Question for religious people

[Creativename]

1 Do you believe in evolution while having a religion that opposes it? Christianity for example

2 Do you ever think Science and Religion can coexist (Religion and science have been big "competitors" for ages)

 

[tamaw/pants]

YesYesYes *dances* I love these kinds of topics. Actually I'm reading a book that discusses this and I have been to a class and we discussed this too.

Three are three or four basic "models" of interaction, if you will, that a pretty basic. One is that religion and science are at war with eachother. Two is that they are in totally different spheres but should not be mixed. I think the other one is that they shout things back and forth but it's not "a war", really.

The fourth one is that religion and science can mix. I believe that science actually helps me believe more in Christ and that God created to world. We see how complex even the simplest cell is and then look at plants, animals and our selves and I honestly just don't have enough faith hold an athiestic, evolutionary view.

Please remember- Christianity is not "against" evolution. It depends on how you define it. I am a total Christian and believe in micro evolution- that much is evident. Natural selection, etc. But I don't believe that we all came from primordial soup and that we were designed.

If you want a good read about this kind of stuff and design, check out the book "A Case for a Creator". It's written by a guy who was aitheist and a firm evolutionist but when his wife became a Christian tried to prove it was all wrong. He's no stupid either so I really suggest you read it even if you aren't Christian or an ID-er.

 

[Spring]

I think that everyone is entitled to what they believe in.

but...there are some religions that incorporate a great deal of science into the beliefs.

Wicca, for example. Wiccans worship the earth, the seasons of the earth.

Naturalism- the belief that all paranormal activity and such can be explained naturally. Naturalists tend to believe in Darwinism. (theory of evolution, origin of species, survival of the fittest.)

To answer the initial question, in some cases, religion and science already do coexist. But since Christianity is one of the most widespread religions, people tend to believe that they can't coexist.

Personally, I have a few beliefs, but I'm not quite sure where I stand in terms of the existence of God.

I don't mean to offend anyone's beliefs, that's just my opinion.

and I actually know a Methodist minister who firmly believes in evolution.

 

[tamaw/pants]

I think that everyone is entitled to what they believe in.but...there are some religions that incorporate a great deal of science into the beliefs.

Wicca, for example. Wiccans worship the earth, the seasons of the earth.

Naturalism- the belief that all paranormal activity and such can be explained naturally. Naturalists tend to believe in Darwinism. (theory of evolution, origin of species, survival of the fittest.)

To answer the initial question, in some cases, religion and science already do coexist. But since Christianity is one of the most widespread religions, people tend to believe that they can't coexist.

I'd like to comment on this.

I'm glad you brought that up [bolded]. You know I'm actually quite surprised, in a way from my point of view, that people think that Christianity and science don't mix- for me it is quite the opposite. I was reading in my book again yesterday and it was, again, talking about this [being in a scientific/Christian/ID/etc. book, it's bound to come up], and the history of this stereotype. It happened in the Great Awakening if I remember correctly where people basically said "all I need is faith and nothing else" and so hence forth people have this idea that Christianity and science cannot mix.

I find that there is great evidence that points to a creator. For instance the Precambrian Explosion to name something, though that's another topic. There have been big strides in the ID movement in the last few decades or so and I find that exciting. :}

 

[**UrItChI**]

[SIZE=7pt]Thank you for the reccomendation Tamaw/Pants. That's great! [/SIZE]

I might just try that.

I have my own beliefs on Christianity.

It's what I believe in.

1) Yes, definetely. I think about how we came to this world, and my answer always comes up as God. He made us according to what he wanted us to be like. My father had chosen in his early years to believe in Christian faith. And it has made our whole family a much happier one. We are proud of what we believe in. The world did not come out of nowhere. God created it.

2) Science and Christianity are two different things. Science believes things that I believe don't exist. Humans definetely did not evolve from Monkeys. We have similar features, I'll admit that. I read through my Science book in dismay. But science cannot predict something like that. They are big competitors. What should we want to believe in? Well, my anwer is God.

These are just my opinions, keep in mind.

 

[JAM]

YesYesYes *dances* I love these kinds of topics. Actually I'm reading a book that discusses this and I have been to a class and we discussed this too.
Three are three or four basic "models" of interaction, if you will, that a pretty basic. One is that religion and science are at war with eachother. Two is that they are in totally different spheres but should not be mixed. I think the other one is that they shout things back and forth but it's not "a war", really.

The fourth one is that religion and science can mix. I believe that science actually helps me believe more in Christ and that God created to world. We see how complex even the simplest cell is and then look at plants, animals and our selves and I honestly just don't have enough faith hold an athiestic, evolutionary view.

Please remember- Christianity is not "against" evolution. It depends on how you define it. I am a total Christian and believe in micro evolution- that much is evident. Natural selection, etc. But I don't believe that we all came from primordial soup and that we were designed.

If you want a good read about this kind of stuff and design, check out the book "A Case for a Creator". It's written by a guy who was aitheist and a firm evolutionist but when his wife became a Christian tried to prove it was all wrong. He's no stupid either so I really suggest you read it even if you aren't Christian or an ID-er.

AGREED!!! that is kinda like how it was explained 2 me!!

 

[Medicham12]

1 Do you believe in evolution while having a religion that opposes it? Christianity for example2 Do you ever think Science and Religion can coexist (Religion and science have been big "competitors" for ages)

Yes and Don't know. I need to look up coexist in the dictionary.

 

[bulbasaurclai]

1 Do you believe in evolution while having a religion that opposes it? Christianity for example2 Do you ever think Science and Religion can coexist (Religion and science have been big "competitors" for ages)

1. I do not believe in evolution (being Christian). However, some of my friends who are Christian say that believe than evolution exists, but it was not the way the Earth began. The fully believe God created the Earth, but that evolution can also exist. As for me, I don't believe in evolution whatsoever until I have proof. But I will still believe God created the Earth.

2. I think some parts of Science and Religion can co-exist. But some other types of Science can completely go against religion. I don't believe in that kind of Science stuff.

 

[Creativename]

The reason I used Christianity as an example was the whole creationism vs. evolution debates popping up lately. I'm sorry for making such a sweeping generalization about Christians.

 

[Spring]

1. I do not believe in evolution (being Christian). However, some of my friends who are Christian say that believe than evolution exists, but it was not the way the Earth began. The fully believe God created the Earth, but that evolution can also exist. As for me, I don't believe in evolution whatsoever until I have proof. But I will still believe God created the Earth.
2. I think some parts of Science and Religion can co-exist. But some other types of Science can completely go against religion. I don't believe in that kind of Science stuff.

Well, evolution couldn't really start the earth anyways. Evolution is a change in species over time, and though it has a lot to do with contradictory beliefs, it happened after the earth began.

One of the most asked questions relating to this topic is how the earth began.

Personally, I support the idea of Deism- the idea that a supreme being set the universe in motion (Big Bang, whatever you would like to call it) and then left it to be what it it was and is today...

bottom line, I believe some supreme existence or being created the universe, and then everything happened on its own...evolution, little micro organisms, dinosaurs, Neanderthals, societies...and today.

 

[tamaw/pants]

Well, evolution couldn't really start the earth anyways. Evolution is a change in species over time, and though it has a lot to do with contradictory beliefs, it happened after the earth began.

*nods*

The contradictory part is the first chapter of genesis.

Some evolutionist-Christian believe that a day in genesis is not a 24 hour time period but a "God day", if you will, equalling millions of years for things to evolve. There is a problem with this theory, however.

*clears throat*

On the third day God created plants and other sorts of vegetation. On the fourth day " Genesis 1:14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. "

In otherwords, God created plants before he created the sun, moon and stars. Now, plants can live a modern day without light but they cannot live millions of years without light and much less evolve.

If we're talking about macro, I cannot see how anyone can possibly fit evolution into the Bible unless they change and twist it.

 

[deemack199725]

1. Evolution is just a way to 'explain' how we 'got' here without God.

2. If you look at the Bible and science you can see how it co-exists. For example: How the dinosaurs died out, The Flood.

3. You know how scientists say the world is billions of years old. If you study the Bible carefully, the world is only hundreds of thousand of years old.