Just for final clarification yes, we evolved from monkeys.

[mmksparbud]

That is, they do not understand the Scriptures spiritually, ascetically, allegorically, poetically, but only literally.

That is hogwash!! You can not understand the bible unless you look at it in all ways---including literally and prophetically where it applies. Book of Solomon, prime example.

 

[joshua 1 9]

There are approximately 20,000 species of butterflies in the world, why did God make so many?

God creates a lot of variation within a species so they can adapt to their environment. Even a species can leave one ecosystem and become a part of another biodiverse ecosystem because variation gives them the ability to be able to adapt.

 

[joshua 1 9]

That's another silly thing---evolution takes place in population, not individuals. Well, heck---what does a population consist of but individuals? How can it take place in a population without it taking place in an individual???

Not all the individuals within a population have the same variations.

 

[joshua 1 9]

I wonder if Jesus and His disciples took all those fancy classes that teach what the Bible doesn't say, instead of what It does say?

They were all the time asking Him what the Bible does or does not.

 

[JonFromMinnesota]

That's another silly thing---evolution takes place in population, not individuals. Well, heck---what does a population consist of but individuals? How can it take place in a population without it taking place in an individual???

It means one species doesn't give birth to another species. That would falsify evolution. It takes place in populations over time. Let me offer an example.

You have a population of brown furred bears. Their environment now becomes snowy, but some of the offspring has a random genetic mutation that makes their fur white. This mutation puts them at an advantage when it comes to hunting food. The bears with the white fur survive to reproduce and pass this mutation onto their offspring. The brown furred bears either go extinct or they split off into a different environment. You now have an entire population of white furred bears. These changes happen over and over and over and over and over and over and over again throughout populations of species. That is how you end up with the diversity of life we see today.

 

[joshua 1 9]

random genetic mutation

The problem with the random genetic mutation theory is that over time genetic information is lost not added.

 

[JonFromMinnesota]

The problem with the random genetic mutation theory is that over time genetic information is lost not added.

LOL!
Please enroll in a biology course, Joshua.

 

[rjs330]

You just demonstrated that you don't understand how evolution works. Evolution takes place in populations, not individuals.

Lol then there was,no common ancestor!

 

[rjs330]

That's a lie, I never said any such thing. I said they didn't believe in your Bible doctrine, not the same thing at all.

Here is an interesting essay by Russian Orthodox Priest. See if you can find in it anything about your Bible doctrine.

"First of all, let us be clear. With the interpretation of the first chapters of the Book of Genesis, we are not talking about dogmas. If there are Christians who are happy to interpret those first chapters literally, then so be it. However, I think that they are a tiny minority among all Christians.

After all, the conflict between Darwin's theory of evolution and the literal interpretation of Genesis affected and affects above all Protestant societies, as in nineteenth century Britain or in the present-day United States. This is because Protestants lack a Patristic understanding of the Scriptures. That is, they do not understand the Scriptures spiritually, ascetically, allegorically, poetically, but only literally. We call such an understanding 'fundamentalist'. This explains why Darwin's theories have posed far fewer problems in both Roman Catholic and Orthodox societies than in Protestant societies."

http://orthodoxengland.org.uk/towardso.htm

Hold on. How is that a lie? If they don't believe in the doctrine of creation then they believe something other than what I believe. I just wanted to,know what they believe. You said they don't believe in the doctrine,of creation. I don't follow how that's a lie. Sorry.

And you know what? That quote proves what I have been saying all along. Evolution is the driving force behind why people like that guy don't believe in the scriptures as written. I understand all the things he mentioned and he's full of nonsense. If he can tell me that I don't understand scriptures then I can toss it right back.

 

[joshua 1 9]

LOL!
Please enroll in a biology course, Joshua.

And your qualifications are?

 

[Speedwell]

That's another silly thing---evolution takes place in population, not individuals. Well, heck---what does a population consist of but individuals? How can it take place in a population without it taking place in an individual???

What we were trying to clear up is the common creationist misapprehension that an individual creature can change during its lifetime to become something else.

 

[JonFromMinnesota]

Lol then there was,no common ancestor!

Do you understand the image you are looking at?

 

[Speedwell]

Hold on. How is that a lie? If they don't believe in the doctrine of creation then they believe something other than what I believe. I just wanted to,know what they believe. You said they don't believe in the doctrine,of creation. I don't follow how that's a lie. Sorry.

Do you find anything in that essay which indicates that the Russian Orthodox Church believes in literal inerrancy, perspicuity, self-interpretation or plenary verbal inspiration? Can you find it in any Russian Orthodox statement of belief?

And you know what? That quote proves what I have been saying all along. Evolution is the driving force behind why people like that guy don't believe in the scriptures as written. I understand all the things he mentioned and he's full of nonsense. If he can tell me that I don't understand scriptures then I can toss it right back.

Except that they haven't changed their Bible doctrine for close on 2000 years. Claiming they changed it on account of evolution really is nonsense. Like the good Father said, they didn't have to.

 

[joshua 1 9]

What we were trying to clear up is the common creationist misapprehension that an individual creature can change during its lifetime to become something else.

That is what happened with my first wife. She changed into something else other then the person I married.

 

[ScottA]

Pies are not a living system. I award you no points and an F in biology. You'll have to retake the class next semester.

The students have taken over the classroom - you have much to learn about pies!

 

[rjs330]

Do you understand the image you are looking at?

Maybe you can clarify for me. How does that image show a common ancestor?

 

[rjs330]

What we were trying to clear up is the common creationist misapprehension that an individual creature can change during its lifetime to become something else.

Us creationists follow along very well. We don't believe that an individual creature can change during its lifetime to become something else. We don't think evolution is some cartoonish metamorphosis or anything silly like that. We do not agree that we all came from a common ancestor. Because a common ancestor was 1 thing at 1 point in its life and slowly evolved into the millions or billions of things that have ever lived on this planet. We utterly reject that because God says he did not do it that way. He created all living things as what they are: a spider, a bird, a lizard, a monkey and a human. These creatures may "evolve" because of environment or a need to survive such as a bear "evolving" a white coat instead of a brown one or a fish developing a mechanism to live in a certain environment. But it was always a fish and the bear was always a bear from the beginning. It was never anything else and never will be anything else.

 

[rjs330]

That is what happened with my first wife. She changed into something else other then the person I married.

Now that's funny!

 

[Speedwell]

Us creationists follow along very well. We don't believe that an individual creature can change during its lifetime to become something else. We don't think evolution is some cartoonish metamorphosis or anything silly like that.

Just making sure; we've met some who do.

 

[rjs330]

Do you find anything in that essay which indicates that the Russian Orthodox Church believes in literal inerrancy, perspicuity, self-interpretation or plenary verbal inspiration? Can you find it in any Russian Orthodox statement of belief?

Except that they haven't changed their Bible doctrine for close on 2000 years. Claiming they changed it on account of evolution really is nonsense. Like the good Father said, they didn't have to.

Well you didn't answer my lie question, but never mind.

Umm... I don't think they've existed for 2000 years as a church. But that aside. It doesn't matter a wit what they believe. Their belief is wrong. There is no reason to disbelieve in the literal, inerrancy, perspicuity etc etc inspiration. All these words came about from by erroneous teaching. As soon as church doctrines started saying we believe in inspiration but not the inspiration of the text, then verbal inspiration was born as a description to counter that teaching. Then some churches said that not all parts of the bible were inspired and so verbal, plenary inspiration was became a description to counter that belief. Its all so ridiculous.

Like I have said, "what does the bible say." It says what it says, it's truthful in what it says and there is NO REASON to believe otherwise. If the Orthodox Russian Church wants to believe that Genesis is not literal, then they are entitled to believe that, but to do so they have to disbelieve what the bible says.