The Dirty Little Secret Is Out: Religious Faith and Evolution Are Incompatible

ICR ^ | March 20, 2009 | Frank Sherwin, M.A.

[GodGunsGuts]

In a recent book review, Jerry Coyne, professor of ecology and evolution at the University of Chicago, admitted that the secular worldview of macroevolution (the development of complex life from “simpler” forms) is at odds with Christian faith...

[DallasMike]

Well, if God's thoughts are not man's thoughts, then man's thoughts about evolution are wrong cause God told us in Genesis that He spoke creation into existence.

How can you derive from the Bible the notion that evolution does not exist? The Bible does not say how God created plants and animals. The closest it comes are when it says "created after its own kind." What does that mean? Species? Genus? Order?

I'm sorry, but I think you're reading things into the Bible that just aren't there.

[WVKayaker]

...I disagree profoundly with that church on many things, and have been somewhat outspoken about it here on FR, but won’t stoop to completely condemn it.

I wish I could keep quiet in the light of perceived error. The Roman church and it's hierarchy are, inho, a man made institution, which bears much blame for misery through the ages. I believe that the God I know has no need for any human intercessor, and can cite Scripture all day to prove it. I refuse to use an apocrypha or other spurious "reach" to get my advantage. I will use the OT and NT, and willingly can go to the Greek.

The Mormons are in the same league as far as I am concerned. They also claim to be the "true church". They, like the Roman church, demand adherence to the LAW, as well as MEMBERSHIP IN THEIR ORGANIZATION, to get to our reward.

Sorry, My God loves me, and knows I am a failure... but provided me with Jesus blood!

Romans 3: 19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

[DallasMike]

How about cuz the Bible says so...

Chapter and verse, please.

[Kansas58]

“Gospel” at the time that St. Paul spoke did NOT mean the New Testament, as the New Testament, in its present form, did not exist.

“Gospel” was simply the oral tradition, at the time, of the Christian faith.

[Kansas58]

Please check the “reply to” on everything I have posted, on this thread.

By saying that the Catholic Church had made errors, I was only repeating what many modern Popes have said.

We have made errors in our actions, not doctrine.

I was responding to a drawing of the Inquisition, which I saw as Catholic Bashing, as the Inquisition IS an example of individual Catholic error.

[Kansas58]

There would be NO BIBLE at all, without the Roman Catholic Church.

You can not show how any Bible would be even remotely possible, without the actions of the Roman Catholic Church.

These are the facts.

You would have no Bible to worship, if not for the Roman Catholic Church.

And, you should avoid worship of an object, for that is Idolatry.

[DallasMike]

This is because the Early Church did not really feel the need to convert an oral tradition into the written word for the first few centuries of the Church. When the works were reduced to writing, they were only rarely to be found in together, in one place.

I have to disagree. The letters of Paul were exactly that -- letters that were written to specific groups of Christians and passed around to other Christians. Not only that, but there are fragments of the gospels and other New Testament books that have been dated to before 66 AD. Further a fragment of the Gospel of Mark was found among the Qumran scrolls in Cave 7 and many archealogists agree that it was written no later than 50 AD.

[RegulatorCountry]

They’re the closest thing to allies in doing God’s work that we’re going to find among humanity on earth, outside of our own, WVKayaker. No need of an intercessor, yes, it’s clear from the Bible. If one were to accept such, provided that this intercessor is genuinely of God, is salvation endangered? The elevation of Mary, and apparently praying to her, bothers me more. But, then again, as I’ve mentioned, I have known many Catholics who, to me, appear to have found salvation, by the clear Word of God.

How much weight do extraneous beliefs carry? Are they actively attempting to live God’s will? Many are, as I am able to determine. Mormonism has a whole ‘nother level of belief, that seems to contradict the clear Word of God, though. Good people for the most part, frugal and clean living, charitable. Good works. But, the Joseph Smith stuff, added to the Word, is very disturbing. I don’t think they’re Christian. Catholics are.

[itsahoot]

Not interested in the circular argument, my friend. I just don’t happen to think Evolution and Christianity can co-exist.

No fair you have real bullets.

[Dog Gone]

Once Darwin's stupid ideas took dogmatic hold of mainstream science, all progress in science ground to a halt.

That is such a retarded statement. Probably 95% or more of modern science has occurred since 1859, from medicine to space travel and everything in between.

And guess what? Pre-Darwinian science was not contradicted by Darwin. Science has been progressing from the ancient Greeks through today. Evolution was no more revolutionary than quantum physics.

You don't accept it for religious reasons, but I wonder whether you're willing to admit it.

[broncobilly]

I see. God’s call for a little bit of humility, admitting you don’t know it all, is for the other guy, not you.

[itsahoot]

Man and woman were created with pure genes- no mutaitons-

Looks like God intended to purify the Gene pool with the flood, and again at Jericho, but satan always seems to have a way.

[RegulatorCountry]

The closest it comes are when it says "created after its own kind." What does that mean? Species? Genus? Order?

Linnaeus' term for the Biblical kind was genera.

[WVKayaker]

...And, you should avoid worship of an object, for that is Idolatry.

You say "I should not worship idols?" What are you talking about. You lost me.

[GodGunsGuts]

I find it useful in the sense that it identifies yet another misotheist Evo who believes evolution is not compatible with a personal God. This materialistic religious movement is growing rapidly, and views Christianity as a rival that must be eliminated. You are right to point out that there are professing Christians who do not see a contradiction between Christianity and evolution. However, this Christian (and millions more just like me) is not one of them. I believe Christian accommodation of evolution elevates the fallible assumptions of natural man above the infallible Word of God. That’s not to say Christian evolutionists are not Christian, but I do believe said accomodation weakens the gospel message by amalgamating God’s eyewitness creation account with the tentative assumptions of naturalistic science.

[csense]

bkmk

[itsahoot]

Evolution and Christianity are perfectly compatible if you believe the Bible is only allegory, that it doesn’t really means what it says.

Many mainline churches today do believe the Bible is allegory. They are as lost as the many Republicans who believe only in themselves, and have abandoned the faith of their fathers.

[WVKayaker]

In a previous post, I said "All Christians are not (Roman) Catholic. All (Roman) Catholics are not Christian. They just assume their membership in good standing applies, because the RC church says so. I reiterate that, and agree that there are many good Christian Roman Catholics.

Unfortunately their indoctrination is good, like the Muslims. Take them early and drill it into their heads. Don't forget to rap those knuckles, while you're at it.)

The same applies to some Mormons.To expand on that thought, their churches require adherence to many unsound doctrines. Maryology at least elevates one woman. It just mistakenly sets her into an unScriptural position. She was just a vessel. In Mormonism, the womans sole role is to a concubine and baby factory. Only when the gum't demanded it, Blacks were not allowed. What kind of god is that?

I apply the rat poison theory, when testing a church's claims. You entice them with corn, or other goodies, which they want. But you sprinkle it with something that will bring them to a sure death...

[GodGunsGuts]

==That is such a retarded statement. Probably 95% or more of modern science has occurred since 1859, from medicine to space travel and everything in between.

And said progress owes nothing to Darwin’s fanciful creation myth.

==You don’t accept it for religious reasons, but I wonder whether you’re willing to admit it.

I don’t accept it because the Bible say God created the the Universe and everything in it (to include all life) during creation week, which consisted of seven normal length earth days. As such, I expect nature to resist evolutionary explanations, and that is exactly what I find.

[RegulatorCountry]

And, you should avoid worship of an object, for that is Idolatry.

It's sort of interesting to me, to see a Catholic claiming that a Protestant is idolatrous. Get back to me, if we ever start divvying up preachers' carcasses, claiming magical powers for them, and distributing bits and pieces to churches far and wide for a money-making tourist attraction.