Evolution

[Dyakovo]

So - even a LARGE majority of Christians officially favours the theory of evolution over Biblical creationism.

I don't think they favor evolution over Biblical creationism. I don't think that they are mutually exclusive, I would venture to say that neither do the Christians that accept evolution. The belief that God created the world is a central part of all Christianity.

The Roman Catholics do...
They have acknowledged that the ToE is the best explanation. Also they do not hold the story of Genesis to be the literal truth.

[Khadgar]

I dont just believe that God created everything. I also believe that he could have made the creatures evolve.

And what do you mean its not us I have to impress. I know that but I dont get where you were going with that.

So now you do believe in Evolution. Good for you.

[Chetssaland]

And what do you mean its not us I have to impress. I know that but I dont get where you were going with that.

Well let's think of it this way. Let's suppose you were working tech support, and you got a belligerent caller. The caller screams at you, calls you abusive things, hell he's an asshole. Therefore, being the little minimum-wage earning cubicle dweller you are, you let all your pent up frustration out at him and screamed back.

Now, in the one sense, the guy making the call was being an asshole, and you could always say that he was worse than you.

However, you're still fired, because you failed to live up the company line - courtesy and friendliness.

OK got you. But I wasnt trying to say I was better than you guys, even if thats what I said

[Barfobulville]

Chetssaland, just let it go. You have to pick your battles.

[The Tofu Islands]

To Alma Mater: I believ that God would have created the world because well, he can. Its kind of a faith thing.

Why not create the whole universe, and why not do it in the form of a "big bang"?

To be honest I havent read all of the bible and I dont fully understand all of it that I read.

Your not alone -- I have read the Bible and a lot of it seems to be complete nonsense.

And who cares about punctuation. u all no wat i mene. Yes I just did that to make him mad.

That isn't necessary. Punctuation does help a lot and if you break to many rules of grammar you become unintelligible and ambiguous.

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I don't think they favor evolution over Biblical creationism. I don't think that they are mutually exclusive, I would venture to say that neither do the Christians that accept evolution. The belief that God created the world is a central part of all Christianity.

Err, literal Biblical creationism does conflict with evolution and other bits of science. And I wouldn't class it as a central part of Christianity (but you know, ask 100 Christians what it means to be Christians and you'll get 100 different answers).

[Chetssaland]

I dont just believe that God created everything. I also believe that he could have made the creatures evolve.

And what do you mean its not us I have to impress. I know that but I dont get where you were going with that.

So now you do believe in Evolution. Good for you.

Well no not exactly. Im not a full believer in evolution. I mean the animals did change and adapt, but I still believe that God created humans and didnt have apes evolve into them. You know I believe in the Adam and Eve thing.

[Khadgar]

Chetssaland, just let it go. You have to pick your battles.

You should pick battles you can win. A creationist trying to argue against evolution will lose every time.

[Barfobulville]

I don't think they favor evolution over Biblical creationism. I don't think that they are mutually exclusive, I would venture to say that neither do the Christians that accept evolution. The belief that God created the world is a central part of all Christianity.

Err, literal Biblical creationism does conflict with evolution and other bits of science. And I wouldn't class it as a central part of Christianity (but you know, ask 100 Christians what it means to be Christians and you'll get 100 different answers).

I didn't say literal Biblical creationism. If you ask 100 Christians whether they believe God created the world, they will say yes.

[Khadgar]

I dont just believe that God created everything. I also believe that he could have made the creatures evolve.

And what do you mean its not us I have to impress. I know that but I dont get where you were going with that.

So now you do believe in Evolution. Good for you.

Well no not exactly. Im not a full believer in evolution. I mean the animals did change and adapt, but I still believe that God created humans and didnt have apes evolve into them. You know I believe in the Adam and Eve thing.

So you believe all of the evidence for evolution, except the transitional forms that lead to man? How curiously selective.

[Chetssaland]

Chetssaland, just let it go. You have to pick your battles.

You should pick battles you can win. A creationist trying to argue against evolution will lose every time.

How so? The evolutionist cant just pull out full proof that evolution is real. This is just a battle that cant really be won or lost because we probably will never know.

[Khadgar]

Chetssaland, just let it go. You have to pick your battles.

You should pick battles you can win. A creationist trying to argue against evolution will lose every time.

How so? The evolutionist cant just pull out full proof that evolution is real. This is just a battle that cant really be won or lost because we probably will never know.

I can't prove that any of you exist. Proof is an impossibility outside of mathematical semantics. The preponderance of evidence greatly supports evolution. It's an argument that a creationist cannot win.

[The Tofu Islands]

I didn't say literal Biblical creationism. If you ask 100 Christians whether they believe God created the world, they will say yes.

Literal creationism is the only one I can actually talk about off-hand, because it is well-defined. Feel free to clarify on what you were referring to. Also, if I'm included then 99 of them will say yes, and I will say "Well, indirectly. I believe He/She created the universe, and thus indirectly the world.".

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How so? The evolutionist cant just pull out full proof that evolution is real. This is just a battle that cant really be won or lost because we probably will never know.

Direct observation of evolution not good enough? We do know, currently, that evolution occurs.

Also, please do not use the word "evolutionist" -- you make it sound like it's a belief system.

[Barfobulville]

So you believe all of the evidence for evolution, except the transitional forms that lead to man? How curiously selective.

Maybe he's being naturally selective. I apologize.

[Chetssaland]

Chetssaland, just let it go. You have to pick your battles.

Why would I just let it go and say, "OK you guys win. Evolution is real." Im not trying to force them to believe what I believe but am sticking up for my religion.

[Dragontide]

To those that deny the big bang:

Your soon in for a big shock now that the Hubble telescope is fixed. And results from the LHC are going to turn a few heads too. (late 2010)

[The Ophelias]

So you believe all of the evidence for evolution, except the transitional forms that lead to man? How curiously selective.

Maybe he's being naturally selective. I apologize.

Why are you apologizing for him/her? You didn't espouse the weirdness he/she did. It's not your fault.

[Khadgar]

Chetssaland, just let it go. You have to pick your battles.

Why would I just let it go and say, "OK you guys win. Evolution is real." Im not trying to force them to believe what I believe but am sticking up for my religion.

Were evolution in any way shape or form an attack on your faith that would be admirable (to a point), but since we've demonstrated that it's not...

[Khadgar]

So you believe all of the evidence for evolution, except the transitional forms that lead to man? How curiously selective.

Maybe he's being naturally selective. I apologize.

Why are you apologizing for him/her? You didn't espouse the weirdness he/she did. It's not your fault.

It's a joke, apologizing for using Natural Selection to describe someone who's picking and choosing what parts of nature to believe in.

[Chetssaland]

I didn't say literal Biblical creationism. If you ask 100 Christians whether they believe God created the world, they will say yes.

Literal creationism is the only one I can actually talk about off-hand, because it is well-defined. Feel free to clarify on what you were referring to. Also, if I'm included then 99 of them will say yes, and I will say "Well, indirectly. I believe He/She created the universe, and thus indirectly the world.".

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How so? The evolutionist cant just pull out full proof that evolution is real. This is just a battle that cant really be won or lost because we probably will never know.

Direct observation of evolution not good enough? We do know, currently, that evolution occurs.

Also, please do not use the word "evolutionist" -- you make it sound like it's a belief system.

I couldnt find a better fitting word so I just used it. And thats adaptations that occur. Well I got to go, so dont have too much fun without me kids.

[Dyakovo]

Chetssaland, just let it go. You have to pick your battles.

Why would I just let it go and say, "OK you guys win. Evolution is real." Im not trying to force them to believe what I believe but am sticking up for my religion.

See, the things is, there doesn't need to be any conflict between christianity and the ToE, they are not mutually exclusive.

So you believe all of the evidence for evolution, except the transitional forms that lead to man? How curiously selective.

Maybe he's being naturally selective. I apologize.

Why are you apologizing for him/her? You didn't espouse the weirdness he/she did. It's not your fault.

I read that as him apologizing for the bad joke...

[Smunkeeville]

Are you asking if I believe in a common ancestor, if I believe that things evolve, if I believe in survival of the fittest or all of those or a combo of those or something completely different and unrelated (like the big bang)?

[Barfobulville]

Chetssaland, just let it go. You have to pick your battles.

Why would I just let it go and say, "OK you guys win. Evolution is real." Im not trying to force them to believe what I believe but am sticking up for my religion.

No, I meant stop arguing about grammar and punctuation. Argue against evolution as much as you see fit. However, I don't plan to assist you.

[The Tofu Islands]

Why would I just let it go and say, "OK you guys win. Evolution is real." Im not trying to force them to believe what I believe but am sticking up for my religion.

Because that seems to the case? At some point you should give up a lost cause. It's fine to stick up for your religion, but if your beliefs include things that seem likely to be wrong then it's perfectly reasonable for people to criticise them.

I couldnt find a better fitting word so I just used it. And thats adaptations that occur. Well I got to go, so dont have too much fun without me kids.

Evolution is adaptation. Specifically, adaptations that stick around and benefit the species.

[Barfobulville]

For the record, I was apologizing for the horrible natural selection pun.

[Khadgar]

Are you asking if I believe in a common ancestor, if I believe that things evolve, if I believe in survival of the fittest or all of those or a combo of those or something completely different and unrelated (like the big bang)?

Evolution usually only refers to common ancestry of related species and adaptation. Only people to throw in the Big Bang et cetera are usually ID proponents or Creationists. They do this to muddy the issue when they're getting their asses rhetorically kicked.