Evolution versus Creationism

[Eran of Arcadia]

My mother is another devout Catholic who is, inexplicably, a YEC. I really don't get that.

 

[Perfection]

Why does it surprise you? I know a few Catholics like this too.

 

[GoodGame]

I think there's quite a few literalist Catholics, at least in the Americas. YEC and literalism is like chocolate and peanut butter.

 

[El_Machinae]

I frequently see predictions borne from the Theory of Evolution later confirmed by experiment or by a natural finding, especially in the fields I'm most knowledgable about. The power of a theory is not only contained within its ability to explain all the known facts, but to provide novel predictions which can be tested through experiment.

 

[Ghpstage]

Indeed. And it has absolutely no hold in my region i.e. Asia. We find it astonishing that this is viewed as serious science in some parts of the world...

I am inclined to move this to OT, but for now I will leave it here and see how it goes...

I don't think any part of the world actually considers it science, unfortunately lots of people who don't understand science seem to back the idea with the USA being one of the worst areas for this.

 

[Aramazd]

There is really no debate about it here in SJ. Only a few people seriously believe in creationism, but even they aren't YECs.

 

[Simple Simon]

There is really no debate about it here in SJ. Only a few people seriously believe in creationism, but even they aren't YECs.

There's a few. One opened an 'Ask a YEC' thread, but his answer ratio is..... unsatisfactory, to say the least.

 

[Huayna Capac357]

Woo! 100% evolution!

 

[Taras Bulba]

I stand in the grey area in between

 

[holy king]

Why does it surprise you? I know a few Catholics like this too.

it doesnt make any sense. you accept the pope as your authority and then go on and... well... dont accept his authority.

 

[Perfection]

I stand in the grey area in between

Can you elaborate on this mystic land of yours.

it doesnt make any sense. you accept the pope as your authority and then go on and... well... dont accept his authority.

And that's been new since? And it's not that the pope gave evolution a glowing review and commanded all to accept it.

 

[Taras Bulba]

Can you elaborate on this mystic land of yours

I believe that God created the Earth, however, that still leaves that big gap wide open on all the little details of how it happened. That is where evolution pops in. I strongly believe that God is a man of science. When it says God created the Earth in 6 days and rested on the 7th, doesn't necessarily mean 7 days as we know it. I mean, doesn't it say that 1 day on Earth is like 1,000 days in Heaven (that number not necessarily being a definate scale). When God created the Earth, who knows what was going on here. It is my belief that God created the Earth, but he wasn't stupid. He made the Earth so it would work.

Lets say you create a machine to do something.
do you
-make it 100% reliable on you, so that every little step you need to jump in and work the machine
or
-make it so that it runs itself, and you watch and make sure everything runs smoothly and as it should.

That is a very loose interpretation of how the Earth was created. God created the Earth so that it works on its own, most probably through evolution, that things naturally come to pass, but always with a divine presense watching over it.

NOTE: this is based off of my opinion, not defined by my religion

 

[Perfection]

The process of evolution is a fairly vicious and cruel way to develop sentient beings, why should God prefer such a process, and does that make God evil?

 

[Taras Bulba]

The process of evolution is a fairly vicious and cruel way to develop sentient beings, why should God prefer such a process, and does that make God evil?

That same idea always goes to question "why does God just let rapists and serial murderers run free?"
That doesn't make God evil.
Would God create life and then create things such as fossils ot make people go crazy and fight between whether evolution is real or not. Would God play that kind of psychological warfare on humans?
No. But the thing is, when you create animals, isn't there bound to be survival of the fittest? The animal that is able to get to the food the fastest is going to survive. If that animal needs to protect itself against another animal, it will need to protect itself the best in order to survive. Call it cruel, call it evil, its logical. Just another reason why God didn't create this Earth for animals, but for US. (a personal reason of mine against vegetarianism)

 

[Aramazd]

That same idea always goes to question "why does God just let rapists and serial murderers run free?"
That doesn't make God evil.
Would God create life and then create things such as fossils ot make people go crazy and fight between whether evolution is real or not. Would God play that kind of psychological warfare on humans?
No. But the thing is, when you create animals, isn't there bound to be survival of the fittest? The animal that is able to get to the food the fastest is going to survive. If that animal needs to protect itself against another animal, it will need to protect itself the best in order to survive. Call it cruel, call it evil, its logical. Just another reason why God didn't create this Earth for animals, but for US. (a personal reason of mine against vegetarianism)

Couldn't god have made it so this didn't have to happen?

 

[Perfection]

That same idea always goes to question "why does God just let rapists and serial murderers run free?"
That doesn't make God evil.

Why not?

No. But the thing is, when you create animals, isn't there bound to be survival of the fittest?

I would think that God would be clever enough devise a world where such a thing doesn't happen. For instance, animals could exhibit controlled growth instead of falling prey to Malthusian Catastrophe.

Just another reason why God didn't create this Earth for animals, but for US. (a personal reason of mine against vegetarianism)

But what about US? If God created us through evolution is that not cruel to people?

 

[Taras Bulba]

Couldn't god have made it so this didn't have to happen?

I would think that God would be clever enough devise a world where such a thing doesn't happen. For instance, animals could exhibit controlled growth instead of falling prey to Malthusian Catastrophe.

I'm not all knowing and I'm not God. But what I do know is, that God cannot just hand us everything on a silver plate. I mean, seriously. When he created our plan for us, he had 2 options, get everyone back, or let people choose who wants to come back, and he pretty much let a major chunk of his children go, but it HAD to be done.
Essentially, I cannot explain why God does every little thing that he does, I'm simply stating that science does not refute God, and God does not refute science

Why not?

Take this hypothetical situation. I give you the choice between saving 1,000,000 lives if you take the life of one. If you don't take the life of that one person, the 1,000,000 die.
Any logical person would choose 1 to die over 1,000,000. Does that make that person evil, because they let 1 person die? Or does that make them a savior, because they saved 1,000,000 lives. It isn't the same situation, but you get how there can be two sides to the situation.
Unfortunately, taking the side of God typically takes the side of the unknown, hence the reason for faith. People who find confidence in fact stand behind only what they know, or evolution.

But what about US? If God created us through evolution is that not cruel to people?

how is creating us through evolution cruel to humanity?

 

[CCRunner]

I believe that God created the Earth, however, that still leaves that big gap wide open on all the little details of how it happened. That is where evolution pops in. I strongly believe that God is a man of science. When it says God created the Earth in 6 days and rested on the 7th, doesn't necessarily mean 7 days as we know it. I mean, doesn't it say that 1 day on Earth is like 1,000 days in Heaven (that number not necessarily being a definite scale). When God created the Earth, who knows what was going on here. It is my belief that God created the Earth, but he wasn't stupid. He made the Earth so it would work.

Lets say you create a machine to do something.
do you
-make it 100% reliable on you, so that every little step you need to jump in and work the machine
or
-make it so that it runs itself, and you watch and make sure everything runs smoothly and as it should.

That is a very loose interpretation of how the Earth was created. God created the Earth so that it works on its own, most probably through evolution, that things naturally come to pass, but always with a divine presence watching over it.

NOTE: this is based off of my opinion, not defined by my religion

I was going to type up an opinion but this is easier

 

[Perfection]

Unfortunately, taking the side of God typically takes the side of the unknown, hence the reason for faith. People who find confidence in fact stand behind only what they know, or evolution.

Why should turning away from fact lead to a greater understanding of truth?

 

[Aramazd]

I'm not all knowing and I'm not God. But what I do know is, that God cannot just hand us everything on a silver plate. I mean, seriously. When he created our plan for us, he had 2 options, get everyone back, or let people choose who wants to come back, and he pretty much let a major chunk of his children go, but it HAD to be done.
Essentially, I cannot explain why God does every little thing that he does, I'm simply stating that science does not refute God, and God does not refute science

I don't think it does. But is does make god evil.

Take this hypothetical situation. I give you the choice between saving 1,000,000 lives if you take the life of one. If you don't take the life of that one person, the 1,000,000 die.
Any logical person would choose 1 to die over 1,000,000. Does that make that person evil, because they let 1 person die? Or does that make them a savior, because they saved 1,000,000 lives. It isn't the same situation, but you get how there can be two sides to the situation.

But couldn't god save everyone? He is omnipotent after all.

Unfortunately, taking the side of God typically takes the side of the unknown, hence the reason for faith. People who find confidence in fact stand behind only what they know, or evolution.

There is no reason to doubt evolution. It been proven beyond a doubt. But I see no reason to believe Creationism

how is creating us through evolution cruel to humanity?

Evolution means people have to die for selection to occur and make humans.