Why can't evolution be true AND you have your religious beliefs at the same time?

Answer 1

The only conflict between the theory of evolution and religious beliefs is between the evidence that evolution can and has occurred and a few lines in Genesis that claim that God *poofed* everything into existence on a specific day.

Those same bits of Genesis are also incompatible with geology, physics, chemistry, astronomy, and virtually every other field of science, but people don't seem to have a problem reconciling those beliefs with scientific evidence.

Most religious denominations and religious people have no problem at all supporting both evolution and religion. The Catholic Church is the largest denomination of Christians in the world, and they have explicitly stated that there is no contradiction.

It is only a small, but extremely vocal minority of fundamentalist, Bible-literalists that keep the alleged 'controversy' alive. The majority of this minority is in the United States, and unfortunately some of them even hold rather lofty public offices. This gives them a lot more influence than their numbers actually warrant. Also, sadly, their numbers seem to be increasing slightly in other countries and regions.

Answer 2

I belive that every religion intertwines with the theory of evolution. If you analyze various religious beliefs you will see that they are all very similar. They are all ways of life that will make you feel more fulfilled and happier in the long run, and to top it all off, they better the people around you also. I don't think that there is any wrong religion. I believe that if you have a belief then you are on the right track. Having a belief will most definitely make you feel better, relieve large amounts of stress, and give you a purpose. Religions explain how the world was started for you and make us as humans feel as though we are not alone, because to think that we are just a blip in this LARGE universe is a scary thought, causing us to feel pointless. Evolution also explains to us how the world was started in a scientific way if you choose to not believe in a higher power. I believe that there is SOMETHING out there that caused this magnificent place Earth. The human race, the beauty of plants, animals, the sky, everything, could not have possibly been caused by some randomness of rocks smashing together in the nothingness of space. If you look at your life you can't possibly think that everything was a random phenomenon, but I don't think that this higher being is as extravegant as the christian God or Islam God is made out to be. I don't know maybe it's just the way the universe works, maybe there is more order and structure out there than we believe. Whatever it is, it's too complex for the human mind to comprehend, and I like it that way.

Answer 3

Evolution and Religion can, as almost all of those above me have said, coexist. So long as God is recognized as setting evolution into motion, and subtly guiding it along the way, evolution can be seen as reaffirmation of a higher power. In answer to your question, however, people who believe the two cannot coexist can't look past petty misconceptions and accept what is looking them in the face. Advocates of evolution cannot accept the possibility of God, and extremist Creationists take the Bible too strictly as a literal history of the Earth. Those who side with neither too often misconcieve the meanings of both evolution and the Bible.

Answer 4

properly, you will have in no way mentioned or revealed the words "technology is a faith" different than to disclaim them, yet you probably did say which you have self belief evolution is a faith. As Evolution is technology, you have self belief that area of technology is a faith. I heavily doubt which you have study "on the beginning of the Species" by ability of Charles Darwin; no longer to show with an open ideas. maximum each and all of the climate that fundamentalist attempt to declare as unproved or impossible in Evolution have been addressed by ability of this e book, however the comparable old arguments abound; complicated organs and such. the certainty is that Evolution is a technology that has been studied for extremely quite some time, with info abounding. the reality that religous people desire to brush off the info, arising with imaginitive yet illogical refutations would not diminisht the technology. Genetics can teach progressions of species. I keep in mind while fundamentalists hailed a scientific looking that confirmed that all of us people are correct genetically, suggesting a complication-free ancestor, yet they in no way point out that the comparable technology that confirmed this is used to coach how people are on the subject remember of alternative animals. you merely won't have the capacity to have area with out the full. the two you're taking technology or go away it. in case you opt for for to refute a community of technology, do your self the consideration of gaining information of the info of that which you desire to refute.

Answer 5

There are numerous Christian (and other) leaders who have totally accepted Evolution. The Roman Catholic faith is by far the largest Christian denomination and several Popes (including Pope Benedict very explicitly) have endorsed scientific Evolution. Quotes for that are easily searchable online.

Also, there is the "Ten Thousand Clergy Project" in which 10,000 currently active clergy have signed a statement endorsing Evolution and saying that it is compatible with Christian beliefs. That is also easily found online.

Answer 6

rvwissen is wrong to say religions like Chrisitanity and Islam can not accept the theory of evolution. Evidence is all around us, and even scholars of faith have accepted it as a tool of God. It is possible to believe in theory of evolution (there is more to the theory than apes turning into humans) aswell as believe in the existance og God. Religion explains why whereas science explains how.

Answer 7

These two concepts can coexist quite easily, if you're willing to accept the possibility that evolution is something set in motion by a higher power, such as God. Though I can't presently think of any religous quotes that specifically mention evolution, there are ways that you could find evolution supported in a religous belief, if you search for it in open minded interpretations.
Here's an excellent example. In the book of Genesis, Christian Bible, it mentions that Satan was a serpent, and that, as punishment, was made to crawl on his belly. One could take this as biblical proof of the existence of dinosaurs.

Answer 8

Yes.

Notice that in Genesis, God does not create the plants and animals directly. God commands the earth to do so. And every day, he does not create things directly, instantly, but through the processes of reproduction that we can study in great detail.

So God has no problem creating things through intermediate agents. So God can create entire species through the process of evolution in the same way that He creates individuals through the process of childbirth.

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shambala707 posted that *despicable* site allaboutphilosophy.org, and had the nerve to say that it is written "from a non bias view".

Their description of evolution: "Evolution teaches that as species evolve they eventually reach ideal population levels. As species advance, superior species eliminate inferior species -- "survival of the fittest." Weak and inferior members of a species should be eliminated for the preservation of superior bloodlines and for the conservation of essential resources."

WHAA? ... "*should* be eliminated"?

It then proceeds to use Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot, etc. as examples of "ardent evolutionists" and to imply that the central implication of the theory of evolution is to justify the mass killing of "inferiors". The author even seamlessly sandwiches a quote by Darwin in between two quotes by Hitler.

This is a description "from a non bias view" of the theory of evolution?

shambala707, you should be utterly ashamed!

Answer 9

It depends on the religion; Christianity and Islam simply cannot accept evolution, they are young-earth creationists (the earth was created in 6 days, and 1 day in the bible/qu'ran is a thousand years in reality), evolution proves that the earth is much older than 6000 years. Many other religions accept evolution.

Answer 10

They can, look up Theistic Evolution.