Is it possible that religion and evolution can coexist? Why does religion feel they must fight it every step?

Question

of the way? The way I see it, science and religion are two separate fields so why do people that aren't experts in one field try to tell the other field what is true? Could it be possible that there are many sides to the truth? Would it devastate religious authority if one day it was proven that we evolved?

Answer 1

I don't know why. I believe that they can, and I don't see what the problem is either. My teachers were able to teach us and not deny God's work either. And, we turned out pretty okay.

Answer 2

I really am unsure what it is about evolution that is yet to be proven. Are all the dinosaur bones in existence just a figment of the imagination, or is that just a giant hoax that scientists have made up in an effort to discredit creation? I suppose that men in giant boats with two of every type of animal, two people populating an entire planet, people walking on water, and the garden of eden..are far more likely to be a reasonable explanation (Please excuse me while I choke).

Of course it is impossible for religion and evolution to co-exist if you take the bible literally. They directly contradict each other. Personally, I just don't get the whole religion thing. The vast majority of people in the world think that there was some kind of creator, what amazes me is that anyone is yet to come up with a literal explanation for it. It's all about faith supposedley, I just need a little more evidence than tales that were written in a book almost two thousand years ago. I have as much 'faith' in Aesop's fables being true as I do the bible, koran or any other religious doctrine.

I don't believe that religion is some kind of mass delusion, I just think that most people need some kind of reason to explain their existence..and why not follow the herd? Are they not better off being wrong and having god not exist than being atheist and having the same thing happen? (Doesn't the whole concept of 'being wrong' imply doubt..and therefore buy you a ticket straight to hell?)

Religion fights science because every time they come up with some new breakthrough..it discredits religion just a little..a couple more people shift over the fence, religion becomes a little less feasible. What is funny about it is that it matters not how much we learn about evolution and the beginnings of the universe, radical theists will still discredit everything as a hoax, every study is flawed, and all research done that comes up with a new scientific theory is inept because it's different to the last one that was proposed. I've heard the whole "Gosh, they didn't even know that Pluto wasn't a planet..how can they know God doesn't exist?" thing a dozen times already..yeah right..those two things are really in the same league of miscalculations.

Faith will always be the reason that people believe, because it's something that cannot be disproved. Really, how does one prove that something that cannot be touched, does not exist? Technically, we cannot even prove that we do.

To prove that we did evolve would not change anyones minds about religion, the truth is that there is already enough evidence to suggest that evolution is more than just a terrible distraction implemented by Satan, and people aren't exactly rushing in droves out of the churches in order to read about it.

As far as creation versus evolution goes...evolution cannot win the race if creation isn't even willing to turn up at the starting post.....

Answer 3

Contrary to popular belief, religion and evolution can and does exist side beside each other.

For the first comment, it should be said that evolution is still (and probably always will be just a theory that is itself slowly evolving into something different from what Darwin origionally wrote----the same thing happened to Newton's theories of gravity, thermodynamics, etc. i.e. Einstein's general theory of relativity changed newton's laws dramatically). To date, DNA has shown that not a single new species has ever been created by evolution but there has been modifications within species!

Religion (Judio-Christian) has also evolved thru the centuries. For most, they accept the Bible as describing (so far as creation is concerned) what happened and not the how. Also, it is now know that the "seven days" given in the Bible should have been seven time periods if the earliest parchments are used for translations. This is inline with the thoughts given from the Big Bang theory and is agreed to my most theoritical physicists of today including Steven Hawkins.

For me personally, it is hard to have any faith in the extremes on either side-creationists and evolutionists. It seems that they are both wrong. We should take a somewhat more central ground.

Answer 4

Some religions have no problem with the whole evolution theory and some sects of Christianity don't have any problem with it either. Those of us who take the Bible literally see evolution as being a theory in contrary to what the Bible says. But all creationists are not anti-science whackos! Many creationist teach chemistry, biology, astronomy, at public univerisities and get into lots of trouble any time they point out inconsistencies with evolution and science! To read some articles by scientific creationists go to this website: www.answersingenesis.org They have a really great "Get Answers" section where they discuss questions people have about creation theory from a scientific point of vew.

Answer 5

Why do evolutionists feel that they must fight every step of the way? Because Christians believe in a higher power, and people who believe in the "big bang" do not.
No, they can not co-exist. They are not two separate fields because athiesm IS a religion. Athiests believe in things they can not prove, which is what they get so very mad at Christians for supposedly doing.

Answer 6

Religion is just a matter of believing. Believing in something you cant neccessarily see touch hear or smell. ANything is possible in life. Religion might be connected to evolution but a lot of religious people arent as open minded as to think that... and science is just as closed minded as well.

Answer 7

I believe that the reason there is such tension between the two groups is that thier core belief systems are mutually excusive. There is inherent conflict between the two schools of thought. One looks to God as the author and source of all life, while the other seeks to explain our existence in purely natural ways denying the intervention of God. Both cannot be true.

Answer 8

Actually, both are true! Before human beings were put here on this planet, everything existed within the parameters of evolution. When the time came for "us" (mankind) to exist here, the entity(ies) responsible for it covered the earth and wiped out everything which would be considered a threat to we very fragile humans. After that process was underway, one of those entities involved felt compelled to ruin (for whatever reason(s) what had been done, ie: (Lucifer).....

Answer 9

The basic problem is that religion requires belief in supernatural phenomena, while science prohibits it. Since evolution is science (and proven correct, to boot), religion cannot tolerate it. Clearly, there is no middle ground: either the laws hold, or they don't.

Answer 10

Some forms of religion, such as Reform Judaism, happily co-exist with science and evolution. Only the backward, stupid religions fight against science and evolution.

Answer 11

The problem is that scientific views have religious consequences and religious views have scientific consequence. For example, if it's true that the bible is correct, then all living organisms cannot have a common ancestor. And if it could be proven that there was a common ancestor (evolution itself if fairly uncontroversial up to this point), then the bible could not be literally correct.