Why do Christians have trouble with accepting Evolution?

[KWCrazy]

No, I asked first, some 20 posts ago.

From post 144:
"In the space provided, please list all the passages in the Bible that agree with evolution. _ Write legibly."
Meaning: Nothing in the Bible agrees with evolution.
As Clothed in Grace said, "A Christian can certainly believe in evolution, but the real question is this: why would a Christian abandon the authority of Scripture in favor of theories from ungodly men?" If you have the truth, why would you believe that which you know to be false? Jesus clearly taught that from the beginning man and women were created to be one flesh (Matthew 19:4-6). This references Adam and Eve, not some plankton that manages to crawl from the ooze.
Christians can believe many things that are wrong. That doesn't give validation to what they believe. That merely shows a part of the Scriptures they reject.

 

[jargew]

Hi Kobbern,

I'm a Christian, and a scientist and really have no problem with evolution. Here are 3 thoughts that I hope will help you end any conflict you have with this issue, which really seems to be a major hurdle for Christians in the USA more so than other countries.

1. Some of the most loving and genuinely great Christians I have met are scientists who know evolution has happened and have given seminars about how science and faith are not really disconnected. Many other great and loving Christians I know do not believe in evolution.
My point here is that it's kind of irrelevant whether or not you believe in evolution. We know Christ died on the cross and we should be a light onto the world. In the end, whether or not evolution has taken place has no impact on our lives.

2.There have been amazing sermons and books written about how there's really no gap between science and faith. For example, Francis Collins wrote the "Language of Science and faith" from the perspective of someone who is a scientist and a Christian. The truth of the bible does not depend on whether or not evolution has happened.

3. You, me, and everyone else have full faith in scientists when it comes to medicine, radar, sonar, computers, satellites, oil discovery, nuclear power etc. etc etc.
However, when it comes to evolution people think all scientists from the fields of geology, physics and biology are wrong and a part of some sort of conspiracy. This is silly and juvenile.
When people have cancer they do not pretend to be experts, but instead ask doctors to help them. But when it comes to the age of the earth these same people think they are suddenly experts in the fields of biology, molecular biology, physics and geology.

4. We shouldn't put God in a Box and make claims like "If evolution is correct, the bible must be wrong".
In Galileo's time the church thought the earth was the center of the universe was the earth based on Psalm 93 which states the earth does not move. Galileo showed the Sun was the center of out galaxy and he said " I'm not trying to prove the bible wrong, it's just that your interpretation is wrong".

Christ died for our sins, God is real, God is love. These are the ultimate truths of the universe. Evolution in no way impacts these truths. Nor does anything else.

 

[Archivist]

From post 144:
"In the space provided, please list all the passages in the Bible that agree with evolution. _ Write legibly."
Meaning: Nothing in the Bible agrees with evolution.
As Clothed in Grace said, "A Christian can certainly believe in evolution, but the real question is this: why would a Christian abandon the authority of Scripture in favor of theories from ungodly men?" If you have the truth, why would you believe that which you know to be false? Jesus clearly taught that from the beginning man and women were created to be one flesh (Matthew 19:4-6). This references Adam and Eve, not some plankton that manages to crawl from the ooze.
Christians can believe many things that are wrong. That doesn't give validation to what they believe. That merely shows a part of the Scriptures they reject.

So if it does not matter, if "a Christian can certainly believe in evolution," then what is the problem?

 

[Extraneous]

So if it does not matter, if "a Christian can certainly believe in evolution," then what is the problem?

I believe it wars against our spirituality. Its the same way with politics as well, in my opinion. Those who follow the spirit set their minds on things of the spirit. Romans 8

 

[Optimax]

Gravity is also a theory.

Not so.

Gravity is a proven fact.

Without it reality would be we would all just float away.

 

[KWCrazy]

So if it does not matter, if "a Christian can certainly believe in evolution," then what is the problem?

The problem is not whether you believe falsely, but whether you teach falsely. I may believe that if I hold my breath I can float off a rooftop. That's different from teaching others that they can do so. If you believe differently from what the Scriptures teach then that's your failing. If you teach contrary to the Scriptures it's called heresy. Your faith in creation isn't what gets you into heaven, it's your faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and your acceptance of that sacrifice. Lot's of flawed, sinful people will make it to Heaven because of that sacrifice. That said, I have yet to see an evolution believer demonstrate by what criteria he decides which parts of the Bible to accept and which to reject. Their fallback position seems to be that "Science tells us..." However, the physical laws of the universe disallow all miracles; not just creation.

 

[Job8]

Evolution is an attempt to banish the supernatural and explain the world in naturalistic terms. It is rooted in fantasy since there is absolutely no objective proof, and even Darwin had to admit that.

On this doctrine of the extermination of an infinitude of connecting links, between the living and extinct inhabitants of the world, and at each successive period between the extinct and still older species, why is not every geological formation charged with such links? Why does not every collection of fossil remains afford plain evidence of the gradation and mutation of the forms of life? We meet with no such evidence, and this is the most obvious and forcible of the many objections which may be urged against my theory.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

I believe in some of the aspects of evolution... including life coming forth from the ground and water. Adam and Eve are the exception. God directly created these from the dirt. In fact if God had not formed Eve from the side of Adam could there have been a human race?

 

[pat34lee]

JoeP222, you are not supposed to cast aspersion on anyone's character, in this forum.

But it's so much easier to cast aspersions on him
than to deal with his arguments, most of which
cannot be refuted in reality.

 

[pat34lee]

Tell that to the nylon eating bacteria.

There is a world of difference between adaptation
and evolution.

 

[Hoghead1]

What is your evidence for your claims, Job8?

 

[Hoghead1]

It is a war, Extraneous, against YOUR interpretation of the Bible, true. But who says you are correct?

 

[Archivist]

Evolution is an attempt to banish the supernatural and explain the world in naturalistic terms. It is rooted in fantasy since there is absolutely no objective proof, and even Darwin had to admit that. "On this doctrine of the extermination of an infinitude of connecting links, between the living and extinct inhabitants of the world, and at each successive period between the extinct and still older species, why is not every geological formation charged with such links? Why does not every collection of fossil remains afford plain evidence of the gradation and mutation of the forms of life? We meet with no such evidence, and this is the most obvious and forcible of the many objections which may be urged against my theory."

It helps if you read things in context. What you quoted is not an admission of fantasy on Darwin's part as you claim. Darwin did not admit that there was no objective proof to back his theory. In the very next paragraph following the one you quoted he wrote "I can answer these questions and grave objections only on the supposition that the geological record is far more imperfect than most geologists believe. It cannot be objected that there has not been time sufficient for any amount of organic change; for the lapse of time has been so great as to be utterly inappreciable by the human intellect. The number of specimens in all our museums is absolutely as nothing compared with the countless generations of countless species which certainly have existed. We should not be able to recognise a species as the parent of any one or more species if we were to examine them ever so closely, unless we likewise possessed many of the intermediate links between their past or parent and present states; and these many links we could hardly ever expect to discover, owing to the imperfection of the geological record. Numerous existing doubtful forms could be named which are probably varieties; but who will pretend that in future ages so many fossil links will be discovered, that naturalists will be able to decide, on the common view, whether or not these doubtful forms are varieties?"

That record is now much more complete than it was in Darwin's time and, as he predicted, scientists now possess "many of the intermediate links between their past or parent and present states."

 

[Hoghead1]

You might want to take a look sometime, KW, at the writings of Teilhard de Chardin, who did believe that the Bible points to evolution. Also, you need to remember that in the Bible, God's definitive revelations occur in history, not nature. The Bible has very little, if any, interest in exploring nature.

 

[Archivist]

The problem is not whether you believe falsely, but whether you teach falsely. I may believe that if I hold my breath I can float off a rooftop. That's different from teaching others that they can do so. If you believe differently from what the Scriptures teach then that's your failing. If you teach contrary to the Scriptures it's called heresy. Your faith in creation isn't what gets you into heaven, it's your faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and your acceptance of that sacrifice. Lot's of flawed, sinful people will make it to Heaven because of that sacrifice. That said, I have yet to see an evolution believer demonstrate by what criteria he decides which parts of the Bible to accept and which to reject. Their fallback position seems to be that "Science tells us..." However, the physical laws of the universe disallow all miracles; not just creation.

Then since evolution is correct, I do not teach falsely.

 

[Job8]

"I can answer these questions and grave objections only on the supposition that the geological record is far more imperfect than most geologists believe.

Well there you go. Since the geological record provides no proof, that should have ended the matter. No "suppositions". As Darwin said "We meet with no such evidence,..."

 

[Hoghead1]

But the geological record does provide solid proof. Also, what is your reference for your supposed quote from Darwin?

 

[Archivist]

Well there you go. Since the geological record provides no proof, that should have ended the matter. No "suppositions". As Darwin said "We meet with no such evidence,..."

Please read my entire post. I clearly said "That record is now much more complete than it was in Darwin's time and, as he predicted, scientists now possess 'many of the intermediate links between their past or parent and present states.'"

Darwain was researching and writing over 150 years ago. Much has been found since. We have that evidence as he predicted we would.

 

[Hoghead1]

Who says they are ungodly men, ClothedinGrace? I think its extremely arrogant and out of line to get on this forum and then sit in judgment on others, casting aspersion on their character simply because you do not agree. Also, in Christianity, there is more than one understanding of what the authority of Scripture means. I and many others do not believe God ever intended Scripture to be an accurate geophysical witness. Many fellow Christians, including myself, believe in evolution because we have had solid scientific training and have carefully examined the massive evidence for ourselves. I find the basic reason why many Christians have trouble with evolution is because they believe that God is wholly immutable, the classical Christian model of God. God doesn't change and so neither does the universe or anything in it, including the species. However, this wholly immutable God is largely the product of Hellenic metaphysics, not Scripture. Since the 40's, theologians have been questioning the adequacy of the classical model of God.

 

[Hoghead1]

Divinely inspired as Scripture may be, KW, it is still the produce of a prescientific culture. It is just as much the work of the biblical writers as it is inspiration. The Bible is covered with human fingerprints. As my OT professor used to say, "The Bible is not the Word of God. The Bible is the Word of Man. The Word of God is revealed through the Word of Man."