If Evolution is true, why should I still believe in God?

ChordatesLegacy · #11 24th August 2007, 06:34 AM

Originally Posted by BlackSaab52

I have no idea how much this has been discussed on this forum. This seems more like a place for debating the science of evolution than anything else. But I have a hard time understanding how some people attempt to reconcile evolution and God. If I can explain the existence and diversity of life through the theory of evolution, why should I still believe that God had a part in it? I know that some believe that God guided evolution, but really can't see any reason to believe this. Maybe I'm just missing something, I don't know.

For the same reason other religious people believe in god. They are scared of their own mortality.

Once you get over the fact that life is short, and you only get one change, there is no need for comfort blankets in the form of mystical deities.

LeeC · #12 24th August 2007, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by BlackSaab52

I have no idea how much this has been discussed on this forum. This seems more like a place for debating the science of evolution than anything else. But I have a hard time understanding how some people attempt to reconcile evolution and God. If I can explain the existence and diversity of life through the theory of evolution, why should I still believe that God had a part in it? I know that some believe that God guided evolution, but really can't see any reason to believe this. Maybe I'm just missing something, I don't know.

What you believe is up to you...

Evolution has not been proven wrong (and it is possible to do do) so it is looking good to be actually being true.

Does this mean god does not exist? Well - some say yes, some say no.

I have taken the opinion to read the bible and see what it says... evidence should be within the bible if you believe what you have been told.

I personally have found only questions in the bible.

So... Bang Big, evolution answers much without the need of a god. The bible does not prove God - only questions...

The choice is yours to make.

Lee

FishFace · #13 24th August 2007, 11:46 AM

You shouldn't believe in God, but only because there's no evidence, not because of evolution.

This is the problem with the God of the Gaps, Saab - while religion tries to shove God into the gap, science is calmly working away with the polyfiller of knowledge.

llDayo · #14 24th August 2007, 11:47 AM

Evolution doesn't disprove the existence of a deity. It just merely shows one is not needed to explain the diversity of life.

In my opinion in regards to religion: Life's too short to be preparing for death.

CACTUSJACKmankin · #15 24th August 2007, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by BlackSaab52

I have no idea how much this has been discussed on this forum. This seems more like a place for debating the science of evolution than anything else. But I have a hard time understanding how some people attempt to reconcile evolution and God. If I can explain the existence and diversity of life through the theory of evolution, why should I still believe that God had a part in it? I know that some believe that God guided evolution, but really can't see any reason to believe this. Maybe I'm just missing something, I don't know.

God can be an essential moral and creative force but God created a universe that obeys certain rules, which we call physics. I believe that god created the initial matter and energy and fixed the physical laws and allowed the universe to go on its own, as i have said before, a perfect design does not need to be tweaked.
God doesnt have to have a direct hand in everything for him to be a creative entity. After all at what point did he create you? you are just the result of cells from your parents coming together, God had no direct hand in that.

consol · #16 24th August 2007, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by BlackSaab52

I have no idea how much this has been discussed on this forum. This seems more like a place for debating the science of evolution than anything else. But I have a hard time understanding how some people attempt to reconcile evolution and God. If I can explain the existence and diversity of life through the theory of evolution, why should I still believe that God had a part in it? I know that some believe that God guided evolution, but really can't see any reason to believe this. Maybe I'm just missing something, I don't know.

Let's turn the question around and ask it another way,
what made you think there might be a God in the first place? where did the idea come from?
you didn't think it up yourself so some one must have told you about a God,
if you had never been told about a God the thought would have never entered your head, so why are you worried?

I don't suppose you have heard of Kayla, he is a God worshiped by a tribe in the Amazon rain forest,
it's a statue made of stone, supposed to have been carved about three hundred years ago,
why are you not thinking about believing in Kayla? the tribe in the forest have worshiped him for generations,
people have lived and died only knowing Kayla as their God, you could have been born there.

It seems to me you could pick one of a hundred Gods and you would still be wrong,
the real God was number 101.

If you have problems, then believe in a God, otherwise just live your life and die like the rest of us.

Loudmouth · #17 24th August 2007, 03:19 PM

Originally Posted by BlackSaab52

I have no idea how much this has been discussed on this forum. This seems more like a place for debating the science of evolution than anything else. But I have a hard time understanding how some people attempt to reconcile evolution and God. If I can explain the existence and diversity of life through the theory of evolution, why should I still believe that God had a part in it? I know that some believe that God guided evolution, but really can't see any reason to believe this. Maybe I'm just missing something, I don't know.

My assessment is similar to Consul's. I would hazard a guess that you didn't come to believe in God because you independently discovered that the Earth was 6,000 years old, that there was a recent global flood, and that species appeared in a poof of smoke 6,000 years ago. I know of no one who, independently of the Bible, came to these conclusions.

It would seem that your belief in God never had anything to do with the accuracy of a literal Genesis. Why would an acceptance of evolution do away with this belief?

DoubtingThomas29 · #18 24th August 2007, 09:36 PM

Originally Posted by llDayo

Evolution doesn't disprove the existence of a deity. It just merely shows one is not needed to explain the diversity of life.

In my opinion in regards to religion: Life's too short to be preparing for death.

I Agree with Dayo's statement.

Life is too short to be preparing for death.

LeeC · #19 24th August 2007, 09:47 PM

If there is good evidence for something - believe it.

If there is no evidence for something - doubt it.

Simple really.

Lee

Phred · #20 24th August 2007, 10:29 PM

Originally Posted by BlackSaab52

I have no idea how much this has been discussed on this forum. This seems more like a place for debating the science of evolution than anything else. But I have a hard time understanding how some people attempt to reconcile evolution and God. If I can explain the existence and diversity of life through the theory of evolution, why should I still believe that God had a part in it? I know that some believe that God guided evolution, but really can't see any reason to believe this. Maybe I'm just missing something, I don't know.

People have been raised in a society that takes the existence of a god for granted as simply as they take the existence of trees for granted. We use the names of god in everyday sentences. We say "Jesus!" and "Oh my God!" and when grampa dies we tell the youngin's he's in a better place with God. We may not believe it but we go along with it rather than think about it. It's like that lamp of your mothers that you hate but never really notice until she takes it away... then one day you notice it's gone. Well, you just noticed that god wasn't there. Instead of going along suddenly you're confronted with the notion that the ugly lamp might not be there any more and, even though you didn't think about it all that much, it was part of a comforting place you went to.

So now what? Well, for one thing you can notice that nothing's changed. One day you believed the power of God was flowing through everything, the next day you didn't and guess what... not a darn thing changed. God didn't withdraw, God was never there in the first place. Deists like Thomas Jefferson believed in a god that flipped a switch to start the universe then left it to us. The deity didn't hang around to worry about whether we sinned or not. It didn't care. Perhaps that sort of thought will sooth you somewhat. Perhaps not.

Myself... I don't believe in any gods. Complexity doesn't come first and to believe in an all-powerful creator one must believe the most complex being ever imaginable was the first thing to exist. I don't buy it. Then we have to further make this being more petty by thinking it cares if Joe has sex with Martha before they're married. But he doesn't care about Sameer and Neha because they don't believe in him. In fact, he's going to send them to eternal damnation.

Just saying this stuff out loud makes me want to run into a church screaming at people. I just don't see how you can stop to think about this stuff and come out the other side still believing it. Not without having a stroke.

And then we come to evolution. You have a choice to read the material, study the data or ignore it all and believe two conflicting chapters in an ancient story book instead. I don't see any reason to believe that a god or gods had any part in it except that you want to. That and maybe you're a little bit afraid.