Charles Robert Darwin

[pitabread]

So does believing in evolution result in not believing in a Creator?

Lots of people including Christians accept evolution and still believe in a Creator.

 

[Tone]

Lots of people including Christians accept evolution and still believe in a Creator.

So there is nothing inherent in evolution that says there can't be a Creator? So, if someone doesn't believe in a Creator,it is for other reasons?

 

[pitabread]

So there is nothing inherent in evolution that says there can't be a Creator? So, if someone doesn't believe in a Creator,it is for other reasons?

Correct on both accounts.

 

[Jimmy D]

So does believing in evolution result in not believing in a Creator?

No

 

[Jimmy D]

So there is nothing inherent in evolution that says there can't be a Creator? So, if someone doesn't believe in a Creator,it is for other reasons?

Yes

 

[Ophiolite]

So there is nothing inherent in evolution that says there can't be a Creator? So, if someone doesn't believe in a Creator,it is for other reasons?

Absolutely. In my teens I was a practising Christian and readily accepted the theory of evolution. I saw no conflict whatsoever between the two. Evolution was the means by which God had implemented his Creation.
In my late teens I recognised I had become progressively disenchanted with Christianity and essentially abandoned it as a belief system (while retaining many of the ethical principles). Until I encountered Creationists on forums some ten or fifteen years ago it had never really occurred to me that any one could feel that evolutionary theory could be seen as an argument against a creator. (I still think the idea is pretty dumb!)

 

[AV1611VET]

Absolutely. In my teens I was a practising Christian and readily accepted the theory of evolution. I saw no conflict whatsoever between the two. Evolution was the means by which God had implemented his Creation.
In my late teens I recognised I had become progressively disenchanted with Christianity and essentially abandoned it as a belief system ...

Paul warned about that happening.

 

[AV1611VET]

So there is nothing inherent in evolution that says there can't be a Creator? So, if someone doesn't believe in a Creator,it is for other reasons?

Theistic evolution is also known as evolutionary creationism.

 

[pitabread]

Theistic evolution is also known as evolutionary creationism.

"Evolutionary creationism"? I've never heard anyone use that term. Where did you that from?

 

[AV1611VET]

"Evolutionary creationism"?

It's a contradiction in terms, isn't it?

I've never heard anyone use that term. Where did you that from?

QV please:

Creationism vs Theistic evolution: demographics

 

[pitabread]

QV please:

Creationism vs Theistic evolution: demographics

Your link didn't contain a source reference.

At any rate, I do see it on the Wikipedia article on Theistic Evolution. That said, it doesn't appear to be a particularly widely used term.

Even a Google Search for "evolutionary creationism" only returns 18,000 hits versus about 250,000 for "theistic evolution".

I also noticed that one of the articles on the term is from the NCSE: The Creation/Evolution Continuum

They point out a difference with respect to the two terms, describing "evolutionary creationism" as having God "being more actively involved in evolution" as compared to theistic evolution.

 

[TLK Valentine]

So there is nothing inherent in evolution that says there can't be a Creator? So, if someone doesn't believe in a Creator,it is for other reasons?

Pretty much.

Now, nobody's saying it never happens the way you're concerned about... but usually it turns out that people who turn away from the "creator" because of evolution had a flawed understanding of one or both of those ideas.

Consider:

Many religious groups consider Biblical literalism to be essential. They elevate "The Bible" (or more importantly, their own understanding of the Bible) to infallible status.

This, of course, is an error. When then evidence in support of evolution comes to refute that understanding, they cannot divorce their own opinions from holy writ. They cannot be wrong, so the Bible must be at fault... and since their indoctrination has backed them into an "all-or-nothing" corner, they lose faith.

IMO, Christianity is better off without such believers -- the heart cannot be made to accept what the mind has no choice but to reject.

 

[AV1611VET]

...

Question:

If Bill says theistic evolution isn't evolutionary creationism, is Bill wrong?

(Just YES or NO please.)

 

[AV1611VET]

Now, nobody's saying it never happens the way you're concerned about... but usually it turns out that people who turn away from the "creator" because of evolution had a flawed understanding of one or both of those ideas.

Either that, or they didn't heed Paul's warning in Romans 1 and history repeats itself.

 

[pitabread]

Question:

If Bill says theistic evolution isn't evolutionary creationism, is Bill wrong?

(Just YES or NO please.)

That's a loaded question and I'm not going to answer it the way you want.

I would say that if someone is interested in how terms are used, then they should investigate how those terms are actually used. In my brief investigation, it appears that "evolutionary creationism" is not a popular term and there are differences of opinion in what the term means.

 

[AV1611VET]

That's a loaded question and I'm not going to answer it the way you want.

I would say that if someone is interested in how terms are used, then they should investigate how those terms are actually used. In my brief investigation, it appears that "evolutionary creationism" is not a popular term and there are differences of opinion in what the term means.

Romans 2:15b ... and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;

 

[pitabread]

Romans 2:15b ... and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;

If you're just going to start spamming the Bible, I guess we're done.

 

[TLK Valentine]

Either that, or they didn't heed Paul's warning in Romans 1 and history repeats itself.

Perhaps, but if they think that retaining the knowledge of God hangs on a literalized Bible, then it seems my hypothesis is closer to the truth.

 

[AV1611VET]

Perhaps, but if they think that retaining the knowledge of God hangs on a literalized Bible, then it seems my hypothesis is closer to the truth.

I wasn't aware they had the completed Scriptures when Paul wrote Romans.

 

[TLK Valentine]

I wasn't aware they had the completed Scriptures when Paul wrote Romans.

I wasn't aware that Paul's writings to the Romans or anyone else had anything to do with evolution.

Live and learn, eh?