Can you be Christian and believe in evolution?

[olgamc]

So He deceived them, but it was for a good reason. O.K.

No. Satan and their own wickedness deceived them. God allowed it to happen, and yes, for a good reason. Because He is just.

God is also merciful, so He also provided a way for them not to be deceived, which is to believe the truth. But they chose to believe Satan over God because they loved wickedness.

 

[Jonaitis]

Just as long as our observation and understanding of the natural world doesn't cloud our understanding of spiritual matters. E.g. Nicodemus and being born again.

John 3:3-10
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?

Friend, if it contradicts what is real and tested, what does that make of our faith?

 

[olgamc]

Friend, if it contradicts what is real and tested, what does that make of our faith?

What is faith?

Hebrews 11:
"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible."

Nicodemus thought that being born again contradicts what is real and tested. Many think that resurrection of the dead contradicts what is real and tested. When what God says seems to contradict what we know, do we put our faith in Him or in what we know? If we want one day to stand next to all the people mentioned in Hebrews 11, we should put our faith in the Lord and not so much in our knowledge. I don't mean to say that we should deny science - not at all. But science, the study of the natural world, should bring us closer to God, because all creation manifests His glory. If we are using the study of God's creation to believe lies about God - what does that make of us or of our faith?

 

[Diamond7]

What is faith?

Faith is a work of God in us that goes beyond the power of positive thinking and positive mental attitude. My father was a doctor and he was very good at using the power of suggestion to get positive results. So I am well aware of what only God can do and what is beyond our ability apart from God.

 

[sfs]

By the way, if anyone is interested in people trying to do biblically-based theology that doesn't simply dismiss evolution, I'm currently reading an interesting collection published by Eerdmans, called Evolution and the Fall. It's got contributions from a wide range of theological traditions.

 

[ViaCrucis]

The fact that millions of Christians all over the planet accept biological evolution without any problem or injury to their Christian confession is evidence that one can be a Christian and accept the science of biological evolution.

-CryptoLutheran