Can anyone explain to me how Creation and Evolution are contradictory?

[TrevorKamal]

I've never understood the argument, personally. The way i've always seen it, the creation story gave the broad who, what, and why while we slowly discover the how through science. Doesn't this make the most sense? (unless of course you don't believe in the Bible at all)

 

[Chalnoth]

I've never understood the argument, personally. The way i've always seen it, the creation story gave the broad who, what, and why while we slowly discover the how through science. Doesn't this make the most sense? (unless of course you don't believe in the Bible at all)

Particular interpretations of the Genesis account of creation require that God created the world out of nothing some 6000 years ago. These interpretations of Genesis also include a belief of a worldwide flood some 4400 years ago or so (around the time the great pyramids were being built in Egypt, by the way). They also take great stock in the idea that man was created in God's image, and take insult that man can have evolved from ape (note that the apes we evolved from aren't modern-day apes, but rather other species that lived millions of years ago, and yes, we are still apes).

Because they have accepted this interpretation of Genesis into their core religion, they see any statement that the Genesis interpretation can be wrong as an affront to their religion, and fight against it.

 

[USincognito]

I've never understood the argument, personally. The way i've always seen it, the creation story gave the broad who, what, and why while we slowly discover the how through science. Doesn't this make the most sense? (unless of course you don't believe in the Bible at all)

Actually it makes more sense to people who don't believe the Bible at all than it does to some who ostensibly "believe every word of it." The Torah is a broad sweeping narrative of God's relationship with all, and later the Hebrew people covering a thousand years. The Gospels are memoirs primarily of the authors participation in three years of Jesus' ministry. Literalists can't understand the difference.

 

[Hydra009]

I've never understood the argument, personally. The way i've always seen it, the creation story gave the broad who, what, and why while we slowly discover the how through science. Doesn't this make the most sense? (unless of course you don't believe in the Bible at all)

The belief is that God created species fully formed during the 6 (literal, 24hr) days of creation. Thus, no evolution.

 

[shernren]

Creation and Evolution don't contradict each other. Certain folks' view of creation do contradict with "evolution", and the "evolution" they contradict with is often their own peculiar view of evolution, too.

Just don't let it get to you and you'll be fine.

 

[mark kennedy]

I've never understood the argument, personally. The way i've always seen it, the creation story gave the broad who, what, and why while we slowly discover the how through science. Doesn't this make the most sense? (unless of course you don't believe in the Bible at all)

You have to understand, there are two meanings of evolution that people want to blend together. There is the genuine article that defines evolution as the change of alleles in populations over time. Then there is the Single Common Ancestor Myth that is modern mysticism that believes that common ancestry transends all of natural history. Like the elementals of the ancient pagan gods in Babylon it ascribes to natural forces what is rightfully ascribed to the Creator.

Creationism is not contradicted, disproven or even effected by the Theory of Evolution. The orignially created kinds produced offspring that evolved down, literally, millions of lines of descent in the span of thousands, not millions of years. Creationism is actually one of the most radical scenerios for evolution around. Creationism is based on faith in the Scriptures being a faithfull historical account of God's wonderfull works in human history, evolution is about God's providence in nature. The two are perfectly compatable as science, history and theology. It is the myth of universal descent that is incompatable with the theory of evolution and the clear teaching of the Scriptures.

By the way, creation was only the beginning, God has been involved in human affairs all along and will continue to work in our midst.

Grace and peace,
Mark

 

[tocis]

I've never understood the argument, personally. The way i've always seen it, the creation story gave the broad who, what, and why while we slowly discover the how through science. Doesn't this make the most sense? (unless of course you don't believe in the Bible at all)

Creation (if we mean biblical creation) isn't at odds with evolution... just with science in general.
Lifeforms could easily be created and evolve after creation. Only if you say "evolution" and mean "all of science, especially everything about origins" can you say creation and evolution are at odds.

 

[c'mon sense]

You have to understand, there are two meanings of evolution that people want to blend together.

One of the meanings is made up, but never mind...

There is the genuine article that defines evolution as the change of alleles in populations over time.

That's the one NOT made up.

The orignially created kinds produced offspring that evolved down, literally, millions of lines of descent in the span of thousands, not millions of years.

THAT's the made-up one!
As to what the "kinds" are and why they evolved down millions of lines of descent, this is not useful for our salvation.

Creationism is actually one of the most radical scenerios for evolution around.

Now now! Crashing is the most radical way of taking off, too!

Creationism is based on faith.

No further questions.

Creationism actually, while it might or might not necessarily be at odds with evolution, is just an expression of human egocentrism that thinks itself at the center of creation. Since it cannot find conclusive evidence in the natural world to hold such an arrogant position, it seeks one outside of nature and calls it "God". The only reason the Theory of Evolution is attacked, is because it undermines the idea of "infinte worth" of a human being, that measure being the true measure of human arrogance.

 

[JohnR7]

Can anyone explain to me how Creation and Evolution are contradictory?

Evolution says that life happens all by itself. Creation says that in the beginning was God and all things proceed or come from God.

IF evolution was the way that God created, then evolution would be a creation theory or belief. It is the evolutionists who claim that evolution and creation is not the same. They do not want to associate with creationism because of the YEC creationists.

 

[c'mon sense]

It is the evolutionists who claim that evolution and creation is not the same. They do not want to associate with creationism because of the YEC creationists.

Well, actually that is not an accurate picture of this debate, John!

Creationism under any guise is not actually concerned with the natural world at all. It is concerned with one thing alone, the place humanity occupies in nature. Creationism is a philosophical position which seeks to oppose a certain brand of philosophies that can be derived from the Theory of Evolution. The Theory of Evolution is not concerned with its philosophical implications and its purpose is not to spawn new philosophies. If any such philosophies are developed by individuals, they have no bearing on the scientific truth itself, which, in itself, is not any more philosophical than abstract mathematical formulae.

Creationism is not an alternative theory to the Theory of Evolution. Creationism postulates the notion of "kinds" which's sole purpose is to keep the human lineage clear of all animal lineages, because its proponents either deem other beings as inferior or downright brutes or explain their existence in terms of their entertainment value for God-created humans. The interactions in nature are wholly interpreted by Creationism in the light of human existence: thus, the existence of death and bloodshed are considered consequences of "the fall" or of a divine curse after the first humans first disobeyed a divine command. All of nature and even God revolve around human existence. Ultimately, Creationism is a religiously derived enterprise with the sole purpose of preserving a religious dogma and not to actually further the knowledge about the world we live in.

The Theory of Evolution looks at natural evidence which it interprets in natural terms. Creation looks at nature and its phenomena and gives a mystical explanation to what it sees.

 

[Hydra009]

Evolution says that life happens all by itself. Creation says that in the beginning was God and all things proceed or come from God.

More precisely, evolution is a model explaining how species change through genetic mutation and selection pressures. And yes, all that is naturalistic. But you seem to be implying that evolution is atheistic, which is a tad misleading, since evolution does not posit or deny the existence of a god any more than any other scientific theory. One could attempt this exact same argument on any scientific theory, "Well, gravity says that things fall down by themselves. Creation says that all things come from God." (implying that gravity is atheistic and therefore wrong)

 

[Hydra009]

Ultimately, Creationism is a religiously derived enterprise with the sole purpose of preserving a religious dogma and not to actually further the knowledge about the world we live in.

The Theory of Evolution looks at natural evidence which it interprets in natural terms. Creation looks at nature and its phenomena and gives a mystical explanation to what it sees.

Right. This is very good point to remember.

 

[Dexx]

The main issue is that Bible says death entered the world through the sin of man. Many Christians intepret this particular "death" to mean that experienced by any and all animals. Now if man is the product of millions of years of survival of the fittest, then death and suffering have been around for a very long time.

The YEC theory goes that there was no animal death prior to the fall of Adam. Everything was vegetarian.