2007-03-25 22:01:05 · 16 answers · asked by dj_sol 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
Hmmmm lets see....
On one hand we have a scientific theory, supported by tons of evidence.
On the other hand we have a fairytale.
...
...
It is a hard one...
2007-03-25 22:11:54 · answer #1 · answered by Kimon 7 · 4⤊ 2⤋
Both.
There is nothing in the Bible that is contradicted by evolution, and nothing in the theory of evolution that is contradicted by the Bible as long as you take the writing in context.
I try to remember that the Word of God was inspired by God, but written by the hand of man.
Moses wrote the Book of Genesis. He did not comprehend the finer points of genetics or quantum mechanics or astrophysics, so when God revealed the origins of the universe to him, it had to be done in a way that primitive mankind could understand. You might say it was written in "baby talk".
If you go to a museum and look at a statue, you can read the information in the pamphlet (just as you might in the Bible) that the figure was made from raw stone. But if you look at a textbook on sculpturing, it will go into more detail about cleavage planes of rock, how to chip with the grain, and how to polish a smooth surface. Both the pamphlet and the textbook were correct, they simply described the event from different perspectives.
I do believe that God created man from the dust of the earth. I also believe that evolution was the mechanism God used.
It took a huge amount of time to do this, and fundamentalists who believe that the earth was created in just 6 days fail to appreciate the meaning of the word "days" in the book of Genesis.
We measure "days" in modern terms to mean a 24 hour period that corresponds to the rising and setting of the sun. But has anyone ever noticed that God does not create the sun until the fourth day? Obviously, the "days" in Genesis chapter 1 are not a literal translation meaning 24 hours.
Instead, it may be that the "days" listed in the first part of Genesis actually describe specific moments in the history of the universe in which God took action. On day 1, he may have created the universe and set it into motion, and then sat back for a few billion years to let those actions take the desired affect. Then he proceeded to day 2, etc.
The point is, if you approach both the Bible and evolution with an open mind, then you can see how they can be coexistent.
2007-03-26 11:06:40 · answer #2 · answered by sparc77 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
There is no reason that a person cannot believe BOTH.
The only people who see an incompatibility, are those who cling to a completely *literal* interpretation of the book of Genesis. This is reading the Bible like a child would. It *diminishes* God and the Bible ... turning it into a fable about a talking snake ... and an 800-year-old man who saves all the world's animals on a boat, and then becomes the father of all mankind.
IMO, a literal reading of the Bible underestimates God completely! Six days to build and populate a single planet? Child's play! And then He needed to "rest"? Puh-leeze! Have you ever seen a picture of a galaxy (not known in Biblical times)? 300 *billion* stars, 2.9 million light years away! And there are billions of these galaxies. Now *that* is creation!
The Catholic church (which has about half the world's Christians), sees nothing incompatible between evolution and the Bible:
"Concerning human evolution, the Church has a more definite teaching. It allows for the possibility that man’s body developed from previous biological forms, under God’s guidance, but it insists on the special creation of his soul. Pope Pius XII declared that "the teaching authority of the Church does not forbid that, in conformity with the present state of human sciences and sacred theology, research and discussions . . . take place with regard to the doctrine of evolution, in as far as it inquires into the origin of the human body as coming from pre-existent and living matter—[but] the Catholic faith obliges us to hold that souls are immediately created by God" (Pius XII, Humani Generis 36). So whether the human body was specially created or developed, we are required to hold as a matter of Catholic faith that the human soul is specially created; it did not evolve, and it is not inherited from our parents, as our bodies are. "
It's time that people grew up and stopped reading the Bible like a child. The Bible is *supposedly* a book that answers the great mysteries of faith and morals. It is no more a biology or astronomy book than it is a cookbook or book on auto repair. And it was never intended to be read as a biology book.
2007-03-26 08:09:16 · answer #3 · answered by secretsauce 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
There is no contradiction in "believing" both, if you so chose; the Theory of Evolution is scientific fact that explains how life changes and adapts over time. It is science. The bible is an ancient set of stories designed by its authors to offer "guidance" in how best to live your life morally, socially & spiritually, it is unconcerned with "facts". Much of the bible is contemporary with Aesop's Fables, which were designed to teach much the same lessons, though they have been far less successful!
2007-03-26 09:35:55 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The theory of evolution has been demonstrated ... the Bible is matter of belief.
In the other hand evolution can be a tool of God.
2007-03-26 06:20:44 · answer #5 · answered by Technology 1 · 3⤊ 1⤋
The Theory of Evolution, of course.
2007-03-26 05:04:38 · answer #6 · answered by arsenick 2 · 6⤊ 1⤋
You can meaningfully answer this question if you thoroughly understand both. Do you?
There is really only one main area where the thousands of ideas encompassed by the term 'evolution' deviate from both science and the Bible. This occurs where proponents demand that everything, including all of the complexity of DNA and life, happened purely by chance, ruling out any form of intelligent design without even considering the possibility.
2007-03-26 16:49:10 · answer #7 · answered by Frank N 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The theory of evolution, or at the very least, the scientific explanation.
It is only a theory, and it has its flaws, but is at least an attempt at a scientific explanation based on hard evidence.
The bible, for all its greatness, is only a story after all, that can be interpreted as the reader sees fit.
2007-03-26 05:05:43 · answer #8 · answered by dudara 4 · 5⤊ 2⤋
The bible is wrong.
The fact of evolution happened and must be accepted while the theory of evolution which explains why must also be excepted because it has passed all tests made.
2007-03-26 05:34:17 · answer #9 · answered by bestonnet_00 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
The bible was written by man. The theory of evolution was created by man. Both of those in a nut shell say that man is not perfect and he makes mistakes. I think that there is truth in both, and there are certainly flaws in both. What matters is strong personal values and the never ending search for the truth of where we come from. Neither "theory" should be put down or demoralized.
2007-03-26 05:11:09 · answer #10 · answered by Sneebs 4 · 1⤊ 5⤋
Christianity and the bible. Evolution is, as you stated, a theory, and is far from the truth. Science is fact, something that is proven, and evolution is far from being fact.
2007-03-26 05:11:07 · answer #11 · answered by ddc671mechanic 2 · 1⤊ 4⤋