Why I do not accept evolution part one

[Aussie Pete]

I'll address this as a Christian, primarily directed to Christians.
The theory of evolution is in direct opposition to what the Bible has to say about where life came from. I've heard different arguments from those who accept evolution as true. I understand this to be the official position of the Roman Catholic organisation.
From a Christian perspective, I am perplexed. How is it possible for a believer to reject God's word when it is so clear?

There is nothing in the Genesis account to suggest that life evolved. The opposite. I'll not quote scripture - most readers know where to find the account. Suffice to say that the Bible states that God created everything.

The Christian who rejects the Genesis account does not call God a liar. He/she makes it out to be a myth, a parable or a metaphor. Lord Jesus did not think so. In Matthew 19:4, He declares that God created man male and female. Since Lord Jesus is the Creator, it makes sense to accept His declaration.

Another problem I have is that of sin. If God dropped a blob of protoplasm into the primordial soup, which was already alive, then it is going to develop according to whatever genetic coding was introduced at the time.

How does that work? Did God just drop the blob and wander off to listen to the angel choirs and ignore the blob? Then, "Oh look. A man has evolved. Look at that! There is a female version!" How did this being gain a soul? How did he get a spirit? How did both male and female gain these attributes? Why did other animals not get them?

At what point did a man sin? How can he even be accused of sin? Since he has no knowledge of God (that's a problem with a bunch of cells that somehow form a highly complex life form), how does he know what the rules are?

Some say that God took this one being aside and inserted a soul and a spirit. Did God do this for every human being? It still does not answer the issue of sin. If one of these evolved beings sins, why should that effect every other human being who has ever lived? If this being evolved, how can the Bible say that man was created in God's image?

No, I do not buy theistic evolution. I do not claim to understand everything in God's word. I will say that if the world argues against the Bible, I stand by God's word every time.

 

[46AND2]

If one of these evolved beings sins, why should that effect every other human being who has ever lived?

Yes. Very curious...

 

[SkyWriting]

I'll address this as a Christian, primarily directed to Christians. The theory of evolution is in direct opposition to what the Bible has to say about where life came from. I've heard different arguments from those who accept evolution as true. I understand this to be the official position of the Roman Catholic organisation. From a Christian perspective, I am perplexed. How is it possible for a believer to reject God's word when it is so clear?

I know how you feel. I felt that way myself for years. When I did the research
what I found was that the words for creation are defined as a long process.
Check for "Poof" creation. Check anywhere in the bible anywhere for "poof".
I checked. It's missing.

Now, if you want to grumble about "random life forming" that's a good complaint. Life doesn't just FORM out of chemicals, naturally. It never has. People have tried it.

 

[SkyWriting]

The Christian who rejects the Genesis account does not call God a liar. He/she makes it out to be a myth, a parable or a metaphor.

Genesis describes the natural world ok.

 

[Speedwell]

I know how you feel. I felt that way myself for years. When I did the research
what I found was that the words for creation are defined as a long process.
Check for "Poof" creation. Check anywhere in the bible anywhere for "poof".
I checked. It's missing.

Now, if you want to grumble about "random life forming" that's a good complaint. Life doesn't just FORM out of chemicals, naturally. It never has. People have tried it.

I hope you're not talking about the Miller-Urey experiment. The truth is, we don't know if life can form naturally. but if it did, I ask you who created nature?

 

[Lybrah]

I'll address this as a Christian, primarily directed to Christians.
The theory of evolution is in direct opposition to what the Bible has to say about where life came from. I've heard different arguments from those who accept evolution as true. I understand this to be the official position of the Roman Catholic organisation.
From a Christian perspective, I am perplexed. How is it possible for a believer to reject God's word when it is so clear?

There is nothing in the Genesis account to suggest that life evolved. The opposite. I'll not quote scripture - most readers know where to find the account. Suffice to say that the Bible states that God created everything.

The Christian who rejects the Genesis account does not call God a liar. He/she makes it out to be a myth, a parable or a metaphor. Lord Jesus did not think so. In Matthew 19:4, He declares that God created man male and female. Since Lord Jesus is the Creator, it makes sense to accept His declaration.

Another problem I have is that of sin. If God dropped a blob of protoplasm into the primordial soup, which was already alive, then it is going to develop according to whatever genetic coding was introduced at the time.

How does that work? Did God just drop the blob and wander off to listen to the angel choirs and ignore the blob? Then, "Oh look. A man has evolved. Look at that! There is a female version!" How did this being gain a soul? How did he get a spirit? How did both male and female gain these attributes? Why did other animals not get them?

At what point did a man sin? How can he even be accused of sin? Since he has no knowledge of God (that's a problem with a bunch of cells that somehow form a highly complex life form), how does he know what the rules are?

Some say that God took this one being aside and inserted a soul and a spirit. Did God do this for every human being? It still does not answer the issue of sin. If one of these evolved beings sins, why should that effect every other human being who has ever lived? If this being evolved, how can the Bible say that man was created in God's image?

No, I do not buy theistic evolution. I do not claim to understand everything in God's word. I will say that if the world argues against the Bible, I stand by God's word every time.

My problem with evolution was this: It will be hard to explain. Here is an example:

So they say that a certain type of animal is living in the sea millions of years ago and during the course of several millennia, crawls onto the land and develops legs. Okay, so this has been bugging me for years, at a time I still believed in Evolution. So did the initial animal live its life in the water, then gradually, its descendants also lived in the sea but swam near the surface, and then their descendants lived in the sea as well but suddenly swam and stuck their heads out of the water, then over time, their descendants start getting these little bumps on their bottoms, then their Descendents, with the bumps getting longer, starting swimming but hung out along the waterline/beach/where the waves crash area, then their Descendents (the bumps are now legs), start walking about on land.

So if a creature develops an extra finger, from the time the ancestor had four fingers, to the time the current creature has 5 (in between the millennia it took to develop that finger--the creatures in the in-between period had a little bump, then a half finger, and so on?)

 

[Lybrah]

I know how you feel. I felt that way myself for years. When I did the research
what I found was that the words for creation are defined as a long process.
Check for "Poof" creation. Check anywhere in the bible anywhere for "poof".
I checked. It's missing.

Now, if you want to grumble about "random life forming" that's a good complaint. Life doesn't just FORM out of chemicals, naturally. It never has. People have tried it.

the "Poof" is "Let there be light." "Let there be water."

I assume that the poof could have lasted billions of years, but then God is outside of time.

 

[SkyWriting]

the "Poof" is "Let there be light." "Let there be water."

I assume that the poof could have lasted billions of years, but then God is outside of time.

I always claim that about time. But click on the words below and look for "poof!" or "Long periods of time" and see which fits better.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

 

[Speedwell]

My problem with evolution was this: It will be hard to explain. Here is an example:

So they say that a certain type of animal is living in the sea millions of years ago and during the course of several millennia, crawls onto the land and develops legs. Okay, so this has been bugging me for years, at a time I still believed in Evolution. So did the initial animal live its life in the water, then gradually, its descendants also lived in the sea but swam near the surface, and then their descendants lived in the sea as well but suddenly swam and stuck their heads out of the water, then over time, their descendants start getting these little bumps on their bottoms, then their Descendents, with the bumps getting longer, starting swimming but hung out along the waterline/beach/where the waves crash area, then their Descendents (the bumps are now legs), start walking about on land.

So if a creature develops an extra finger, from the time the ancestor had four fingers, to the time the current creature has 5 (in between the millennia it took to develop that finger--the creatures in the in-between period had a little bump, then a half finger, and so on?)

Well, you appear to have explained something, but it certainly isn't evolution.

 

[SkyWriting]

I hope you're not talking about the Miller-Urey experiment. The truth is, we don't know if life can form naturally. but if it did, I ask you who created nature?

Oh I know God is responsible for holding each atom together.

What atomic force becomes stronger the farther you are away from it?

That is proof of the supernatural all by itself.
Try this on.....the sun feels hotter the farther you are from it.
Me crazy, right?

Colossians 1:17
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

 

[Speedwell]

Oh I know God is responsible for holding each atom together.

What atomic force becomes stronger the farther you are away from it?

That is proof of the supernatural all by itself.
Try this on.....the sun feels hotter the farther you are from it.
Me crazy, right?

And complex organic chemicals form, not "at random" but strictly according to physical laws.

 

[pitabread]

There is nothing in the Genesis account to suggest that life evolved. The opposite. I'll not quote scripture - most readers know where to find the account. Suffice to say that the Bible states that God created everything.

While the Bible certainly says that God created everything, it leaves out *how* God created everything.

And this is what I find so perplexing about creationism:

Creationists cannot explain to me *how* God created the Earth's species, yet at the same time they insist that God couldn't have done it with evolution.

I don't get it. :/

 

[SkyWriting]

And complex organic chemicals form, not "at random" but strictly according to physical laws.

But, odly, there are no natural laws that proposes a tendency toward life.

 

[SkyWriting]

While the Bible certainly says that God created everything, it leaves out *how* God created everything.

And this is what I find so perplexing about creationism:

Creationists cannot explain to me *how* God made living things, yet at the same time they insist that God couldn't have done it with evolution.

I don't get it. :/

The theory requires random forces...so they are not compatible in that regard.
And so australian creationists cry "EVIL!"....Cruella de Vil!....Puppy killers!

 

[46AND2]

But, odly, there are no natural laws that proposes a tendency toward life.

To be clear, you are ok with god using natural mechanisms to change life, but not ok with him using natural mechanisms to start life? Correct?

 

[Occams Barber]

My problem with evolution was this: It will be hard to explain. Here is an example:

So they say that a certain type of animal is living in the sea millions of years ago and during the course of several millennia, crawls onto the land and develops legs. Okay, so this has been bugging me for years, at a time I still believed in Evolution. So did the initial animal live its life in the water, then gradually, its descendants also lived in the sea but swam near the surface, and then their descendants lived in the sea as well but suddenly swam and stuck their heads out of the water, then over time, their descendants start getting these little bumps on their bottoms, then their Descendents, with the bumps getting longer, starting swimming but hung out along the waterline/beach/where the waves crash area, then their Descendents (the bumps are now legs), start walking about on land.

So if a creature develops an extra finger, from the time the ancestor had four fingers, to the time the current creature has 5 (in between the millennia it took to develop that finger--the creatures in the in-between period had a little bump, then a half finger, and so on?)

The link below takes you to part of the Berkely (UCLA) series on Evolution. It focuses on the shift from water to land - particularly the development of limbs and lungs. The article includes a couple of examples of modern fish type animals which still have 'in-between' characteristics.

The article is short and written in non-technical language.

From water to land

OB

 

[Aussie Pete]

While the Bible certainly says that God created everything, it leaves out *how* God created everything.

And this is what I find so perplexing about creationism:

Creationists cannot explain to me *how* God created the Earth's species, yet at the same time they insist that God couldn't have done it with evolution.

I don't get it. :/

That's the problem with human intellect. We do not know or understand everything and neither is it necessary. I do not say that God could not have done it with evolution. God can do what He likes, how He likes, when He likes.

What I am saying is that God's word is clear on the issue. Man was created at a particular point in time, complete and in God's image. There is no way that you can infer evolution from the Bible account in Genesis. Jesus Himself said that God made Adam and Eve. When? "From the beginning". That is not compatible with millions/billions of years of evolution.

Personally I subscribe to the "gap" theory which is not popular with a lot of Creationists. It answers a lot of questions but raises more.

How did God create everything? According to Hebrews, as no doubt you know, God commanded everything visible to come into being. It's interesting that it says "out of what is not visible". Is that "dark matter?" It's plausible.

 

[GospelS]

From a Christian perspective, I am perplexed.

Me too, perplexed. But I kinda know why. Too much cerebral knowledge is dangerous. It suppresses the supernatural truths. It is correct. We should become like a child to see such things as God reveals them only to a child.

 

[Aussie Pete]

The theory requires random forces...so they are not compatible in that regard.
And so australian creationists cry "EVIL!"....Cruella de Vil!....Puppy killers!

Oh please. We are far worse than that. Consider us the Daleks of the intellectual world.

 

[Aussie Pete]

To be clear, you are ok with god using natural mechanisms to change life, but not ok with him using natural mechanisms to start life? Correct?

I am ok with adaptation within a species. It fits entirely with the Bible's narrative. I am not ok with macro evolution. I've done "part one" which is addressed primarily to theistic evolutionists. I'll do part two some time in the near future. The Coronavirus has given me a good deal of spare time............