Bottom line: Can a Christian believe in evolution and still be saved?

[Sabertooth]

Did they literally fall out of the tree? How high up was that fruit? You'd think the serpent would at least be polite enough to climb up and knock one down for Eve...

Now, you are just being obtuse...

 

[HTacianas]

Let's not beat around the bush here. Is evolution a salvation issue?
Is it possible to accept Genesis as allegorical and still be saved by the Grace of Christ?

Because it seems to me that if the answer is yes, debating it is pointless for creationists, and if the answer is no, debating it is pointless with creationists.

I'm just curious regarding what people really think coming into these discussions...

Evolution is no a matter of salvation. I believe in evolution. The Church for the most part doesn't care about. The evolution/creation debate only began around one hundred years ago when a group of protestants took it upon themselves to define the beliefs of Christianity and loosely published them in a series known as The Fundamentals. That's where we get the term fundamentalist from. Note that they did not have the authority to define the beliefs of Christianity and have probably done more harm than nearly anything else.

And yes, debating creationism/evolution is entirely pointless.

 

[Tinker Grey]

I thought about it, but decided against it. I figured anonymity would lead to a more honest polling -- I support secret ballots.

And just for the record, as I am not a Christian, and consider "salvation" to be moot, I didn't vote.

Nor did I. But, I sure love to know who voted 'No'.

 

[TLK Valentine]

I'm not saying you have to, by all means please collect the opinions of others for yourself, etc...

God Bless!

Seems I've already done that without asking permission.

 

[TLK Valentine]

Nor did I. But, I sure love to know who voted 'No'.

I think the opinions expressed in the thread give a pretty good idea regarding who has or would vote no.

 

[Neogaia777]

Seems I've already done that without asking permission.

Hopefully it will lead you to truth maybe...

God Bless!

 

[TLK Valentine]

Hopefully it will lead you to truth maybe...

God Bless!

Well, I'm always looking for truth... And part of me hopes I never find it, because the search is so much fun.

Perhaps if I ever find it, I'll let it go and tell it that now it has to find me?

ETA: actually this isn't true -- I realize that I'm surrounded by truth on all sides, and the real challenge is taking it all in...

 

[Neogaia777]

Well, I'm always looking for truth... And part of me hopes I never find it, because the search is so much fun.

Perhaps if I ever find it, I'll let it go and tell it that now it has to find me?

As to the first, I know so very much what you mean, the search itself is very fun, and is how I got started, etc...

And as to the last part, whatever suits you best my man/friend, ok...

Maybe if you dare it to find you, maybe it just might maybe will maybe, etc...

God Bless!

 

[timothyu]

I realize that I'm surrounded by truth on all sides, and the real challenge is taking it all in...

Won't happen. That would make you a god.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

I couldn't answer yes or no, because it is not such a black and white issue.

 

[d taylor]

Did they literally fall out of the tree? How high up was that fruit? You'd think the serpent would at least be polite enough to climb up and knock one down for Eve...

Are you that ignorant of Biblical accounts or just want to act a jerk around christians who may actually be here to answer you questions in good faith.

 

[Neogaia777]

ETA: actually this isn't true -- I realize that I'm surrounded by truth on all sides, and the real challenge is taking it all in...

And are you telling the truth here?

Or do you really believe you are surrounded by truth(s) on all sides...?

God Bless!

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Let's not beat around the bush here. Is evolution a salvation issue?
Is it possible to accept Genesis as allegorical and still be saved by the Grace of Christ?

Because it seems to me that if the answer is yes, debating it is pointless for creationists, and if the answer is no, debating it is pointless with creationists.

I'm just curious regarding what people really think coming into these discussions...

You can believe in evolution and be saved.

Being saved is the result of a spiritual transformation.

 

[Petros2015]

The literal Fall of the human proto-parents is intrinsic to Salvation.
I know of no evolutionary model that accommodates that.

It's intrinsic to Death in some models. Lions were herbivores before the Fall. I know of no fossil record that accommodates that.

 

[AV1611VET]

Both answers are correct, depending on where you put your emphasis.

Q: Can a Christian believe in evolution and still be saved?
A: No -- he's already saved.

Q: Can a Christian believe in evolution and still be saved?
A: Yes -- once saved, always saved.

The point is simply this:

I can't fathom a born-again Christian hanging on to evolution to the very end.

If he does, I question his sanctification, not his salvation.

Same for drinkers, smokers, and my vices as well.

 

[Petros2015]

I'm just curious regarding what people really think coming into these discussions...

It was a Schrödinger's Garden - everything was in a state of quantum flux as to whether apple was eaten or not (the first moral choice) After the apple was eaten, the box was opened, and the universe retroactively collapsed itself into looking like it had been 15 billion years old with no God in it from the beginning. Just like if you put a cat in there and then waited 3 days to open the box; you retroactively either find a 3 day live hungry cat or a 3 day smelly dead one. Quantum waves are good at saying "see? I was behaving this way all along!" once you observe one and force it to account one way or another.

Schrödinger's cat - Wikipedia

 

[TLK Valentine]

Are you that ignorant of Biblical accounts or just want to act a jerk around christians who may actually be here to answer you questions in good faith.

I was told there was a "literal fall." Was it literally metaphorical?

 

[TLK Valentine]

And are you telling the truth here?

Or do you really believe you are surrounded by truth(s) on all sides...?

God Bless!

Truth -- singular. Reality is truth, but our brains have to filter it out in order to function.
Sometimes we filter out too much and miss something important.

 

[Neogaia777]

Truth -- singular. Reality is truth, but our brains have to filter it out in order to function.
Sometimes we filter out too much and miss something important.

Yeah, but do you really feel like you are surrounded by truth/Truth on all sides...?

Or are you just trying to discern the Truth from the lies like the rest of us, etc...?

And I don't know that our brains filter out reality necessarily, or what exactly do you mean by that exactly, etc...?

But I do agree that in our search for Truth, we sometimes miss things that are important, or that could be important...

God Bless!

 

[TLK Valentine]

Yeah, but do you really feel like you are surrounded by truth/Truth on all sides...?

Or are you just trying to discern the Truth from the lies like the rest of us, etc...?

I didn't say I "feel like" I'm surrounded by truth -- I am, whether I feel it or not.

And I don't know that our brains filter out reality necessarily, or what exactly do you mean by that exactly, etc...?

Well, for starters, how good's your memory? Ever stop to wonder why it's not perfect?

We are bombarded by sensory input every moment of every day -- our brain, by necessity, filters out 99.999% of it as unimportant, and we never remember it... unless we make a conscious effort.

That's just an example.