Why do Evolution questions always turn into religious questions?

Question

OK, I know there are many Christians who believe in Creationism. But, whenever someone brings up Evolution, they are alyaws called an Athiest.

Now, I am a pretty strong Catholic, and I don't see where in the bible it says humans did not evolve. When Genesis states that God created man in His own image, couldn't that mean He created him from another animal?

When the bible says He formed Adam from the dirt, couldn't that mean He used His hands to guide evolution to produce such a great creature as Man?

Also, when it mentions God creating all the animals, it does so in the order in which they would have evolved, if that was the case. He created the sea creatures, then the creatures on the ground, and then Man.

Just because I trust science and the evidence put before me doesn't make me any less of a Catholic.

Answer 1

I completely agree. I've always felt that God used evolution as a means of creation. I've never seen any problem with that--nor, for that matter, do most of what used to be called "mainline" Christians. So many Christians today are so ultra-conservative, though. They think that anyone who does not agree 100% with everything they believe must be completely against them.

Answer 2

I think you bring up a VERY good point. Unless you would look at Genesis in its extreme literal form, I feel it would be possible for evolution to be in agreement with creation. I fully agree with you; I don't see why people are so narrow with their reading of the Bible. I mean, consider, Adam was supposedly made from DIRT! Can you honestly tell me that doesn't lead one to think that scientific theories actually have some truth to them?

Regardless, there's too much evidence that at least SOME evolution happened. Evolution doesn't mean there was a blob of ooze on the ground that suddenly became human; it's a gradual process that involves small changes. When you see how we've gone from having gigantic dinosaurs to having small lizards and having giant insects to having teeny beetles, you can actually comprehend how something can become so different over a long period of time.

I think people feel the need to contradict anything scientific because so many people in the natural sciences choose not to believe in the christian God. Just because some scientists say evolution has happened and creation did not doesn't mean that WE have to say creation happened and evolution did not. They are not necessarily mutually exclusive. I feel that a lot of the wording in the Bible is figurative and if taken absolutely literally we will all be misled.

Answer 3

Well even though I dont believe in Evolution, I do believe that God very well could have evolved man from ape-like ancestors, I just don't think He did. I think that the reason why the Evolution questions turn into religion questions has most to do with the forum they are asked on, they probably wouldnt contain religious answers if asked in the Science section (not as many anyway) and plus, Evolution questions seem to always be asked in association to the Bible.

Answer 4

What always confuses me is that proposed explanations regarding origin of life, and theories regarding life after that, are different areas of study. Like you, I see them intertwined often, and I suppose that is not avoidable, because it has become so accepted that there is a point where science has to hand over the reigns to theology on certain questions. There's also the attitude that religious questions are somehow "off-limits" to the scientific method, and that is not the case. A double-blind study was done on the effect of prayer, utilizing the scientific method. If it was done, it was possible, so I think there is a lot of wandering back and forth from scientific to spiritual to back again, and some of it is done in the genuine pursuit of knowledge and some of it is done by those who wish only to further their own agenda.

This becomes problematic when "belief" or "faith" are offered to explain that which can and is explained by science, and theological explanations for certain phenomena fall by the wayside as new scientific knowledge replaces old beliefs. That will inevitably meet with resistance, and outright denial, as I see when I am asked to "prove" evolution.

Answer 5

This site seems to encourage polarization and simplification. So naturally, unless you make a special point to tell where you are coming from, most people will assume the worst. Indeed, I agree with your position. But if Evolution comes up in the R&S Section, even I will make that assumption about the questioner. This is a very good argument against trolling here. It makes people overly defenseve, and ultimately causes a breakdown in communication..

Answer 6

The problem is... no, the Bible DOESN'T follow evolutionary order.

Biblical order:
1. Light / Dark
2. Water / Land
3. Terrestrial Plants (no mention made of aquatic plants)
4. Sun / Moon / Stars
5. Fish then Birds
6. Terrestrial animals then man

Cosmology
1. Matter / Energy

Astronomy
2. Early supermassive stars
3. Protoplanetary disk
4. Sun
5. Earth

Biology
6. Life itself
7. Aquatic animals & plants
8. Terrestrial plants
9. Terrestrial animals
10. Aerial animals
11. Man



In no way regarding life do the two mesh up.

Answer 7

It's important to note that only Evangelical Protestant Christians believe in the literal creation story. The majority of Christians around the world acknowledge evolution as gods work.

Answer 8

No sir!,a true christian believes in the word of God and tries their best to come closer to God and walk in faith.

All of that evolution stuff is nothing but a bunch of man made up theories.
Those evolutionist or monkey boys and dino dookies as I like to call them will make up anything and exaggerate anything to get you to believe their scientific mumbo jumbo theories.

Trust me,you would be much better off following the Lord and believing in God's word then listen to a bunch of scientist and archeoligist who thinks that "The Flintstones" cartoon and the Jurrasic Park trilogy are based on a true documentary.

Answer 9

Christians who doubt evolution are apt to say things like”evolution is just a theory”. Such statements betray a misunderstanding of the way the term ‘theory’ is used in scientific discourse. In Science, facts must be explained in reference to other facts. These larger explanatory models are ‘theories’. Theories make predictions and can be tested.

The phrase ‘theory of evolution’ doesn’t suggest that evolution is not proven. One can speak about ‘the germ theory of disease’ or ‘the theory of gravitation’ without casting doubt upon disease or gravity theories as facts of nature. ---Letter to a Christian Nation-- by Sam Harris

Answer 10

to start you won't be able to have an smart communique with non secular people while arguing approximately their faith. yet one occasion is the island of latest Zealand. i'm no longer an authority yet once you care which you look to you ought to do a google seek on the species of animals that only exist in new Zealand. The kiwi is almost a chicken yet no longer and that's via fact it developed from a chicken yet had no reason to fly so it developed right into a strange chicken like animal that only walks now. additionally family contributors canines and cats the two developed from wild species. Wolves with regards to canines and the wild cat with regards to cats. the two developed and tailored to be human companions. the main obtrusive evidence is people. we are continuously evolving and in the event that they do no longer think of so than why did no longer Adam and eve force automobiles or fly airplanes. the difficulty is you grants each and all the evidence you like and that they won't care.