*Debate* Evolution and Creationism

[The Otter Horde]

I believe that God created this world!! I think that evolutionism is an unprovable theory! Where are the missing links? How come nothing is evolving now? And the human is WAY to sofistacated to be by chance! Only an all powerful, imaginative Creator could have created us! Evolution is like saying that a bomb landed in a junkyard and out of it came a jet plane! Fully-functional and everything!

[Fresh Water Fighters]

I agrae.
The eye could not work with out the parts it has.
~FWF

[Devari]

I don't think that those people are correct in their beliefes. Like I said, to deny Genesis is pretty much to call God a liar. Just from reading it, it doesn't seem a parable. What could it be pointing to? In the passage you quoted what it seems to mean is that everything God doesn't start will not succeed. But what would Genesis mean? If God had evolved the world, why did he not explain it that way? The ancient peoples would have been able to comprehend that just as easilly as him just creating out of nothing.

Hey ho!

Some points of mine:

1. The Bible was written by humans. Humans make mistakes. Humans tend to write with their own opinion in mind. No matter how divinely inspired the Bible may be, it is a mortal document and therefore subject to flaws. The Bible itself shows us that even the holiest are flawed - the Disciples of Christ, for example, had many flaws. They are, after all, human.
2. It is very possible that parts of the Bible was written from oral sources, instead of inscribed at the spot. In my opinion, this gives at least a chance of error - especially with the creation myth of genesis. I'm not sure on this, but I believe the creation myth was around long before the Bible was actually written down - thus, it very well could have been orally distorted.
3. Creation being so vital to the religion, it is quite possible that it was originally conceived in the "7-day" form as a parable so the myth could be explained to people, especially children. I mean, is God slowly tweaking genetic structures over millions of years particularly enthralling? I think not!
4. The Bible has been in the hands of many corrupt officials over time. Surely translations and inscribings of the Bible could easily be changed to fit a particular philosophy or viewpoint?

As for flaws in evolution, sure. There are flaws in creationism too, I'm sure. The basic fact (and one of the few in this whole thing!) is that both are theories. A theory is not a fact, but a possible explanation for a phenomenon. In the cases of both evolution and creationism, they are accepted by different groups as the most plausible of theorems.

That all said, I'm not sure I can see evolution and creationism as incompatible. Unless you take Genesis literally, that is. As can be extrapolated from my above points, I obviously don't!

I'm what I might term non-Denominational Christian, although I have been called atheist (!) before, due to my less-than-the-norm beliefs (such as not being a literalist to the Bible, especially not the Old Testament). But, to me, a Christian is one who believes in Christ and God, which I do. I mean, what else can you call it? :*laughs*:

[Devari]

Double-posting, I know. But I just had to respond to some points here:

I believe that God created this world!! I think that evolutionism is an unprovable theory!

How so? There are many peices of evidence, such as carbon dating and various fossils, for evolution. Please explain.

Where are the missing links? How come nothing is evolving now?

Evolution happens on a very broad scale of time - it is not easy to say that it is not happening now.

And the human is WAY to sofistacated to be by chance!

It is quite possible. It is a large universe. Chance essentially means probability - the evolution of a simple organic structure into a more complex (such as a human) is certainally not impossible.

Only an all powerful, imaginative Creator could have created us!

That too is debatable.

Evolution is like saying that a bomb landed in a junkyard and out of it came a jet plane! Fully-functional and everything!

No, for many reasons. For example, the theory states evolution happens over the course of many millions of years. In addition, evolution deals with organic organisms. Last I checked, a plane is neither organic nor an organism.

[Corban]

1. The Bible was written by humans. Humans make mistakes. Humans tend to write with their own opinion in mind. No matter how divinely inspired the Bible may be, it is a mortal document and therefore subject to flaws. The Bible itself shows us that even the holiest are flawed - the Disciples of Christ, for example, had many flaws. They are, after all, human.

Are you saying that you believe that the bible is flawed? Just because a person is flawed does not mean that his writing or statements are flawed.

2. It is very possible that parts of the Bible was written from oral sources, instead of inscribed at the spot. In my opinion, this gives at least a chance of error - especially with the creation myth of genesis. I'm not sure on this, but I believe the creation myth was around long before the Bible was actually written down - thus, it very well could have been orally distorted.

When referring to the bible being written what do you mean? The books of the Old Testament are from the Jewish canon which has been in existence long since the compilation of the Christian Canon (The New Testament).

3. Creation being so vital to the religion, it is quite possible that it was originally conceived in the "7-day" form as a parable so the myth could be explained to people, especially children. I mean, is God slowly tweaking genetic structures over millions of years particularly enthralling? I think not!

What about the concept of the trinity? Is that not enormously also complex? Even more than the idea of mutations? The Trinity is also vital to Christianity, why would God not simplify this and then simplify the Creation?

4. The Bible has been in the hands of many corrupt officials over time. Surely translations and inscribings of the Bible could easily be changed to fit a particular philosophy or viewpoint?

You seem to take the view that the New Translations of the Bible are derived from old translations. In fact the New Translations (i.e. NIV, NLT, etc.) of the Bible are derived from their original sources.

But, to me, a Christian is one who believes in Christ and God, which I do. I mean, what else can you call it?

Ah, but even the Demons believe and tremble... I would say that a Christian is not just one who believes but also takes the action to turn away from his sin, ask forgiveness, and follow God...

[Fresh Water Fighters]

The Bible has been in the hands of many corrupt officials over time. Surely translations and inscribings of the Bible could easily be changed to fit a particular philosophy or viewpoint?

Well What about the Dead Sea Scrolls?
If the bible was Changed or messed with then how come Modern versions are very close to a origenal(sp?) scrolls some of witch are dated over 2000 years old