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Science and the evolution of Christianity - scope for understanding?
The Scopes Trial—formally known as The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes and informally known as the Scopes Monkey Trial—was a landmark American legal case in 1925 in which high school science teacher, John Scopes, was accused of violating Tennessee's Butler Act which made it unlawful to teach evolution.[1]
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Science v Christianity - Certainly seemed to be the case (literally) in the above mentioned Scopes trial - which effectively was about the doctrine of human origin and evolution. Indeed there were two opposing sides - the scientific and Christian communities, at least that was the public view. The Christian community rejected scientists account of evolution claiming it was unbiblical. Science was wrong!
Is science wrong though? I do not believe it is.
It is some of the scientists who are wrong in their speculations. But I also believe that some in the Christian community should not discount evolution - as a process used by God. I've heard many Christians say "I don't believe in evolution", but there are valid scientific claims in Darwin's theory of evolution; some aspects of his theory were/are obviously speculative.
The creation is another issue that seemingly separates science and Christianity - how old is the universe? Is there a designer? Who created God? etc etc
It is not a case of science v Christianity - rather isn't it a case of science for Christianity? There should be scope for understanding between both communities I believe.
After all - science is only revealing what God has created.
Any thoughts on this?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Bible-Talk on
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Amen Nancy - I fully agree God has made it all happen.
Thanks for sharing sister.
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Hahahaha - good one
You're a poet
and you just know it
where are the smileys???
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Permalink Reply by Rita Cullimore on
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Desmond,
The Genesis creation has been proven many times while evolution has never been proven. Science has proven the Genesis account. If you want to believe scientists, perhaps you need to study what Christians in the field of science has proven.
Blessings,
Rita
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Hi Rita,
I am not at all disputing the Bible's version about creation, but just wanted to say that Christian scientists are understanding how evolution played a part in Gods creation.
That is not to say that the Christian scientists (and me) believe that humans descended from apes - which is a (falsely) speculative part of Darwin's theory of evolution. Some of his other ideas in his theory do however make sense to Christians in the field of science.
Thanks for sharing - you're a great sister in the Lord (*_*)
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Hi Nancy .......... waiting for many two cents worth - at least until the penny drops!
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Thats a great question Nancy.
"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." 2 Peter 3:8 NIV, and:
"A thousand years in your sight
are like a day that has just gone by,
or like a watch in the night." Psalm 90:4 NIVI am just speculating about the (seven) days but perhaps a "cosmic" day in Gods eyes could be like a billion years and vice versa?
I believe the seven days were in Gods measurement of time/days for our benefit.
Be interesting to hear others thoughts on this.
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Amen sister - God is with us (*_*)
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Permalink Reply by Amanda on
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I am just speculating about the (seven) days but perhaps a "cosmic" day in Gods eyes could be like a billion years and vice versa?
I believe the seven days were in Gods measurement of time/days for our benefit.Desmond, I am a firm believer in the six literal days of creation with an evening and a morning just like the evening and the morning we have everyday of our lives now, and I believe in a young earth. I was just reading a good article asking the question, Could God really have created everything in six days? It was written by Ken Ham. I know this is widely debated but I wanted to share my stance on the issue. The very first time I read Genesis, I took it as six ordinary days and nights. I was 16. It's the way I still see it.
In the article, Ken Ham says, “Christians should build their thinking on the Bible, not on science.” As much as I like science, I have to agree with Ken. His is a long article but worth taking time to read and ponder. Ken goes on to say:
"What does the Bible tell us about the meaning of “day” in Genesis 1? A word can have more than one meaning, depending on the context. For instance, the English word “day” can have perhaps 14 different meanings. For example, consider the following sentence: “Back in my grandfather’s day, it took 12 days to drive across the country during the day.”
"Here the first occurrence of “day” means “time” in a general sense. The second “day,” where a number is used, refers to an ordinary day, and the third refers to the daylight portion of the 24-hour period. The point is that words can have more than one meaning, depending on the context.
"To understand the meaning of “day” in Genesis 1, we need to determine how the Hebrew word for “day,” yom, is used in the context of Scripture. Consider the following:
A typical concordance will illustrate that yom can have a range of meanings: a period of light as contrasted to night, a 24-hour period, time, a specific point of time, or a year.
A classic, well-respected Hebrew-English lexicon (a dictionary) has seven headings and many subheadings for the meaning of yom—but it defines the creation days of Genesis 1 as ordinary days under the heading “day as defined by evening and morning.”"A number and the phrase “evening and morning” are used with each of the six days of creation (Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31).
Outside Genesis 1, yom is used with a number 359 times, and each time it means an ordinary day. Why would Genesis 1 be the exception?
Outside Genesis 1, yom is used with the word “evening” or “morning” 23 times. “Evening” and “morning” appear in association, but without yom, 38 times. All 61 times the text refers to an ordinary day. Why would Genesis 1 be the exception?
"In Genesis 1:5, yom occurs in context with the word “night.” Outside of Genesis 1, “night” is used with yom 53 times, and each time it means an ordinary day. Why would Genesis 1 be the exception? Even the usage of the word “light” with yom in this passage determines the meaning as ordinary day.
The plural of yom, which does not appear in Genesis 1, can be used to communicate a longer time period, such as “in those days.” Adding a number here would be nonsensical. Clearly, in Exodus 20:11, where a number is used with “days,” it unambiguously refers to six earth-rotation days.
"There are words in biblical Hebrew (such as olam or qedem) that are very suitable for communicating long periods of time, or indefinite time, but none of these words are used in Genesis 1. Alternatively, the days or years could have been compared with grains of sand if long periods were meant.
"If we are prepared to let the words of the language speak to us in accord with the context and normal definitions, without being influenced by outside ideas, then the word for “day” found in Genesis 1—which is qualified by a number, the phrase “evening and morning” and for Day 1 the words “light and darkness”—obviously means an ordinary day (about 24 hours).
"In Martin Luther’s day, some of the church fathers were saying that God created everything in only one day or in an instant. Martin Luther wrote,
When Moses writes that God created Heaven and Earth and whatever is in them in six days, then let this period continue to have been six days, and do not venture to devise any comment according to which six days were one day. But, if you cannot understand how this could have been done in six days, then grant the Holy Spirit the honor of being more learned than you are. For you are to deal with Scripture in such a way that you bear in mind that God Himself says what is written. But since God is speaking, it is not fitting for you wantonly to turn His Word in the direction you wish to go.
"Exodus 31:12 says that God commanded Moses to say to the children of Israel:
Six days may work be done, but on the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Therefore the sons of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant. It is a sign between me and the sons of Israel forever. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested, and was refreshed (Exodus 31:15–17).
"Then God gave Moses two tablets of stone upon which were written the commandments of God, written by the finger of God (Exodus 31:18).
Because God is infinite in power and wisdom, there’s no doubt He could have created the universe and its contents in no time at all, or six seconds, or six minutes, or six hours—after all, with God nothing shall be impossible (Luke 1:37).
However, the question to ask is, “Why did God take so long? Why as long as six days?” The answer is also given in Exodus 20:11, and that answer is the basis of the Fourth Commandment:
For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
"The seven-day week has no basis outside of Scripture. In this Old Testament passage, God commands His people, Israel, to work for six days and rest for one—thus giving us a reason why He deliberately took as long as six days to create everything. He set the example for man. Our week is patterned after this principle. Now if He created everything in six thousand (or six million) years, followed by a rest of one thousand or one million years, then we would have a very interesting week indeed."
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Amanda, Well said. Excellent cartoon.
Blessings...
Rita
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Amanda - I'm going to get back to you if that's ok?
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Well said, Gary. I think of atheists saying there is no God when all around us is proof the God is real. I believe they have to be blind. God wrote knowledge on every person's heart. What a wonderful experience they are missing out on. I am sorry for them.
blessings,
Rita
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