Posted on 09/08/2009 7:51:21 PM PDT by honestabe010
For nearly two centuries the debate of how life was formed has raged. Did it occur through evolution or by creation? For many the debate is a theological one. Many Christians reject evolution holding that this theory is contrary to the Bible. Evolutionists often cite their theory as one refuting the existence of God. But can one believe in a creator while simultaneously accepting evolution?
(Excerpt) Read more at thewoodwardreport.com ...
That would describe my beliefs perfectly.
Personally, this is the belief I have always held. There is plenty of evidence to support both theories. While I do not deny that the scriptures are the word of God, but there is also symbolic gestures in it.
If Revelation can be symbolic, why can’t Genesis?
Again, just my belief.
'Twas a dark and stormy night.
Mr. Woodward should consider entering this into the annual Bulwer-Lytton competition.
Exactly. We did evolve... but how? The only exclamation is that we evolved with the help of an unseen, outside intelligence. A force that guided it all along. That force is God the Creator.
exclamation = explanation... typo :)
>>>But can one believe in a creator while simultaneously accepting evolution?<<<
One more time: science tells how the universe works, but religion supplies us with the reason for our existence.
When I think about 100 billion galaxies, each of which have 100 billion stars, in a universe that may well contain an infinitude of universes, with birth and destruction ranging from quasars and supernova all the way down to virtual particles popping in and out of existence, and below that, possibly vibrating strings in endless combination.... not to mention the wonder that I’m able to look up and think about all that stuff, too - and also feel love watching my son play in the back yard.... well, that sounds mighty Godlike in scope to my puny little mind.
Creationists I can understand - at least they accept a living God. It’s the atheists of the Richard Dawkins sort who surprise me that they can’t see the divinity in the world.
ping
>>>The most apparent conclusion is that there is a creator and that evolution is the process by which he allowed his design to unfold.
Not according to God’s word:
1Cr 15:39 “All flesh [is] not the same flesh: but [there is] one [kind of] flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, [and] another of birds.”
God clearly segregates types or kinds of flesh between different forms of life as distinct. Evolution by its very definition claims that many species came from one.
Accepting part of a lie is no better than accepting it in full.
God clearly defines what a “day” is in Genesis as a 24 our period, and then continues to describe what He did on each one of those days.
The real problem lies in man’s inability to believe in that which he cannot see or understand in the physical realm.
To say that God “uses” evolution to create is nothing more than an illustration of ignorance of both sides of the issue. Darwin was an atheist, and God formed the universe out of NOTHING by the Word of His mouth. You either believe in God, or you don’t. If you believe in God, then it stands to reason that you should trust in what He says about things instead of putting Him into a box that was defined by an atheist.
I haven’t read it yet (and probably won’t until tomorrow) but the excerpt looks interesting.
That, in no way takes God out of the equation. He was (is) trying to get the message across. That's what really matters.
Welcome to Free Republic. This thread should be good for a few hundred replies.
>>> That, in no way takes God out of the equation. He was (is) trying to get the message across. That’s what really matters.
God is not part of an equation.
His message was and is that we have NO IDEA what we are dealing with here... thats why we need to rely on Him.
Our arrogance and pride which leads us to believe we can understand Him blinds us to His truth AND His message.
God does not define a day as 24 hours in Genesis. There wasn’t even a sun until the fourth day. In the Corinthians chapter you mention, Paul goes on to say the sun has one kind of splendor and the stars another kind of splendor. Does that mean the sun isn’t a star? I consider myself a fundamentalist Christian, but I also believe in using logic to ferret out the secrets of God. Read Gerald Schroeder’s reconciliation of the Big Bang and Genesis. Doesn’t answer everything, but makes a lot of sense. Then study the ancient Hebrew understanding of Genesis 1, and you’ll find they don’t even begin to count time until man was created, so it’s unlikely they’d enshrine a 24-hour day into the first book of the Bible. Read, study, pray, understand!
>>> God does not define a day as 24 hours in Genesis. There wasn’t even a sun until the fourth day.
Looks like a 24 hour period on the FIRST DAY to me...
Gen 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Gen 1:4 And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
Gen 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
How many bible scholars does it take to UNSCREW a light bulb?
FR must get 2 or more Creationist vs Darwin threads a week. There was one a couple of days ago and I had a small revelation. We were either created by Martians or we Happened. I readily interchange Martians and God because in any case they must be be supremely superior to us so the Title makes no difference.
But think about it,,,,,,,,,, to have been created first is kinda off putting. We build a 427 Vette that puts out 435 horses. Kinda neat but so what. A 440 Wedge that puts out 375 horses. And it goes on. On the other hand when I see a Gulfstream 7 on Criminal Minds I think we must be Gods because to me it is the most beautiful thing we have ever built. Maybe its a G4????
So Man was created here and a few million light years over there #$%#$%^ was created and over there @!#@#$ was created. Over and over, I mean its really no big deal.
On the other hand, if out of a million possibilities like the Earth just happening to be the perfect distance from the Sun (term?) and everything else: I think that is way cool. I’m lucky as hell to be here and that is the revelation. To be here by chance is far far more interesting than having been created by a snap of the fingers.
But again, just a few million light years over there it happened. And given the number of galaxies as pointed out previously the scum called life is all over the universe so maybe it ain’t all that cool. But it is ‘cause I’m here.
Oh, I believe in religion or the existence of the concept. Not a problem with me. I believe in the Bible. The Old Testament is a history book. The New Testament is a story about a political movement. The term God references the unknown which is understandable and fine.
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