you think so, you have faith in religion. If you think not, then you put your faith in evolution.

My thought is, just practically speaking, that at least there is a future with religion - there's no hope in evolution.

Answer 9

I do not believe in religion or evolution. As to all your other questions, a one-or-two word answer for each would not do them justice. Detailed answers would take too long for me to answer them in this forum. An excellent source of evidence for the Bible and God is The Christian Research Institute. I'm sorry, I don't know their website. Try Googling them. Good luck, and keep searching for the TRUTH!

Answer 10

There are many Bibles that religion uses depending on which religion you refer to, you have the New American Bible that the Catholics use, the King James Version that the Baptists and most other denominations use, there are some new versions I am not yet familiar with, but overall, the most accurate translation so far is The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, it has put God's name, Jehovah, back where it belongs according to the ancient writings, more than 6000 places. The Bible was inspired of God, 2 Timothy 3:16,17, Jehovah used many different men to pen for him what he wanted us to know to gain his approval and salvation through Jesus Christ his Son. The first humans were Adam and Eve, they were created from the dust of the earth by Jehovah God, Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:7, Genesis 2:21-23. Since man was created as a living soul, when we die we return to the dust from which we were taken and we cease to exist, Ezekiel 18:4,Genesis 3:19, Ecclesiastes 9:5,10. The Bible was written starting with Moses in 1513 B.C.E.,befor our common era, to John in 98 C.E., our common era. Proof of God's existence is in all creation. There is only one true faith or religion, the rest were brought about by Satan as a way to mislead mankind, to draw him away from the true God, Jehovah, to make man unacceptable in the eyes of God, there were many false religions existing in Babel and in Babylon, when God destroyed these cities the people spread out into the earth and they took their false religious beliefs with them and then sects broke off from those and so on, the same thing even happened with Christianity, the Apostles warned of the coming apostasy, or falling away from the truth that must come, 2 Thessalonians 2:3,4. After the death of the Apostles, who restained the apostasy, false teachings crept into Christianity, pagan philosophies were also adopted into Christianity, but God said in the last days, true knowledge would be revealed, God would again bring back his truth through a visible organization that would take up the preaching work to make disciples of all men from every people,natiom, and tongue, Jesus said you would know them by their fruits, or good works, they produce, that they would be no part of the world, they would not lift up arms against their brothers, and they would have real love among themselves, only Jehovah's Witnesses live up to those words. God promises everlasting life to those who exercise faith in the ransom sacrifice of his Son, Christ Jesus, and do the will of God, John 3:16. We can see around us the great variety of life on our planet that Jehovah has created, it is no different with humans, God loves variety. When Adam and Eve decided for themselves to be independant of God and descide for themselves what is good and bad, they sinned against God by disobeying him, the sin Adam brought upon himself he has passed down to all his decentents that sin and with it, death, because man has lost his perfection we are now suffering it's effects, Romans 5:12. God permits these things to happen to show that we cannot live apart from God and his full blessings. God will soon bring an end to this wicked systems of things of which Satan is god, and through Jesus Christ his son put and end to all the works of Satan, 2 Corinthians 4:3,4. All these things can be learned in God's written word the Bible, in fact God's word says at John 17:3 This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ. There is no real proof that evolution exists, in fact the fossil record actually proves creation as there are no transitional fossils but great numbers of similars fossils appearing at the same time. They would like you to believe that life sprang from non life which is impossible, that it all started in some primordial ooze. To them since life started without a creator, when you die, you are just dead and there is no more. At the current rate this world is falling apart, pollution, wars, diseases, asteroids, comets, there way of belief would end in the total destruction of everything and that would be it, our earth would end up like Mars. The oldest fossil would be impossible to get an accurate age, they have no true fool proof way of knowing no matter what they claim.