Jesus, Newton, or Darwin...Do you agree or disagree?

Question

"Faith and scientific findings regarding the evolution of man's material body are not in conflict" according to the official position of the Catholic Church.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_and_catholic_church

If I believe in a scientific theory (say, "Global Warming", or Newton's theory of gravity) and it turns out to be wrong, do I go to Hell?

If I believe in evolution, and it turns out to be wrong (oops!), do I go to Hell?

If so, then quite a lot of people have gone to Hell for believing the earth was flat.

Here's MY REAL QUESTION: How many people out there realize that Christianity has nothing to do with evolution? Equating Christianity with a rejection of evolutionary theory is simply making the path to God more narrow than it actually is. Do you agree or disagree?

Answer 1

It also causes quite a few people with a halfway decent education to believe that they could never become a Christian, because to be a Christian must mean to check your brain at the door. The creationists may be very vocal but I don’t believe they represent the majority of Christians.

Christianity is based on Faith. When Jesus talks about the Kingdom of God, he was talking about the Kingdom of Faith. They are one and the same.

Science is based on what can be observed and studied.

You simply can’t include faith-in-God into scientific study anymore than you can force science into the understanding of Faith/God.

The people who think that acceptance of evolution means rejecting scripture have no clue what they are talking about. I read the Adam and Eve story as allegory and very significant at that. Not once does Jesus say anything about creation that conflicts with evolution.

If anybody thinks otherwise, show me the verse. I’m still waiting.

Answer 2

I don't know what the deal is with Catholics. They're the laughing stock of the Christian community. There are many, many, many, many exceptions, but Catholics follow beliefs that are scripturally unfounded. They're always the ones non-Christians pick on... odd...


I, as a Christian, don't really care that much about macroevolution (I assume that's what you're talking about), the child of a theory concieved by a true scientist who observed microevolution in nature. The fact that people use it as a way to explain away God does bother me, though. I don't believe in evolution because I haven't seen any evidence that supports it. No one has produced for me a single shred of evidence... real evidence, not theory, that supports evolution without distorting reality or using evidence that has been forged, either by a Chinese peasant or a respected archaeologist not having any luck.

You CAN come to Christ as you are: evolutionist, witch, murderer, homosexual...

I agree with you... but I don't think the path to the one true God is very narrow at all. It's open to any and everyone. God abides by the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 and then some... All you must do is accept Christ's FREE... GRATIS... free... no cost, no obligation sacrifice, believe in Him, and ask for forgiveness. Perhaps I should ask you to define your terms before I assume that you mean hard to obtain when you say "narrow."

Answer 3

I absolutely positively most assuredly disagree 100%.

An Evolutionist might believe in "God" and might even call himself a "Christian" but there is no way that an evolutionist can believe in the authenticity, reliability, and inspiration of the Bible and still cling to evolution. Either you believe in evolution or you believe the Bible but you can't swing it both ways.

If you dismiss the account of Adam and Eve in the garden - that God formed and placed into the garden of Eden a perfectly and fully formed man and woman - you trash the words of Jesus and the writings of Paul. You must rip out parts of the gospels and the letters of Paul. You must reject the Old Testament and the New. You do away with sin, the entrance of evil into the world, the need of salvation, the redemption of man and the hope of heaven. If you dismiss the Genesis account, there then is no judgment, no new heavens and earth, and certainly no return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If people hold to evolutional theory, they must turn their backs on the clear teaching of Scripture.

ya gotta choose.

god bless

Answer 4

Here's a tip - do not BELIEVE in any scientific theory. Science is not about belief and belief is antithetical to science.

You can study a scientific theory and understand it. You can study alternative theories and understand that a particular theory is the currect best explanation of a complex phenomenon. For most of those theories, unless you study it a lot you may not be able to critically examine it yourself and may have to rely on the consensus of experts. Then, perhaps, you are relying on the belief in the integrity of those experts.

For something like evolution, the consensus is so great and involves so many different disciplines and lacks any scientific opposition there is no debate among experts.

For something like global warming, we are only beginning to understand the science involved and I think we are obligated to treat it with skepticism. But that is okay because skepticism is what drives science.

As for your real question, you are right. It is the fundamentalists who say that if evolution is correct, their religion crumbles, not scientists. If they want to build their religion on a fragile house of cards, it is their fault.

Answer 5

It would depend on which aspect of evolution you are referring to. On a micro level, you would be correct; however, on the macro level it is in direct contradiction of how the earth and all living things came to fruition in the Bible. Anyone who claims to be a Christian and says otherwise needs to go back and re-read the Bible and this time instead of picking just the parts that support their theory they need to read it in its entirety.

I have to add that Evolution IS A THEORY nothing more than a THEORY and to believe in any THEORY you have to have some kind of FAITH in that THEORY. People can not find the missing link in MACRO evolution so they point to MICRO evolution as proof Macro must be true; however, that does not Jive with SCIENTIFIC THEORY. Macro evolution is not science, it has NEVER been prooven and therefore Macro evolution is a RELIGION that scientists have created to give themselves a way to NOT believe in special creation.

Answer 6

Going to "hell" or heaven is not based on a scientific theory or belief there in. It is based on our desire to follow the Christ, namely Jesus.

John 14:6 says, "I am the the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father, but by Me.

Jesus spoke of the way to become Christian as following Him.

Evolution, gravity, relativity, or whatever theory there is out there must follow after those things written by the One that is the Way. He gave us His book, the Bible that addresses most any issue or principle that you could ever come up with. So to make a short answer long :) there must be a harmony with whatever theory you have and with the one who made the heavens and earth to begin with.

Answer 7

I disagree to the theories of Darwin and Newton although I believe on some portions. I do not agree on the evolution as well as on the Global warming. I believe and agreeable to the teachings of God, so with the teachings of the Son of God,Jesus I believe on the creation made by God to man and everything on earth that exist, for without God, we are nothing in this world. and without out God Newton and Darwin are nothing but dust and surely they will return to dust where they came f rom. All of us.

Answer 8

There was a time when Atheism was a crime, punishable by death, anyone thinking of evolution, the movements of the planets or human biology, would be classed as a heretic, and put to death!
So Newton, Darwin, Einstein and a lot more in history, HAD to tread carefully, and compromise faith with science!
The Catholic faith AND the majority of other "diluted" Christian faiths rejected and STILL reject science and scientists, past and present!
Only NOW the world has moved on, the Church has lost its EVIL doctrine, and cannot impose death laws anymore!

Answer 9

I agree that what we believe about Global Warming may not send you to hell, but if it causes you to deny God, and/or His Son, then you will go to hell. It is that simple.

I cannot accept that man came from apes, because (1) God said we were made in His image. (2) I have observed apes and find them to be way to primitive to have become man. (3) If apes evolved into men, then apes would no longer exist as apes, unless you would like to speculate that some apes were more intelligent and evolved into men, while others did not. That would be pure speculation and not proof of anything.

I believe in what Jesus said, I also believe in Newton's theory of gravity. I do not believe in Darwin's theory of evolution.

I have done as anyone who believes in Christ should do, I have relied on the Word of God rather than the word of man.

If I have erred in any way, I have erred in the direction of God and His Son whom He sent.

As someone answered to another question, man writes to sell books and make money.

grace2u

Answer 10

Evolution:
1.Process of opening out or developing.

2.Theory of the development of more complicated forms of life(plants,animals)from earlier and simpler forms.

these are the definitions according to Oxford dictionary.


It doesn't deny that the gradual development was done by God.
I'm a christian and i believe that God is "THE CREATOR".
evolution is true.
GOD BLESS.