apes... or adam and eve???

Question

what do you think about our ancestors? which ones were? do you think that the difference between science and religion is that the first explains HOW it happened and the second explains by WHOM?

Answer 1

Science describes "how" evolution happens, and also explains "why" creation myths and religions came to be:

Science would explain "God(s)", "Religion" and our numerous "creation myths" as human constructs. They were originally created to describe the unexplainable. It would rain 100 miles away and a flash flood would wipe out a village. Drought destroys a year's crops. An earthquake would hit, or a volcano would erupt. Someone would become sick unexpectedly. Prior to the application of science these experiences were quite scary for lack of understanding how they occured. The natural response by early man was to hand the responsibilty of such events over to a "greater force" and henceforth religions popped up all over the globe to allow man to move on when hit by the unexplainable. When more complicated social structures came about through the development of civilization, those who were in control of religion began to realize that they could control society and those who were in control of the state realized that they needed to have control of the society. Based on these forces, an age-old tug of war between religion and state developed. In some cases opposing religions were encompased into the threatened state (Roman Catholic Church), in other cases the state would create new religious doctrine that was more acceptable to their people (Church of England) and in yet other cases States would try to create barriers from religion (USSR) based on the simple realization of calling religion for what it is... a method of controlling people as shown in the frequently coined term "opiate of the people". This last model devoid of relegion, however, did not succeed... why? It appears that people like to be controlled more subtly by religion then by brute force of Stalin's iron fist. The point of all this being that Religion was constructed, adapted and restricted throughout our history simply as a means to manipulate society. If something terrible happened it was easier for the state to lay the blame off on "god" and to simply say "only god knows why this happened", we shall "leave it in the hands of god"... whatever, it's all the same, a scapegoat. Yet when society had successful years you can be sure that the state would claim responsibility and go about collecting their taxes as they talk about how their vague decisions improved the economy, or that their irrigation project defeated the drought. Of course the church took their cut as well, 10% for christians please! Where did that come from anyways?

With the advance of science the unexplainable began to be explained. An earthquake was no longer "gods bidding" and now the entire world knows which areas on the globe are more prone to seismic activity and can choose to live there or not and can construct buildings with this in mind to alleviate the amount of destruction that occurs. When the Tsunami hit Indonesia and when Katrina hit New Orleans a lot of christians piped up that one event was an attack by God on the primarily muslim Indonesia and that Katrina happened because of the sinful nature rampant in New Orleans. They forgot to mention that the french district was not badly damaged by the hurricane, or that many synagogues were left standing all over Indonesia due to their pillar style construction which did not create much drag from the onrushing water. At the same time christians will rave about... say a church near Paricutin Volcano in the state of Michoacan, Mexico which, although badly damaged, was the only structure remotely recognizable after a lava flow wiped out the village there. Suddenly this "act of god" is proof that god is real because their church survives the natural disaster... hey wasn't it built of stone while the rest of the buildings in that town were made of wood? It is interesting to see how similiar events are construed in completely polar directions by those biased by religion. All said, science allows a more appropriate and rational explanation of all of these events which were previously dominated by religious description. That is why there is a surge in people turning to science because people, on a whole, like explanations that have incorporate reason and allow for the development of knowledge through the scientific method that can lead to predicting and preparing for such disasters rather then mindlessly hiding under "god's wing" as we had for millenia. Now we put in Tsunami detection systems so that American or Japanese lifes can be saved if one were to hit the pacific. As I mentioned before, buildings can be constructed to withstand earthquakes of a reasonable force, again of which America and Japan are of primary advantage while villages in Iran and South America... (wait isn't S. America a bastion for Catholicism?) are being destroyed because their construction is still not as scientifically advanced.

In the end, the final battle between science and religion comes down to "infinity". Scientifically, we know what this term means, but within our minds it is an impossible term to truly wrap your brain around. It is this single word that will ensure that relegion pushes on. The reason why I pick this word is beacause no matter which force you believe to be responsible for our existence, they both depend on infinity. The Big Bang relies on an either A) an infinite time frame allowing for the expansion and contraction of the Universe in a cyclical pattern recreating itself in an infinite amount of space over and over an infinite number of times (if the mass of the universe is enough that gravity reverses our expansion) or B) has encountered one Big Bang and will expand for infinity but this begs the question of what was before the initial Big Bang. (if the mass of the universe is not enough such that our universal expansion is not reversed) Religion, on the other hand, rests solidly on "infinity" as well, by doing what our species has always done, turning the unexplainable over to, you got it, "GOD the infinite". I don't know if we'll ever be able to fully wrap our brains around this term, I doubt it, and so long as it exists as such a powerful word, God will still have the power that this word lends him.

Answer 2

This question is one of the hardest to ask due to people's beliefs. But the thing is there is so much evidence that there was evolution. The bible (which was written by man) basically says the Earth is only about 6,500 yo but there is Mitochondrial Eve that is dated to be 140,000 yo. How can something that old be found if Earth is only 6,500 yo? And then the Dinosaurs, where the hell did they come from? Give me proof that there is a God without your beliefs or your experiences. The thing is you can’t get a straight answer with someone saying it is just faith. Look at the link I posted below Becoming Human.

Answer 3

You're on the right train of thought, though not entirely there yet.
There's no question (in my mind) that every living thing as evolved from something else. I do not find it degrading to believe that humans are just another animal upon the planet, related to others who look similar in appearance. That's the way it is - so why all the fuss?
The trouble stems from those who seek a hidden agenda; (like answerer Chick a dee) believe they are better than everyone else; and so stir up a frenzy with unsubstantiated claims, half truths, double talk and downright baloney.
The Bible contains a lot of scientific truth, but one has to sift out the religious dogma to find it.

Answer 4

Apes. Modern humans and modern apes share a common ancestor, although this ancestor lived millions of years ago. Science, primarily through evolutionary theory in this case, explains how. There is no by whom. It is unrealistic to believe that there is some person like you and I out there deciding to make things, as if the world is a Playdo Playground. And about as silly.

Chick-a-dee's answer can best be described as a lie. Perhaps an unintentional lie, but a lie nonetheless, and one intended to deceive people, perpetuating lies, murder and mayhem, and causing us to miss the true beauty and wonder of the world around us.

Answer 5

I believe in the search for the truth. Interestingly both science and religion seek to find these. Religion is more about telling and retelling a truth. Science is more about discovery yet sometimes scientists can get stuck in the mud as well. People, including scientists, have much more that they don't know than they do know. Studying science has taught me that the earth's plates move and have for millions of years, animals change and have for millions of years, and the earth changes and has for, you guessed it, million of years. The change in animals and our probable ascestors is documented in the sediments that become hardened into rock. Although the history is incomplete since we have only found a tiny percentage of those few animals that were fossilized, it shows that we are indeed descended from animals. Recent technological breakthroughs in DNA, and istopic dating have only strengthened those theories.

Answer 6

I think this a matter of belief. If you believe that men came from apes (though it is not yet proven, Charles Darwin theory has still some missing links), then who created the Apes. If God created the Apes then why will he wait for the Apes to become men. For me, I believe that God created all the animals then afterwards He created men. For your other question, science is man's method of rationalizing things but even today with very advance technology there are myriad of things that can't be explained by science.

Answer 7

Without a doubt we evolved from ape-like ancestors over the course of millions of years. This is something for which we have a mountain of physical evidence. As for whether or not there is a "by whom"....your guess is as good as mine.

Answer 8

The myth of Adam and Eve was created in a day and age when they did not have the means to find the scientific truth.

Answer 9

Why not both,science says that we evolved from ape over time.And the bible says God made Adma and Eve and the world in 7 days.What we forget God says that he is the alpha & the omega,the start and end of time,to him 1 second can be 1000 years and 1000 years is like 1 second.
so He could have made all of the above in His time.Why can't Homo erectas be a prototype of us.

Answer 10

i will get flack for this.... but here goes...
i think man has evolved from the ape... i think jesus was a great man... the bible some will argue states many facts thay proove we have a creater. to them i say the bible was a poet writing that was meant to be a guide to good living and was not meant to be takin literally.

think about expressions we have today, and how would they be interpretied 2000 years from now, if takin literally.

"he blew his top"
"had a chip on his shoulder"

Science is based on facts that can be prooven...and have been prooven.... religion is based on myth and no proof has ever been established, if there was proof, there would not be many religions all interpret things totally different.. to me the church is a cruch for the week minded who need purpose in life and cant find it for themselves.

Answer 11

I would say that science explains the how and that religion explains the why.Remember that God is behind every door that science opens.,


The Bible teaches salvation history and not necessary history in our modern sense of the world. It is okay to look to science to explain scientific concepts as long as they do defy or insult the nature of God.