Christian evolutionists (2nd)?

Question

I know Biblical literalists believe there was no death or destruction on Earth before Adam sinned (Romans 5:12-21 and I Corinthians 15:20-26).

How have you reconciled this belief with the theory of evolution and an old earth?
Do you believe natural disasters occured before homo sapiens existed?
Do you believe animals were carnivorous before humans?

SecretSauce: It's a question for Christians who are NOT biblical literalists.

Answer 1

{edit ... thanks for the clarification}

If a Christian is not a Biblical literalist, then there is little to reconcile. The story of the fall of Adam is one of the origin of spiritual death, and of the awareness of death, not the origin of death itself.

Another way to put it, the concept of "eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil" is the idea of humans becoming conscious, self-aware. With that awareness (and all the stuff that comes with it ... like memory, and language), comes an awareness of our own mortality (which other animals do not have), and of collective memory of past cataclysmic events.

So of course death was a part of life before Homo sapiens ... but Homo sapiens is the first to become aware of death in the sense that we have ... as an inevitable reality, and that therefore we need to find meaning other than daily survival. So in that sense, "death" did not exist before humans.

And of course there were natural disasters before H. sapiens, but other animals don't remember those disasters very long, and certainly don't pass the awareness of those disasters down to other generations. So to other animals, a huge disaster that happened 100 years ago, or that may happen *tomorrow*, just doesn't exist. So in that sense, disasters did not exist before humans.

Even the concept of carnivorous animals can be analyzed in the same way. Yesterday I saw a massive hawk snatch up a mouse. As they flew off (the mouse still struggling in the talons) I wondered if the mouse was despairing at the unfairness of his doom (as I would have been), or the hawk felt any "remorse" or "satisfaction" from the act, and realized that these are thoughts only a human could have. I.e., with self-awareness comes the ability to see things from other's perspective ... including other animals. The hawk cannot see things from the mouse's point of view, or vice versa. That's when the distinction about carnivorous animals becomes relevant ... not before. To a hawk, a mouse is no different than a carrot is to a rabbit.

We are unique in our awareness that others die, and therefore that we will too. And that we can kill things and eat them ... but other things can kill and eat us too. And we have memory that huge natural disasters have occurred in the past, even many generations ago, and thus that they may happen again in the future.

Once you have eaten that fruit, you are no longer in paradise.

Answer 2

You do not reconcile it. The beliefs are mutually exclusive and if one is a Christian who believes in the scriptures it is very clear that death entered into existence as a result of sin.

Since death is an integrated transitional part within evolution either the Bible is a lie or the theory of origins incorporating evolution is a lie.

No I do not believe natural disasters happened before the fall.
Gondwonaland was supposedly a whole before the earth was broken into pieces (continents).

The first death of an animal was in Genesis:
Genesis 3:21 - Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them

Prior to that it' s clear man was a veggie:
Genesis 1:29 - And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

When the fall came nature was subjected to the consequences. But the truth is I do not know whether man ate animal before animal ate animal.

Answer 3

The difference between a literal historical interpretation of Genesis (which Christ professed) and a mythical interpretation of Genesis, which man created some time after that, is the presupposition that drives the conclusions.
Literalists have considered the old earth theory and find it wanting in terms of what the word "yom" means.
Natural disasters are a no brainer when you read Genesis 3 and the account of the Flood.
Genesis 3 sets up the curse where man had to struggle with animals. Before the Fall, animals acted in obedience to man. When man lost that due to the curse, animals were now an enemy. This also applies to natural disasters.

Answer 4

A natural disaster, by simple definition, is a natural event (an event derived from nature) that actually causes widespread destruction or disruption to human activity or injury and loss of life of humans. so, actually, there could not have been "natural disasters" before homo sapiens existed.............only natural events. a natural event (for example, and earthquake), will only be classified as a natural disaster if it affects humans. but yes, i'm sure that natural events such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions did occur long before homo sapiens. and yeah.............T-Rex was very carnivorous!

~PhoeniX~

Answer 5

I think God created the world over a LONG period of time...the bible says 6 days- but who's to say how long a "day" is to God? And I believe the dinosaurs, for example lived and died before Adam and Eve were even created. I think God uses principles of science to do his work...I don't believe he just wiggles his nose and POOF! a world appears! Therefore, the study of science is really just trying to figure out how the heck God made (and organized) everything! And the world really IS complex and intelligently designed. It's fascinating!

Answer 6

They can not. And, neither can you.
Christian evolutionist, progressive creationist, and those who hold to the Gap theory can not reconcile the Bible and their belief-they are forced to compromise. They usually bend the scripture to fit their scientific beliefs, that is-a gap between Gen 1:1 and 1:2. , its not there-just look at it. Its the Biblical missing link!

Answer 7

strange, some catholic ought to have spoke back this by means of now. besides the foremost word is "literalists" maximum catholics i understand push aside genesis as a parable of the beginning up of the universe, attempting to reconciliate technological awareness and scripture, and that they say evolution is the mechanism, trough which god created guy.

Answer 8

that scation of bible tolks about history of world if i recall studying it .