Can you be Christian and believe in evolution?

[Reasonably Sane]

Great

Oh, it's great. but it's also boring.

 

[Reasonably Sane]

I suggest this is a tad misleading. Let's take dark matter. The hypothesized existence of dark matter explains phenomena that will otherwise have no explanation, at least yet. So, yes, we do not detect dark matter directly, but it is a very reasonable hypothesis in that it makes predictions that are consistent with the facts. So I think it's rather unfair to call it "faith" .

Is it "faith" to believe in black holes? I'm no expert, but I believe that the evidence for their existence is all indirect, and yet very compelling.

Yeah. Kinda like believing there is a creator.

 

[truthpls]

Are you afraid of links or something?

1This is the written account of Adam’s family line.

When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. 2He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind” a when they were created.

3When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. 4After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 5Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.

6When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father b of Enosh. 7After he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8Altogether, Seth lived a total of 912 years, and then he died.

9When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. 10After he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11Altogether, Enosh lived a total of 905 years, and then he died.

12When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. 13After he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14Altogether, Kenan lived a total of 910 years, and then he died.

------

1This is the genealogy of men in the day in which God made Adam; in the image of God he made him: 2male and female he made them, and blessed them; and he called his name Adam, in the day in which he made them.

3And Adam lived two hundred and thirty years, and begot a son after his own form, and after his own image, and he called his name Seth. 4And the days of Adam, which he lived after his begetting Seth, were seven hundred years; and he begot sons and daughters. 5And all the days of Adam which he lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.

6Now Seth lived two hundred and five years, and begot Enos. 7And Seth lived after his begetting Enos, seven hundred and seven years, and he begot sons and daughters. 8And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.

9And Enos lived an hundred and ninety years, and begot Cainan. 10And Enos lived after his begetting Cainan, seven hundred and fifteen years, and he begot sons and daughters. 11And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years, and he died.

12And Cainan lived an hundred and seventy years, and he begot Maleleel. 13And Cainan lived after his begetting Maleleel, seven hundred and forty years, and he begot sons and daughters. 14And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died.


Etc.

Great, so your point is?

 

[truthpls]

I want to know whether you believe the historic Christian doctrine that God is the creator of all that is, seen and unseen.

That refers to Genesis. Yes.

You sound like you believe that unless God formed a human out of the dirt in a single day, he didn't create him.

Correct. Not the way He claimed.

 

[truthpls]

The Law had a literal commandment about how to literally treat literal oxen. What Paul says is, "Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Or does he not speak entirely for our sake?" -- and then throws out the literal meaning of the commandment in favor of an allegorical meaning. Presumably you think Paul was a nonbeliever, too.

Applying something from a farm to believers is fine. Now if Paul said 'there are no oxen, no Adam and no Eve, well that would be different

 

[truthpls]

Oh, it's great. but it's also boring.

Better to agree than waste time arguing over nothing

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Its a joke if you believe that everything evolved from a single cell organism instead of God creating it.

To "believe" in evolution doesn't mean I have to assume that life on earth began all by its little self.

 

[Platte]

To "believe" in evolution doesn't mean I have to assume that life on earth began all by its little self.

Perhaps not, but you do have to believe that all species descended from a common ancestor.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Perhaps not, but you do have to believe that all species descended from a common ancestor.

I don't 'have' to believe in anything, but I do choose to look at and assess the evidence for evolution. If, on the other hand, you don't wish to do so, no one is going to force you to. You're free to read the first chapters of Genesis in a woodenly literal fashion is you like.

 

[Platte]

I don't 'have' to believe in anything, but I do choose to look at and assess the evidence for evolution. If, on the other hand, you don't wish to do so, no one is going to force you to. You're free to read the first chapters of Genesis in a woodenly literal fashion is you like.

The point was you think it is ok as a Christian to believe that we all evolved from a common ancestor. No conflict despite what the Bible says. You can believe anything you want and still be a Christian is what I’m hearing.
Sounds like something a non Christian would say. The way is narrow my friend.

 

[trophy33]

Great, so your point is?

I gave you want you wanted - examples - because you were unwilling/unable to check the links. I do not know what was your point why you wanted them. I only asked if you are even aware that the Genesis genealogies are different in different textual families, did you forget again?

 

[truthpls]

I gave you want you wanted - examples - because you were unwilling/unable to check the links. I do not know what was your point why you wanted them. I only asked if you are even aware that the Genesis genealogies are different in different textual families, did you forget again?

Examples of what? What do all those verses say in your mind that you offer them?

 

[sfs]

Applying something from a farm to believers is fine.

He's not just applying it. He's saying that it did not apply to the farm -- the commandment is solely there for application to believers. He rejects the literal meaning.

Your refusal to apply your own method of reading scripture to this passage makes it clear that it isn't the principle that's important to you: it's more important that you maintain evolution as a marker that separates the good guys (your team) from the bad guys (the other team). Any concession of common ground might raise the possibility that you're talking to fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who disagree with you about something, and that's just too threatening to your identity.

 

[sfs]

That refers to Genesis. Yes.

So no, you don't believe that God created you -- he created your ancestors. You could have just said so earlier.

 

[trophy33]

Examples of what? What do all those verses say in your mind that you offer them?

It seems you have some problems with memory, so I will not continue in this. You can read the posts that led here, if you want to know examples of what you wanted.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

The point was you think it is ok as a Christian to believe that we all evolved from a common ancestor. No conflict despite what the Bible says. You can believe anything you want and still be a Christian is what I’m hearing.
Sounds like something a non Christian would say. The way is narrow my friend.

I didn't say it's "ok" to believe in evolution. I simply indicated that I "believe" that evolution is a real thing. I'm very well aware there is an apparent conflict between this and the Genesis narrative and have for most of my life.

What you should be hearing (and understanding) from me is that I'm saying a person, like myself, can be a Christian even though I've had to work through my understanding of evolution in order to do so.

And you're correct: the way is narrow, especially when we're speaking about justified true beliefs. My point here is that I think you should give those of us who "barely believe" a break and just be thankful that we are able to also believe that Jesus Christ lived, died and rose again. It would be the gracious and charitable thing to do.

 

[dogs4thewin]

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