Is it possible to believe in both God and Evolution?

[sandy whitelinger]

if god can create the universe he could create a book without parables and double meanings , a book everyone can understand with the ability to read, no interpretations, no hypothesis, just straightforward instructions please, he should be capable of that surely

You still wouldn't follow him. The Bible is simple for beginners, more complex for the learned, and unending in it's depth.

 

[sandandfoam]

Actually, evolution is at odds with god belief, read Richard Dawkins "The God Delusion".

I see no reason why this should be so.
I tried the God Delusion and found Dawkins as ardent in his beliefs as any theist and had to give up half way through. Could you explain why you think one should be at odds with the other?

 

[fantome profane]

Actually, evolution is at odds with god belief, read Richard Dawkins "The God Delusion".

No, Evolution is not at odds with god belief. Richard Dawkins is at odds with god belief. The science of Evolution says nothing whatsoever about god belief. Atheistic evolution is one possible metaphysical interpretation of the scientific theory of evolution, but it is not the only possible metaphysical interpretation.

Read Ken Millers “Finding Darwin’s God”.

 

[rojse]

Some people do. Although, I have a difficult time understanding how someone can believe in both. They completely contradict each other. In my opinion evolution is completely impossible, a big explosion could nver have created this universe. And then conveniently life started on this planet, which is also conveniently the only planet that can sustain life. And then we all came from single cells organisms...not likely. It takes way more faith to believe in evolution then it does in God/creation.

Evolution does not discuss how the universe originally came about, or how the first animal came about. All that evolution does is explain why there is such a wide diversity in animals. Many people reconcile evolution and God in that God created the universe and the first organism, and evolution explains the diversity in animal species.

As for life living on a planet that can sustain life, you could view it as life conforming to available conditions. For example, there are creatures that live deep underwater, near volcanic vents. To any other creature, the pressure would be far too high, far too hot, (hundreds of degrees), and a severe lack of sunlight for photosynthesis. Instead, they live through a cycle called chemosynthesis - consume carbon-based molecules, expel organic matter. Isn't that neat?

 

[rojse]

The bottom line is man thinks he is smarter than he really is. If you want to impress me, create life in front of me. Reproduce your hypothesis of just exactly how life first began.

People get too anal about the time line. A day could be a billion years to God. Think just one moment how we explain things to children so they can understand. That is what God did with Moses.

I believe that scientists are working on creating life from basic elements.

When this is achieved, what will that prove?

 

[Quoth The Raven]

People get too anal about the time line. A day could be a billion years to God. Think just one moment how we explain things to children so they can understand. That is what God did with Moses.

The only people I've ever really seen get anal about the timeline are Christians, actually. For some of them it appears more palatable to put limitations on God than to admit that time as understood by said god is unlikely to be time as understood by humans, because if you admit that a day to God could be an immensely long time, then that's the thin edge of the wedge to admitting that Genesis isn't entirely literal and perhaps there's room for evolution as a tool of the almighty.

 

[Popeyesays]

I accept both the idea of a Creator AND the concept of evolution as a natural process.

I don't see it as an either or proposition.

Regards,
Scott

 

[Quoth The Raven]

Actually, evolution is at odds with god belief, read Richard Dawkins "The God Delusion".

And if you believe that based merely on what a book tells you, then you might as well be a YEC.

 

[crystalonyx]

I see no reason why this should be so.
I tried the God Delusion and found Dawkins as ardent in his beliefs as any theist and had to give up half way through. Could you explain why you think one should be at odds with the other?

Simple, no god is needed for evolution to proceed or for that matter for life to originate, Homo sapiens was not an end-product of evolution, but a by-product -i.e. not something a supposed god designed or was waiting for. So simply put, no god is needed or necessary with evolution.

 

[sandandfoam]

. So simply put, no god is needed or necessary with evolution.

I agree. So what?
This is not at odds with a belief in God.

 

[kai]

You still wouldn't follow him. The Bible is simple for beginners, more complex for the learned, and unending in it's depth.

maybe ,its simple for beginners, made, more complex by the learned , and made unending in its percieved depth

 

[Popeyesays]

Simple, no god is needed for evolution to proceed or for that matter for life to originate, Homo sapiens was not an end-product of evolution, but a by-product -i.e. not something a supposed god designed or was waiting for. So simply put, no god is needed or necessary with evolution.

Evolution as a theory has no interest in justifying itself with religion. Religion has no interest in itself to justifying itself to evolution.

That's up to the beholder, is it not?

I have no difficulty embracing both.

Very few scientists will say that humanity as a species is going to evolve much at all in the future. Simply stated man adjusts his environment to suit himself, rather than being adjusted to suit the environment.

Regards,
Scott

 

[Quoth The Raven]

Simple, no god is needed for evolution to proceed or for that matter for life to originate, Homo sapiens was not an end-product of evolution, but a by-product -i.e. not something a supposed god designed or was waiting for. So simply put, no god is needed or necessary with evolution.

You are aware that redundancy and non-existence are not directly interchangeable terms, aren't you?
Perhaps a god isn't necessary, but that lack of necessity doesn't automatically make it impossible to believe one exists. If we're going to tell theists that they can't possibly believe in their god if they believe in current scientific theories then we're just helping ID garner followers. I'd hardly call that fighting the good fight.

 

[crystalonyx]

You are aware that redundancy and non-existence are not directly interchangeable terms, aren't you?
Perhaps a god isn't necessary, but that lack of necessity doesn't automatically make it impossible to believe one exists. If we're going to tell theists that they can't possibly believe in their god if they believe in current scientific theories then we're just helping ID garner followers. I'd hardly call that fighting the good fight.

Maybe you didn't read my post, I said no god was needed or necessary, not impossbile.

 

[Quoth The Raven]

Maybe you didn't read my post, I said no god was needed or necessary, not impossbile.

And earlier you said evolution and god belief were at odds. You were told that needn't be so and your response was - it is to be imagined - designed to explain why in fact, it is. Your implication from the get go is that you can't believe both. Perhaps you didn't read your own posts.

 

[crystalonyx]

And earlier you said evolution and god belief were at odds. You were told that needn't be so and your response was - it is to be imagined - designed to explain why in fact, it is. Your implication from the get go is that you can't believe both. Perhaps you didn't read your own posts.

Sorry, this still does not imply I said some god was impossible, just a god that was interested in homo sapiens was unnessary.

 

[tomspug]

You can believe in any God with any belief. If you mean the Biblical God, I don't see how. You'd have to reject the idea that God is moral... absolutely.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

maybe ,its simple for beginners, made, more complex by the learned , and made unending in its percieved depth

Only to the ignorant and unlearned, but a nice try anyway.

 

[butc8]

I used to believe in both god and evolution but i got blasted by other christians....really irritated me eventually became agnostic.

 

[Syphros]

Do you think it is possible to believe in both evolution and God/creationism.

I certainly do. God had a grand design of human beings and other life but had to go through the other steps of life to get their as he created the boundaries of science (A house cannot be built without foundation being laid first). However through extraordinary acts of Faith, Science itself can be manipulated in events such as the parting of the Red Sea and healing lepers.