Theists: What is your stance on evolution?

[The Architect Of Fate]

Hello,

 I am a believer in the Big Bang and in evolution. Maybe this question has been asked (many times?) before, but I am new. I have watched tons and tons of TV shows and YouTube videos on evolution and read many books. It is accepted as fact by many (most) scientists. What do you believe with regards to evolution? Do you believe that modern humans have only been on the planet for a few thousand years? That all animals on the earth have only been here a few thousand years? What about dinosaurs? Do you believe that the Earth has only been here a few thousand years? To me, it is impossible to dispute the age of the earth (billions of years) or the reality of evolution but, again, I want to hear what you have to say. Thanks, in advance.

When scientists speak of evolution, they are speaking of how man evolved over time from a primate to modern man.  I remember being taught this in school. The question that always comes up is “If we slowly changed from apes to man, why do we still have apes?”

There are other theories around the origin of humanity such as Creation Theory, comprised of old-earth creationists and young earth creationists, and Intelligent Design Theory. More recently, there is another theory called Dual Revelation Theory. You heard of it?

Humans are Apes

[COSM500]

Back when I was still a Christian I knew very little about evolution because other Christians have done a good job at convincing me it wasn't worth the time to look into. I find it interesting that even the Catholic Church accepts Evolution as a fact, but of course they put God at the front of it as being the cause for everything and the events of evolution just being the explanation even though this greatly contradicts their bible. But at least they're willing to acknowledge evolution to an extent. That's progress right?

A long time ago I watched a debunk video at a church that mentioned that dinosaurs are briefly mentioned three times in the bible. I cannot remember where, but they noted three examples of dinosaurs, which are probably seldom descriptions of random beasts they just believe are dinosaurs. But there are certain Christians that believe dinosaurs lived at the same time as man and were killed off by man after the Fall of Man in Eden.

Hi T.J. 
Like you, I learned nothing of evolution from Christians. I only heard of it in grade school. My mother taught me how to be a critical thinker, so I questioned it even then. Most of the scriptures I know of that mention what could be dinosaurs are in the Book of Job. Chapters 40 and 41 reference a Behemoth and a Leviathan (Job 40:15, 41:1). There are also a few others sprinkled in Psalm 104 and Revelation 13. Just finished reading a book called Four Views on Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design. Experts explain each perspective and its subsequent theory, then each theorist responds, followed by a rejoinder by the original theorist. Definitely worth a read to gain an understanding of each theory and to see how science and scripture can be complementary.

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Young Earth Creationism doesn't work because you need vast amounts of time for various physical processes to have occurred during. Trying to get them to work quickly requires violating the fundamental forces of the universe and/or a deity that's a liar.

Old Earth Creationism doesn't work because humans appear on the scene only recently. Trying to create them at some dim time in the past and hold them static over geological time without a single fossil gets ridiculous. More so when you try and explain away all those pesky similarities we share with the chimps and our other primate cousins. The entire fossil record ends up a nasty joke and the less said about genetic phylogeny the better.

Intelligent Design doesn't work because it's just creationism of one form or another wearing a fake moustache and suffers the same flaws.

Theistic Evolution doesn't work because it requires a god that ignores millions of years of barbarity and suffering before finally doing anything about it, and then only for a few paleolithic goat herders in the Sinai Penninsula.

There's an interesting book on each of these theories called Four Views on Creation, Evolution and Intelligent Design. Each theorist offers his or her perspective, followed by responses from each of the opposing theorists, followed by a rejoinder. The format of the book makes it a provoking read. It explains the nuances of each theory and allows the reader to understand how they each became popular enough to become "a thing." Unreservedly, science and scripture can work in tandem. You should check it out.

[The Architect Of Fate]

There is no other theory there is Science (evolutionary biology) and there is Garbage (ID and Creationism) and there are no ID or Creation theorists they are only bullshit merchants posing as such. And there are no Dinosaurs in the bible.

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• Young Earth Creationism - Ken Ham (Answers in Genesis)
  
  
• Old Earth (Progressive) Creationism - Hugh Ross (Reasons to Believe)
  
  
• Evolutionary Creation - Deborah B. Haarsma (BioLogos)
  
  
• Intelligent Design - Stephen C. Meyer (The Discovery Institute)
  

Shocker 3 con artists and a kook

[Fake Messiah]

There's an interesting book on each of these theories called Four Views on Creation, Evolution and Intelligent Design. Each theorist offers his or her perspective, followed by responses...

I have read a few books on evolution and watched a few lectures on it, and also looked into a few creationist books and have never found any credibility to creationism. So I don't see how this one particular book can change everything.
What these kinds of books you mention usually do is give a caricature version of evolution, which seems to be the case because by your claiming that evolution is false because "if people come from apes why are there still apes?" seems like you have a distortion when it comes to understanding evolution.

[GrandizerII]

The theory of evolution is a strong theory that's been put to the test so many times and passed pretty much each time. Given what we know about natural processes in general, and given the observations and successful predictions that have been made linked to biological evolution, it doesn't seem reasonable at this point to reject evolution, whether you're a theist or atheist.

[GUBU]

Hello,

 I am a believer in the Big Bang and in evolution. Maybe this question has been asked (many times?) before, but I am new. I have watched tons and tons of TV shows and YouTube videos on evolution and read many books. It is accepted as fact by many (most) scientists. What do you believe with regards to evolution? Do you believe that modern humans have only been on the planet for a few thousand years? That all animals on the earth have only been here a few thousand years? What about dinosaurs? Do you believe that the Earth has only been here a few thousand years? To me, it is impossible to dispute the age of the earth (billions of years) or the reality of evolution but, again, I want to hear what you have to say. Thanks, in advance.

When scientists speak of evolution, they are speaking of how man evolved over time from a primate to modern man.  I remember being taught this in school. The question that always comes up is “If we slowly changed from apes to man, why do we still have apes?”

There are other theories around the origin of humanity such as Creation Theory, comprised of old-earth creationists and young earth creationists, and Intelligent Design Theory. More recently, there is another theory called Dual Revelation Theory. You heard of it?

I'm sorry to say that your teacher was either an idiot or a creationist lying to you. The truth is that humans and modern apes both evolved from earlier, now extinct, ape-like primates (humans are, after all, a species of ape themselves, just evolved differently from gorillas and chimpanzees). Both groups are as evolved as the other, just in different ways to suit different environments.

The stuff you bring up is all bullshit invented by people who cannot exist in the real world.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Hello,

 I am a believer in the Big Bang and in evolution. Maybe this question has been asked (many times?) before, but I am new. I have watched tons and tons of TV shows and YouTube videos on evolution and read many books. It is accepted as fact by many (most) scientists. What do you believe with regards to evolution? Do you believe that modern humans have only been on the planet for a few thousand years? That all animals on the earth have only been here a few thousand years? What about dinosaurs? Do you believe that the Earth has only been here a few thousand years? To me, it is impossible to dispute the age of the earth (billions of years) or the reality of evolution but, again, I want to hear what you have to say. Thanks, in advance.

When scientists speak of evolution, they are speaking of how man evolved over time from a primate to modern man.  I remember being taught this in school. The question that always comes up is “If we slowly changed from apes to man, why do we still have apes?”

There are other theories around the origin of humanity such as Creation Theory, comprised of old-earth creationists and young earth creationists, and Intelligent Design Theory. More recently, there is another theory called Dual Revelation Theory. You heard of it?

1. If you remember being taught in school that human 'evolved from primates', you either went to a lousy school or you have a lousy memory. We didn't evolve from primates - we are primates.

2. If I am descended from my grandfather, why are my cousins still alive?

3. 'Creation Theory' isn't a theory in the scientific sense. It's more akin to wishful thinking. Intelligent Design is Creation Science that went out and bought a new suit for a job interview.

4. Dual Revelation is kinda of respectable in a limited way - at least it's an honest admission that the Bible is not meant to be taken as a textbook.

Boru

[GUBU]

Back when I was still a Christian I knew very little about evolution because other Christians have done a good job at convincing me it wasn't worth the time to look into. I find it interesting that even the Catholic Church accepts Evolution as a fact, but of course they put God at the front of it as being the cause for everything and the events of evolution just being the explanation even though this greatly contradicts their bible. But at least they're willing to acknowledge evolution to an extent. That's progress right?

A long time ago I watched a debunk video at a church that mentioned that dinosaurs are briefly mentioned three times in the bible. I cannot remember where, but they noted three examples of dinosaurs, which are probably seldom descriptions of random beasts they just believe are dinosaurs. But there are certain Christians that believe dinosaurs lived at the same time as man and were killed off by man after the Fall of Man in Eden.

Hi T.J. 
Like you, I learned nothing of evolution from Christians. I only heard of it in grade school. My mother taught me how to be a critical thinker, so I questioned it even then. Most of the scriptures I know of that mention what could be dinosaurs are in the Book of Job. Chapters 40 and 41 reference a Behemoth and a Leviathan (Job 40:15, 41:1). There are also a few others sprinkled in Psalm 104 and Revelation 13. Just finished reading a book called Four Views on Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design. Experts explain each perspective and its subsequent theory, then each theorist responds, followed by a rejoinder by the original theorist. Definitely worth a read to gain an understanding of each theory and to see how science and scripture can be complementary.

---

Young Earth Creationism doesn't work because you need vast amounts of time for various physical processes to have occurred during. Trying to get them to work quickly requires violating the fundamental forces of the universe and/or a deity that's a liar.

Old Earth Creationism doesn't work because humans appear on the scene only recently. Trying to create them at some dim time in the past and hold them static over geological time without a single fossil gets ridiculous. More so when you try and explain away all those pesky similarities we share with the chimps and our other primate cousins. The entire fossil record ends up a nasty joke and the less said about genetic phylogeny the better.

Intelligent Design doesn't work because it's just creationism of one form or another wearing a fake moustache and suffers the same flaws.

Theistic Evolution doesn't work because it requires a god that ignores millions of years of barbarity and suffering before finally doing anything about it, and then only for a few paleolithic goat herders in the Sinai Penninsula.

There's an interesting book on each of these theories called Four Views on Creation, Evolution and Intelligent Design. Each theorist offers his or her perspective, followed by responses from each of the opposing theorists, followed by a rejoinder. The format of the book makes it a provoking read. It explains the nuances of each theory and allows the reader to understand how they each became popular enough to become "a thing." Unreservedly, science and scripture can work in tandem. You should check it out.

Your mother did an awful job then, because all you are is a regurgitator of long debunked bullshit.

[The Grand Nudger]

Hi T.J. 
Like you, I learned nothing of evolution from Christians. I only heard of it in grade school. My mother taught me how to be a critical thinker, so I questioned it even then. Most of the scriptures I know of that mention what could be dinosaurs are in the Book of Job. Chapters 40 and 41 reference a Behemoth and a Leviathan (Job 40:15, 41:1). There are also a few others sprinkled in Psalm 104 and Revelation 13.

Dragons.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Hi T.J. 
Like you, I learned nothing of evolution from Christians. I only heard of it in grade school. My mother taught me how to be a critical thinker, so I questioned it even then. Most of the scriptures I know of that mention what could be dinosaurs are in the Book of Job. Chapters 40 and 41 reference a Behemoth and a Leviathan (Job 40:15, 41:1). There are also a few others sprinkled in Psalm 104 and Revelation 13.

Dragons.

Wait - are you claiming that the Biblical monsters mentioned in those scriptures are no different from those mentioned in literally hundreds of other cultures and subcultures that have dragons?

Because if you are, I’m onboard.

Boru