Theistic Evolution ~ is it compatible with orthodox teaching & doctrine? .

ProScribe · Nov 5, 2010

Macarius · Nov 5, 2010

I believe so, yes. But I am in the minority here in that regard.

Ortho_Cat · Nov 5, 2010

Evolution - OrthodoxWiki
Getting this thread to 5 pages should be fun...

Michael G · Nov 5, 2010

ortho_cat said:
Evolution - OrthodoxWiki
Getting this thread to 5 pages should be fun...

SLOW start!

Nick T · Nov 5, 2010

Macarius said:
I believe so, yes.

So do I

Michael G · Nov 5, 2010

Macarius said:
I believe so, yes. But I am in the minority here in that regard.

I believe so as well!

Etsi · Nov 5, 2010

Micro or Macro evolution?

laconicstudent · Nov 5, 2010

My prediction is that this thread will balloon out to a few score pages, become heated, and eventually locked with a:

"Mod hat on.

There have been FAR too many reports. This thread will remain closed.

Mod hat off."

Ortho_Cat · Nov 5, 2010

Etsi said:
Micro or Macro evolution?

What is macro-evolution, if not but a series of micro-evolutions?

BTW, I put a related thread here the other day if anyone is interested in voting, I'd appreciate it!

http://www.christianforums.com/t7510957/

Michael G · Nov 5, 2010

ortho_cat said:
What is macro-evolution, if not but a series of micro-evolutions?

Let us get existential in our discussion of evolution!!!

Ortho_Cat · Nov 5, 2010

Michael the Iconographer said:
Let us get existential in our discussion of evolution!!!

I figure that's the only way we'll make it to 5 pages...

Michael G · Nov 5, 2010

ortho_cat said:
I figure that's the only way we'll make it to 5 pages...

My parish priest goes very hardline that the book of Genesis is the EXACT history of the earth. I personally think he is wrong.

Photini · Nov 5, 2010

Macarius said:
I believe so, yes. But I am in the minority here in that regard.

I believe so too.

Etsi · Nov 5, 2010

ortho_cat said:
What is macro-evolution, if not but a series of micro-evolutions?

BTW, I put a related thread here the other day if anyone is interested in voting, I'd appreciate it!

http://www.christianforums.com/t7510957/

There is no evidence of micro evolution causing a jump in species. A dog is still a dog...it never becomes something else. Evolution is degenerative, always with a loss of information, never new information.

MKJ · Nov 5, 2010

Etsi said:
There is no evidence of micro evolution causing a jump in species. A dog is still a dog...it never becomes something else. Evolution is degenerative, always with a loss of information, never new information.

What makes you say that? What do you mean by new information? What do you mean by species?

Personally, I think the idea of species is a useful fiction, but that it has little objective reality.

Etsi · Nov 5, 2010

Species = a dog, a cat, a human. We did not come from monkeys, monkeys will never become men.

Changes within a species are proven due to a loss of genetic information. Pigs don't, nor will they ever, grow wings, for example.

jckstraw72 · Nov 5, 2010

i believe TE is absolutely NOT compatible with Orthodoxy. the Fathers are clear that Genesis is historical, and more importantly, God does not desire the death of anything living as the Book of Wisdom tells us. That obviously then rules out the possibility of God creating via a process that inherently includes suffering and death. Even St. Paul affirms that the creation was subject to vanity by our sins, not that it was created this way.

Knee V · Nov 5, 2010

My stance is that the information that we know about the workings of the material world is based on what we have observed. And what we have observed is a small fraction of what has actually existed. We are only able to see a very small bit of our universe, and we have a small sample ("small" relative to the actual number of organisms that have existed throughout history) of which life-forms have been on this planet. So since we are able to observe so small a sample of the universe/earth, I see no reason to make any kind of dogmatic claim as to how the history of the universe/earth/life unfolded.

What I will say is that the universe is here, and the Scriptures and the Church tell us what it means.

Is that compatible with TE? For the above-mentioned reasons, I believe that it is unwise for one to say "I believe in TE", just as I believe that it is unwise for one to say "I believe in YEC", or "OEC" or whatever.

Michael G · Nov 5, 2010

jckstraw72 said:
i believe TE is absolutely NOT compatible with Orthodoxy. the Fathers are clear that Genesis is historical, and more importantly, God does not desire the death of anything living as the Book of Wisdom tells us. That obviously then rules out the possibility of God creating via a process that inherently includes suffering and death. Even St. Paul affirms that the creation was subject to vanity by our sins, not that it was created this way.

Then what happened to the Brontosaurus and the T-Rex?

Knee V · Nov 5, 2010

Michael the Iconographer said:
Then what happened to the Brontosaurus and the T-Rex?

Not to nit-pick, my friend, but it is my understanding that the Brontosaurus never actually existed. It would be the Brachiosaurus.

Theistic Evolution ~ is it compatible with orthodox teaching & doctrine? .

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