Why Is Evolution Such A Threat To Certain Christians' Faith But Not Others?

Question

More than 10,000 clergy have signed a statement saying, in part,
"We the undersigned, Christian clergy from many different traditions, believe that the timeless truths of the Bible and the discoveries of modern science may comfortably coexist. We believe that the theory of evolution is a foundational scientific truth, one that has stood up to rigorous scrutiny and upon which much of human knowledge and achievement rests." (Clergy Letter Project 2005)

In addition, many prominent Christians did not see evolution as any more threatening than biochemistry or dentistry or any other science. Among these are: Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a paleontologist and RC priest. He believed that God guided evolution, distinguished theoretical biologist in the history of evolutionary thought and Christian conservative, Sir Fisher and social conservative Pope John Paul II.

Most who accept evolution science also believe in God. What makes it so hard for other Christians to do?

Serious and respectful answers only please.

Answer 1

It seems that most Christians in other parts of the world have no problem with evolution. Most Christians in the United States seem to have a big problem with it. The most peculiar thing is that many Christians who have a problem with evolution don't even really understand what it is.

Answer 2

Because those people threatened by the idea of evolution believe not only that God created the universe(that is, everything there is) but also the specifics of HOW He created it(that is, time---6,000 years, God SAID, "Let there be light...etc", God literally creating Adam out of dust/mud). Also, they actually believe that evolution is out there to prove there is no God.

I believe in God but I also believe in evolution. Heres why:

1. Evolution is a science that asks HOW the universe came to be. It's query is on the PROCEES, regardless of WHY the process went the way it did or WHO instantiated or ruled the process. Science as is not a tool for investigating that which can't be CONTROLLED, MEASURED, and OBSERVED. It is not science's subject to treat the existence or non-existence of God. Science doesn't even care if there is God or not but people just don't understand this.

2. Religion is the venue where everything metaphysical (that is beyond the physical/material including God) is learned, discussed, and studied. It is not science. It teaches things of the spiritual, non-material nature. So, as an example, if in Genesis I read "Let there be light...etc", "On the seventh day He rested...etc", I don't forget that this was written by a simple-minded guy to simple-minded folks with the intention of teaching that there is a Creator who made things in progressive order. It is stretching it to say the author of Genesis taught HOW God did it. The Bible teaches spiritual truths and not scientific truths. We should learn to treat each according to its merits and claims. After all, we don't go to the Bible when we have headache. And we don't read science books when we need moral-spiritual guidance.

Science doesn't put a sense of finality on its claims as opposed to religion. So, evolution, like the Theory of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics and medicine and others, is not claiming finality. For now, it is a working model/theory that beautifully paints a picture based on the data and tools that we have so far (Theory of Relativity is a working model. GPS systems incorporate relativistic effects or points on the map would be way off from their true positions. Modern TV, computers, and every electronic device would've been impossible if QM hadn't been around). For now, evolution is a fact. It might or might not change as new data comes in and new technological tools are invented but nowhere evolution claims God doesn't exist. It can never claim ANYTHING that has something to do with the notion of God, again because it can't observe, control, and measure metaphysical things and therefore, can't draw conclusions.

To sum it all up, I don't see any contradiction between religion and science. Religion is an inquiry into the supernatural. Science into the HOW of the physica/material. It's only when we don't restrict each to their own domain that we find contradictions, which in turn force us to choose sides.

Science is not religion. Religion is not Science. One doesn't teach about the other.

Answer 3

I believe Christians get angry and show hatred toward the idea of evolution because it indeed goes against our God. In a nut shell evolution is the way of saying that "God" did not create man along with the big bang theory proclaiming that he did not create the earth and everything on it. The world and science use these theories to basically say "God" does not exist. That everything can be explained with science (that man has created). Man cannot and will never be able to explain to name a few, how the clouds exist or float. Why does the sun shine and provide heat? Is the earth really spinning or how does it stay still? Where did everything "man has not created" come from? Man will only be able to theorize like he has done for thousands of years. Surprising things is, evolution and the big bang "theory" which both are based on the time span of millions of years can easily be disproved "scientifically". Like for example the world population. In 1985 the world had 5 billion people on it. In 1800 there were only 1 billion people (look up the records.) Today the earth has 6 billion people on it. Now if the earth was millions or billions years old, and according to simple math shouldn't there be way more people on the earth right now? Just over 200 years ago in 1800 there were only 1 billion people with a 5 billion increase up until now. Surprisingly people do not stop for a minute and say, well wait a minute. The earth cannot be billions of years old, there are not enough people on it, But these numbers do add up to the time that the bible says the earth was created. -Bet scientist will try to come up with another theory like there was a disaster some thousand years ago that wiped off a large amount of people to make up for lost population. "Many people overlook the fact or simply don't know that Darwin was a devout Christian." Darwin was not a devout Christian being that he -Had a non-conformist background -Studied Anglican theology (more theories outside of what our God taught.) -He would go for a walk on Sundays while his family attended church (sounds committed to you?) -Developed his own ideas of geology while "speculating" about transmutation of species and "thinking about religion. Now if Darwin was a devout Christian, he would have never questioned how our God said HE created man and every other living thing that walked the face of the earth.

Answer 4

Fear.

Some people have been told that the bible is literally true. That every word is the absolute truth and the word of god.

The fact that evolution contradicts the bible is unacceptable to them. If one part of the bible is not true then it is not the absolute truth and the word of god the what of the rest of it? They fear losing the crutch that they have in the bible that means that they do not have to think about questions of morality or belief.

IMHO they have no real faith. To have a belief system so brittle that it lives or dies on the literal words of an old book is to have no faith. They can not worship an intangible god, they worship the words of the bible because they can see and touch them.

They can not move on and realize that the bible is a set of stories woven around history and some real characters. Some people say that is all it is. Some others have faith that it is inspired by god to help guide them. Both know that it is not to be taken literally.

Answer 5

It's the MAN CAME FROM APES part

That actually isn't DARWINISM

Darwin said we come from lower species.

To be frank Adam and Eve qualify. All they knew how to do was talk with God and pick fruit from trees.

How much simplier can you get.

So they are a rudimentary life form and we evolved from them.

There is this faction that INSISTS the world is 6,000 years old (the Bible doesn't even agree with that time line -- GO READ IT. Old timers like Noah and Adam lives 200, 300, 400 years. If the time line was right then Adam was alive when Moses was around! The JEWISH world is 5,768 years old, if Adam lives 200 or 300 years he was around about the time Moeses was born. Totally wrong. The Bible gives a time line of 9,000+ years DOCUMENTED).

Some Fundamentalist poslutated all of this an the CONSERVATIVES hold on to it.

What mainstream religion does not subscribe to is that the WORLD WAS MADE BY ACCIDENT

SERENDIPITY

What they also object to and so do I, is the BOLD conclusion we came from Chimps.

YOu know, to be honest with you, if they told me I came from a Dolphin, I wouldn't object so much.

Dolphins are smart, personable, communicative and self -starters

I can MORE easily see me evolving from a Dolphin than from some Monkey in a zoo.

If I want an animal ancestor, I want a cute, smart, persoanble one.

Not a smelly, messy, loud mouthed, hairy beast that bites.

That is TOTALLY insulting to my intellegence.

Do you agree with me. Wouldn't a Dolphin be a much better GREAT GREAT grandfather than some Chimpanizee!

It depends on who you ask. If you ask a girl they'll tell you, unscientifically of course, that man evolved from pig.

Answer 6

Some of them feel threatened by it because it provides such a strong explanation for how things got here. Backed by the fossil record, DNA evidence, and evolution of bacteria, insects, plants, and viruses we have tested evidence that demonstrates evolution really occurs. These explanations do not require God, they stand on their own.

Once the literal interpretation of the Bible is threatened, all kinds of other sections are open for interpretation. Are all these sections merely stories? If they become stories again it could potentially weaken faith.

I think most theists though have reconciled this by realizing, their faith is more a personal experience as opposed to a group one. They don't feel threatened by science because it is important to remember that science grew out of studying the world to learn about god. That we find evidence that isn't the same is in the Bible isn't a problem, because they see the word of God in all the elements of the universe.

Personally, as an atheist, I don't see a god in any of it, but I do see how it can be interpreted as such. Interpreting the complexity of the universe as a sign of God is fine to me, interpreting the stories of the Bible to deny the evidence of the world seems utterly foolish.

Answer 7

Evolution contradicts the Bible's creation story Genesis chapter 1;1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
I'm not surprised that the clergy has said this, because they don't believe in God. They will twist the truth to suit the world view because they are comfortable in their position which they use to "lord" it over the people.
I believe the Bible and will never believe the scientists.

Answer 8

You can't believe in both evolution and the Bible since they contradict eachother.

Most people are taught in school, and from television shows and museums, that evolution easily explains our universe and all living things, and that evolution is a proven fact. They have not been told about the problems with the theory of evolution, nor have they been given the opportunity to study the concept of "special creation" as a legitimate alternative.

Many scientists have been taught to believe that religious and scientific beliefs are separate things which should be kept separate. However, many of the well-known scientists of the past (such as Louis Pasteur, Isaac Newton, and Michael Faraday, among many others) operated with their religious and scientific ideas working together. It was “because” of their understanding of Scripture that they did research and discovered so many of the things we take for granted today!

Much of the confusion around the concept of "evolution" is that this word is commonly used to describe two very different things:

1. Micro-evolution refers to a built-in variability in living things which allows them to adapt to small changes in the environment. When scientists say that evolution is a proven fact, they mean that micro-evolution is a proven fact. No creation scientist disputes this. Indeed, this ability to adapt would be expected as a part of "good design". Textbook examples of "evolution in action" almost always describe this type of small change, such as the "peppered moth" story, or the development of resistance to pesticides. What is happening in these cases is not the creation of something new, but merely the usage of an already existing trait.

2. Macro-evolution refers to the type of change which creates life from hydrogen gas, or rocks. Evolutionists say that large scale change is possible because we have seen small scale change in action. However, the flaw in this reasoning is that living systems have limits beyond which no further change can take place.

Answer 9

The simple view is this: Christians (like me) who are not Biblical literalists can easily accept evolution as compatible with Christianity.

Biblical literalists, however, can't.

The cure for Biblical literalism is in First Kings chapter 7, and in the study of mathematics. That chapter contains the number of cubits in a circle (30) and the number of cubits in that same circle's diameter (10). From that, you can calculate the value of pi, but you get 3, not 3.14159265358979323.... The logical conclusion is that the Bible is not to be taken literally. Unless you're deluded enough to actually BELIEVE that pi is 3, of course.

Answer 10

Sadly, in the United States there are an extraordinary number of people who are incapable of doing anything other than take their Genesis myhtology anything but ABSOLUTELY LITERALLY. Just why this brain damage is so common in the US remains unknown.

Literalists view anything that threatens the integrity of their beloved mythology MUST be wrong...because they and only they can POSSIBLY be right.

Or so they think.