DOWLERS Quetion Number 1

[dowlers]

First of all I hope I am creating this thread in the right place!
I am new to Christian Forums because I wanted to question Christianity and here seemed like the best place to find answers.

I have many questions but I shall begin with this one in the hope to understand Christianity better. I do not count myself a Christian for there is too much holding me back....but I want to live a good life.

Question Number 1 is on creation and although this has been probably answered many times In other threads I wish to have straight, no nonsense answers from Christians who can help me become a believer!

Here it is....

"When God created the earth, it says God created the earth, sun, moon stars, life, everthing in 7 days but due to science, it has been proven that the earth has adapted over thousands of years. If Adam and Eve were the first people to walk the earth then how has science proved 'darwins theory' that humans have adapted from apes? Also how could anyone know the names of who walked the earth???"

Someone please help me find answers for I sooo want to believe in Christianity!

 

[Bushido216]

The Bible passages you're referring to are from Genesis. There are many ways to view the Bible, and a strict, literal interpretation is just one of many. By viewing Genesis so literally and assuming from it that the world is only 6,000 years old means you miss the important messages of Genesis, for instance that God intended monogamy, that God's power is absolute, that we are fallen, and other important messages. You do not have to accept the literal reading of Genesis in order to be a Christian.

 

[dowlers]

How do most Christians explain our existence if we do not accept the Book of Genesis Literally?

 

[corvus_corax]

How do most Christians explain our existence if we do not accept the Book of Genesis Literally?

Check out post #32 (second one down) on THIS thread (and the link as well for the full article)
This may help

 

[Bushido216]

How do most Christians explain our existence if we do not accept the Book of Genesis Literally?

Accepted science. The Bible isn't a science text, and I wouldn't look to it for explainations of matters outside the realms of theology.

 

[Vance]

Here is a really good explanation of how a very large group of Christians believe on this point, which answers your question completely:

http://www.christianforums.com/t1133651-what-is-theistic-evolution-an-explanation.html

Also the article linked above on Evolutionary Creation is very good.

 

[DJ_Ghost]

How do most Christians explain our existence if we do not accept the Book of Genesis Literally?

We explain it the same way science does. Big bang--->abiogenesis---->evolution. The primary difference is that we accept that God planned it that way and atheists don’t think their is a God involved at all.

We consider Genesis to be allegorical, which makes a lot of sense when you realise that eh ancient civilisations that wrote genesis tended to read important things as allegories and not literally.

Obviously when I say “We” I mean the majority of Christians, who are what we call “theistic evolutionists”. There are still creationists around, and with the advent of ID they are increasing in number. However, despite what they tell you, creationists of any flavour are still a minority of Christians.

Ghost

 

[Lilandra]

another theory in the dustbin of discarded theories.

Seriously welcome to the board. There are a number of smart people here to answer your questions

First of all I hope I am creating this thread in the right place!
I am new to Christian Forums because I wanted to question Christianity and here seemed like the best place to find answers.

I have many questions but I shall begin with this one in the hope to understand Christianity better. I do not count myself a Christian for there is too much holding me back....but I want to live a good life.

Question Number 1 is on creation and although this has been probably answered many times In other threads I wish to have straight, no nonsense answers from Christians who can help me become a believer!

Here it is....

"When God created the earth, it says God created the earth, sun, moon stars, life, everthing in 7 days but due to science, it has been proven that the earth has adapted over thousands of years. If Adam and Eve were the first people to walk the earth then how has science proved 'darwins theory' that humans have adapted from apes? Also how could anyone know the names of who walked the earth???"

Someone please help me find answers for I sooo want to believe in Christianity!

 

[Late_Cretaceous]

How do most Christians explain our existence if we do not accept the Book of Genesis Literally?

Actually, a lot of material in the bible was never ment to be taken literally. The bible is full of symbolism (the real meanings of some have been lost in translation), imagery and metaphore. I honestly think that anyone who insists on literal interpretations of many biblical stories are missing the point.

Like many things in life, there are deeper meanings then what meets the eye at the surface.

 

[h2whoa]

First of all I hope I am creating this thread in the right place!
I am new to Christian Forums because I wanted to question Christianity and here seemed like the best place to find answers.

<snipped text>

Someone please help me find answers for I sooo want to believe in Christianity!

Hi Dowlers, really nice to meet you.

If you look under my name on this post you'll see my little user title. That's right. It is possible to be a Christian and yet not disregard science.

The important thing, in my opinion, is that Truth is essentially what we are seeking in our walk with God. I see the Truth as acknowledging the spiritual aspects of life which as what the Bible helps us with, as well as the truth about God's creation. Which involves science as part of.

h2

 

[h2whoa]

I would say that there are some basic points to understand.

1. Evolution is not synonymous with atheism. A large number of theists from all religions, and outside the US the large majority of even Christians, do not have a problem reconciling evolution with their faith.
2. Science is not trying to disprove theism. Granted, there are militant atheists in science just as there are in all walks of life. But this does not mean anything. Pure science, pure research is not political in its aims. We scientists are just looking at things to see how it all works. Being a Christian myself, I just see scientific study an attempt to appreciate the intricacy of God's creation.
3. Creationism vs. evolution is not a salvation issue. If you acknowledge Jesus and His sacrifice and try to develop your relationship with God, that makes you a Christian. In spiritual terms it doesn't matter whether literalism of Genesis is correct or not.
4. Scientific theory is not the same as more common usage of the word "theory". In science a theory is the unifying notion behind a collection of facts, data and evidence. A theory should be moulded by the evidence, not the evidence by the theory.
5. Evolution does have a lot of supporting evidence. This comes from a wide range of the sciences each supporting each other. Genetic analysis, fossil records and so on all keep strengthening the argument independently.
6. A gap in knowledge does not mean there is no knowledge to be had. If we knew it all, then I'd be out of a job for starters. But to deny that the whole of evolution is false because there are still things we're trying to work out is like denying that there's a jigsaw in front of you because one of the pieces has fallen on the floor.
7. The Theory of Evolution (ToE) concerns... Evolution. Nothing else. Commonly seen attacks on ToE involve attacking the Big Bang, attacking the theories behind how the first self replicating molecules came into existance. These are not dealt with by ToE (they are the Big Bang Theory and Abiogenesis, respectively).
8. There is not a mass exodus away from the ToE in the scientific community. There is no real debate in the scientific world about whether evolution occurs, just the how of it. There are no scientists who have truthfully turned to creationism for non-emotional, non-religious well backed up empirical reasons.

I think that they're the major points I wanted to cover.


h2