A story about evolution and God?

Question

I have just finished listening to Tyrannousaur Canyon by Douglas Preston on cd. After the story ended he was interviewed and they got on the subject of his viewpoints toward God and evolution.


Read the quote, tell me your response to it, and why you feel that way.



" A scientist went to an elementry school in georgia and was teaching the class about the theory of evolution and the Big Bang. After some time, a little girl raised her hand and said, 'I'm sorry but this is very surprising to me because I learned that God created the world', The scientist was quiet for a moment and said, "Well maybe this is the way He did it." -----douglas preston

So why can't scientific theory and God coexist? Really if you think about it God is kind of a theory to those who don't believe in him. I happen to think it can. That doesn't necessarily mean the "Christian" God but just some high being. Why couldn't God have just created the stuff, set it in motion and have it take as long as it has taken for us to be where we are which took billions of years. I don't see why someone can't have the belief that supports both. explain that one to me.

touche Icarus, touche

Answer 1

There is no disproof of the existence of a creator, so maybe what that little girl was taught is correct. But maybe what that little girl was taught is not actually true, despite the fact that it is written in a book and widely believed by people who were taught it as small children by their parents.

If there was a creator, then all the evidence indicates that the method of creation is incredibly remote: 13.7 billion years ago, and done through abstruse laws of physics.

It is illogical, however, to make the leap from the (possible) existence of a creator to the idea that the creator cares what we do and will punish us in an afterlife for our transgressions.

Answer 2

Evolution does not deal with creation. It deals with the change in the average genetic makeup of a population of organisms over time. Note, the word 'population' implies that there are already many members of the population. The central problems that creationists have with evolution is that it requires the Earth to be much older than the Bible seems to say. If the Earth is actually 4540 million years old, then either their interpretation is wrong or the Bible is wrong. They cannot countenance either possibility because in many cases the Bible is just about all they know. The real problem here is geology, physics and analytical chemistry, not biology. The other side of this is that they cannot face the fact that humans have a common ancestor with all the mammals, reptiles, fish, molluscs and ultimately even plants. This puts the doctrine of an immortal soul in doubt, since only humans are supposed to have these. But if, for instance, gorillas are very like humans, do they have souls too? What about dogs, birds, fish, snails or trees? Another problem is that evolution accounts for one of the former mysteries of the world very neatly, the diversity of life on it. It does it without needing the intervention of any god. This leaves less space for their god to hide. Likewise big bang theories leave even smaller gaps for gods to inhabit. So you will often see big bang cosmology lumped in with evolution by creationists though they have nothing much to do with each other. I think if there was solid proof that both systems were wrong, there would be just as much dim-witted opposition from creationists to whatever the new idea might be..

Answer 3

Sorry Icarus.

Your QED is far from an answer. Who or what created time. If no body, then time is infinitely long. However this blows the theory of evolution out of the water. Why? because one million, billion years is far too long for any theory of evolution. (And if time is infinitely long in both directions, then one million billion years is like a snap if the fingers.)

Did time start at the "Big Bang". If so HOW & WHY did the Big Bang start? Contrary to your answer, the "Big Bang" proves that there must be a God!!

Answer 4

I'm a Christian but I know the Genesis account is a oral hymn sung by ancient man. Moses wrote it down. It is not a scientific fact statement. The important story is that God created the world. There's too much intelligence and design out there to say it just happened.

Answer 5

Since I'm not God and don't have all the answers I'll agree with the scientist. Maybe this is how He did it. Just because He's God doesn't mean He always does thing supernaturally. Sometimes he does thing using the natural.

Answer 6

I'll go along with "Let there be" and it all happened with a big bang as God spoke it into existence. Smart scientist because I wouldn't want to argue with that little girl either.

Answer 7

Trouble is, if you need a god to make a universe then you must need something even greater than a god to create a god... and since a god is by definition the greatest thing which can exist, it can't exist. QED.

Answer 8

My, what a polite and diplomatic gentleman. Tactful to the extreme.

Unfortunately there will likely be people claiming that he is a creationist by taking that quote out of context.

Answer 9

Pleasant enough wee story. Nice tidy happy ending.

What the ___ was he supposed to say?

Anyone who has ever worked with other people's kids knows that there are subjects you just don't broach. As a professional youth worker, I have to say 'Nice save.'

Answer 10

Hey, works for me. But then don't turn around and say that you now have the authority to dictate how people live their life and who they fall in love with. Sure, big jump, but that's the only real problem I have with religion, and why I keep arguing against it and in favor of a naturalistic viewpoint.