What Does Theistic Evolution Mean?

[Kahalachan]

Does it mean God guided evolution?

Or does it mean that you believe in a God and naturalistic evolution without supernatural interference?

 

[joey444]

God guided evolution.

 

[dawiyd]

I lean more towards the latter

 

[Kahalachan]

Uh Oh....split decision. *waits for a larger consensus*

 

[Edx]

I'd say it can be both depending on the person.

 

[JohnR7]

Does it mean God guided evolution?

Or does it mean that you believe in a God and naturalistic evolution without supernatural interference?

It does not mean anything, there is no connection. It just means the person is a theist (or deist) and they are a evolutionist.

If it had the meaning you suggest, then that would make them a creationist.

 

[rambot]

yeah...the prof's at my Xtian university (in the Sciences) all thought that Theistic Evolution is basically:
A belief structured on the idea that God and Evolution somehow interacted to make the world we're in now.
But that can mean any number of things:
- That all the animals but humans evolved
- That God created the speck of life in the sludge billions of years ago
- That God created a simple world
....anything that incorporates the two is basically theistic evolution.

oh yes, and don't worry about John.

 

[JohnR7]

oh yes, and don't worry about John.

Yes, John was just going by a survey we took on this forum.
So by all means don't pay any attention to what the majority of the people on this forum believe.

You guys keep it up and John may not be around any longer not to pay any attention to.
We took a survey on that also and half the people wanted me to leave and half the people wanted me to stay.

 

[troodon]

Does it mean God guided evolution?

Or does it mean that you believe in a God and naturalistic evolution without supernatural interference?

The way I use it, it can mean either. It just means that evolution has occured on this planet and God also exists. The two aren't necessarily connected, but if an individual thinks they are then the term still fits.

 

[BVZ]

Heres my personal view:

God created everything. God created nature. Evolution is part of nature, so God created evolution. God created evolution in exactly the same way he created gravity.

 

[Edx]

It does not mean anything, there is no connection. It just means the person is a theist (or deist) and they are a evolutionist.

If it had the meaning you suggest, then that would make them a creationist.

You can be a TE and believe God guided evolution. What makes you a Creationist is believing that science is wrong.

 

[Alchemist]

Hi Kalahachan,

I think troodon is about right; basically, just that there is a God, and that evolution happened, so it covers quite a few different beliefs.

That said, its not the greatest label; it gives the impression to some that we a priori assume evolution is true, and measure everything by it, which is false. Generally speaking, theistic evolutionists believe as they do just because they think studies of a God-created universe and God-created faith shouldn't conflict, accepting evolution only for they believe it to be the best scientific explanation for the facts at hand.

In other words, most theistic evolutionists would accept any scientific model would sufficiently explain emperical observations of natural phenomena, and, likely, any data which proved their religious beliefs to be unfounded. I think its the latter part which is the cornerstone of our unfortunate division with creationists.

Peace,
Nick

 

[Hydra009]

It just means the person is a theist (or deist)

Deism is a type of theism, so that's kind of redundant.

 

[Hydra009]

The way I use it, it can mean either. It just means that evolution has occured on this planet and God also exists. The two aren't necessarily connected, but if an individual thinks they are then the term still fits.

Exactly. Similarly, one could be a theistic gravitationalist if one believed that objects fall due to the natural force of gravity which God set up or due to God himself pushing atoms towards each other. It doesn't matter whether it is indirectly or directly attributable to God.

Also, Alchemist has a good post clearing up some misconceptions of the term.

 

[Kahalachan]

Ok thanks for the responses. I see no reason to change my profile.

For a minute, I was thinking theistic evolutiom meant God had to guide evolution for it to work.

 

[shernren]

No, it normally turns out to mean someone who doesn't think evolution squeezes God out of existence. While we're at it, I've called myself a creationist every once in a while: I believe that God created the heaven and the earth. So labels are only useful to a point.

 

[coyoteBR]

Yep, there are lots of views under TE

I, fpor instance, believe God Is the Creator of the Laws of Nature in the most ample Cosmic scale you can think of, and Created the scenario for such Laws to work, allowing this little blue ball in a corner of the universe to bring forth the miracle of life.