Is Belief in Evolution Compatible with the Christian Teachings?

**Dagna** · Sunday, June 28th, 2009

What would you say? There are several opinions. Some Christians believe that the theory of evolution does not contradict the existence of the Christian god and the theory that he created the world.

However, I am skeptical about that. What about the theory about human evolving from primates? That would contradict the belief that human was created by God himself from scratch.

**Bärin** · Sunday, June 28th, 2009

Doesn't the Bible say that the world is only a thousand years old or something like that? Then there you go. Of course it's incompatible.

**Stormraaf** · Monday, June 29th, 2009

In terms of the theory of evolution alone, I'd say it's only incompatible with a literal interpretation of the Bible, and not mainstream Christian teachings. The fact that we see so many evolution denial on the Internet and media is probably because breakaway Christian deviants tend to complain the loudest and their preachers are more hungry for attention, not because they're particularly numerous.

However, while I think it's unnecessary for Christians to bar themselves from the study of evolution because of religious interpretations, I do believe an understanding of evolution and a science-centric approach is correct in being hostile to the Christian world view. As Dawkins said:

The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but blind pitiless indifference.

(Originally a Darwin quote?

)

Originally Posted by Bärin

Doesn't the Bible say that the world is only a thousand years old or something like that?

IIRC from my time as a Christian youth, the notion that the Earth is only a couple of thousand years old was because of one papal proclamation which was later disproved by other theologists, so that particular literal interpretation is not even correct according to other biblical scholars, not to mention an embarrassment to most modern-day Christians. Because the "young Earth theory" is in conflict with stratigraphy, and therefor also with geography, physics and mathematics, the notion is right up their with the sun revolving around the Earth. That's not Christianity, that's idiocy.

**velvet** · Monday, June 29th, 2009

Originally Posted by Stormraaf

That's not Christianity, that's idiocy.

*lol*

But that the sun revolves around the earth was only removed from the dogma in the 1980s, after the pope had travelled around the world several times and there just was no way to stick to that anymore

In general I think evolution and the bible cannot coexist, god painted the stars and the sun and the moon onto some sort of fabric that he hang (and moves) over the earth to create the impression of a sky.
God made man from clay and because the trick only worked once he cut out the women from the man's rip.
According to the bible the earth was created shortly before the two were thrown out of paradise, that make approx maybe 2500-3000 years ago.
Funnily, god also created the jewish folks, although he was quite sick about the fact that Eve ate the apple and stopped communicating with humans altogether.
The Deluge that is referred to in the bible was about 6000 years ago, prior to the creation of the folks (and also Adam and Eve), so not even the bible is consistent in itself, whether one wants to interprete that literal or not. It just doesnt make sense at all.

To sum it up: Christianity is idiocy

No, honestly, how can one believe such bs? It might have been good for christianity (and I guess it was the intention behind) that people couldnt read the stuff themselves, and if they could, they were part of the organisation, and a loyal follower doesnt question (hence: god's ways are inscrutable).

I remember when I visited the preparation lectures for confirmation (I was 13 or something) and the phreak wanted to sell me the stuff above as truth and I started to ask him some questions. He wasnt very happy and once he left the room crying (!). Obviously I've hit some sensitive points

**Nachtengel** · Monday, June 29th, 2009

Christianity generally rejects science. Christianity taught people a lot of senseless superstitions, to keep them under control. Example, the earth is flat, don't try to adventure yourself too far or you might fall.

**Siebenbürgerin** · Monday, June 29th, 2009

I don't think it's incompatible. The way God created the world corresponds with the way science says (the light, the dark, the oceans, the terrestrial ground and so on). But of course Christian theologists who said the world was a thousand years old made the calculations wrong, but in that period we didn't have the means to date rocks the way we can nowadays. We also don't know what was meant by years, if a classic year with 365 days or in a metaphorical sense.

Science explains the evolution, but it doesn't explain where the universe came from. It had to come from something, and that something is our God.

**Chlodovech** · Monday, June 29th, 2009

Originally Posted by Todesengel

Christianity generally rejects science. Christianity taught people a lot of senseless superstitions, to keep them under control. Example, the earth is flat, don't try to adventure yourself too far or you might fall.

Isn't that actually a good thing in the context of ethnic preservationism?

While there were renaissance scientists who understood that the flat Earth theory was wrong, in fact, the bible itself states the Earth is round, their very own theories were flawed too. Galileo, for instance, who was right about the Earth revolving around the Sun, but couldn't prove it because a complete theory of mechanics was lacking, which led him to formulating a wrong theory on the tides.

From "The politically incorrect guide to Western civilization" (Anthony Esolen): "...It turns out the Church never denied Earth could move around the sun, but insisted Galileo didn't have enough evidence to teach it as a settled fact."

On topic: The Vatican launched an official statement in february, claiming that the theory of evolution is compatible with the Catholic faith.

I'd say that point of view is heretical, and the reformist Mgr. Angelo Roncalli has a great deal to do with it; an initiate of a Turkish lodge, a freemason - and a writer of prophecies - who became pope himself (John XXIII) after the winner of the vote of the conclave in 1958 was pressured to withdraw, namely the traditionalist cardinal Giuseppe_Siri, according to the FBI.

And jesuits - among others - like Pierre Teillard de Chardin, also played a role in undermining the Church from inside, promoting New Age thought over traditional ideas.

Now antipopes govern the Church, like this pope here, with his stylish inverted cross on the back of his seat, while participating in a mass for the youth.

For me Pope Pius IX settled the theory of evolution matter for once and for all.

From the First Vatican Council in 1869-70, that had a section on "Faith and Reason":

9. "Hence all faithful Christians are forbidden to defend as the legitimate conclusions of science those opinions which are known to be contrary to the doctrine of faith, particularly if they have been condemned by the Church; and furthermore they are absolutely bound to hold them to be errors which wear the deceptive appearance of truth."

10. "Not only can faith and reason never be at odds with one another but they mutually support each other, for on the one hand right reason established the foundations of the faith and, illuminated by its light, develops the science of divine things; on the other hand, faith delivers reason from errors and protects it and furnishes it with knowledge of many kinds."

Originally Posted by Velvet

Christianity taught people a lot of senseless superstitions

Looking at it from my perspective, it is science that creates the most eleborate and inconceivable theories - the validation of the theory of evolution doesn't only require a belief in miracles - to rescue the theory of Darwin - the modern evolutionist line of thought proposes the existence of parallel universes, like slices of bread, next to each other - and every time two of these universes collide, a new one is "born" with a big bang...

If one wants to believe that, fine, but it's nothing more than a belief - yet questioning this belief places one on the fringe of our "free" society, where freedom of religion usually means that you're not allowed to mention religion at all. It seems only racism and pedophilia are viewed as bigger evils than intelligent design in Europe.

I'd say modern Western thought regarding the roots of men is a reflection of mystery religions, not in the least the Sumerian one. And when applicated definitely not less dogmatic than the Catholic church.

While everybody is free to believe in the theory of evolution, to me, it's a disgrace that the catholic school system totally lost its independence, and is now teaching students either just the theory of evolution, or the theory of evolution combined with creationism - with emphasis on the former.

**velvet** · Monday, June 29th, 2009