Do you support evolution? (myth, protestant, Catholic, Christian)

[chielgirl]

Why is Earth the only planet found to have life on it? And so many different kinds of life? Why are humans the only species that have knowledge? That know the difference between right and wrong? To have affection? To love? To hate? Surely there would have to be at least a species comparable to humans of the thousands upon thousands of species on this Earth?

Can you prove any of your assertions? We haven't been to all planets; yes, humans are killing all kinds of life on earth; we do not know that the only species to have knowledge are humans, don't dolphins speak (one example); right and wrong is subjective; animal life shows great affection and love; have you heard of dogs biting people who harmed them?

You're not convincing me with your argument. Try again?

[Travelling fella]

Originally Posted by ArizonaBear

Despite my being firmly secular:

I truly feel there is a 'higher power' out there for want of a better term.

Even if said power is nothing more than a form of electro-mechanical energy........

I happen to share this view, I believe that God, or Spirit, or the Cosmic consciousness or (Insert your favorite name here) designed this world intended to be dynamic, he started with a rough seed that was meant to evolve and keep changing, we humans evolve, we've evolved from stone age to the information age, religions evolve from inquisition to progressive views that accept Evolution theory (in some) and Science as a complement to explain how this God created universe works, so for me it's perfectly acceptable, there are a lot of mysteries about our evolution still to be discovered though.

[kleer]

I'm open to about anything that can't be disproven, but believe nothing. Most organized religions I see as already disproven, but whatever gets you off... I like the idea of some greater consciousness, spirit, creator, etc...

But I see how there might not be. How can there be existence without the absence of existence? Maybe they are born out of eachother, never-ending cycle like everything else we see in this world/galaxy/universe? blah.. Maybe human language/perception just can't make sense of that thought... everything is relative... blah... but still... We're starting to see interesting things like anti-matter "annihilating" with matter, things come in pairs?, etc?, non-sense?, etc?, electrons/positrons?,... Lotta weird sht on macrocosmic levels seem comparable to microcosmic levels? solar systems/atoms??? I'm in an unknowledgeable(?) hell, someone gimme a fckin apple!

In conclusion: ...You're full of sht if you think you have the answer...

[Sweden]

I believe in evolution. And I believe in God. I don't see that they to in any way collide and that one can either "believe" in evolution or God.
If the founders of both the Big Bang and the evolution theory could both be Christians and see their theories as proof of His existence, then why are their theories used as proof against His existence?

Nothing can be formed on it's own. No materia is made from nothing. That's the biggest flaw with the "evolution started everything and there is nothing more to it" -theory.
If nothing can be created from nothing, then how can everything just have evolved from nothing? There must be something more to it, for example God.

In my belief, God started it all with Big Bang, and then he created/made possible the first creatures. They then evolved -evolution- into higher creatures. If God created an animal etc. after that...
He can have given certain positions (e.g. Adam and Eve) to certain creatures afterwards.

I think it's a bit strange that we as humans, with human intellect that clearly can't understand everything, should be able to understand exactly how such a big creation came to life. (And yes, I am aware that this argument can be used against religions as well.)
If one consideres the fact that all religions deal with how earth and all creatures on it was formed, then one must consider the evolution-theory to be in the same category.
In the category of "how was this planet and all life created", it all boils down to "belief".

Do I believe in evolution? Yes. Do I believe in God? Yes. Do I know anything for certain? No.
That's why it is called a "belief". And this far, no religion nor scientific theory regarding this question, has ever been proven. It's all about belief.

[skytrekker]

The scientific evidence of evolution is irrefutable.

[jak88]

Originally Posted by skytrekker

The scientific evidence of evolution is irrefutable.

Yes it is, which is why I voted for holes in it. Lots of items in evolution are fishy and can't be proven or accurate.

Not to say I believe in creationism, or that the theories are wrong. I believe they are just as right as you are, but scientists have a lot more work to do.

In fact, I believe in a mixture of the two theories. I think God created the universe and planets supporting life in seven 'stages', not really days. And yes I do believe in God. I believe it is not impossible to say God created us in the physical boundaries that we too are binded by.

[kleer]

Originally Posted by jak88

I think God created the universe and planets supporting life in seven 'stages', not really days.

::cringe::

And lets say 10 years from now science learns more about the creation of the universe which somehow makes your belief as ridiculous as believing the world was created in 7 "days"... Would you re-reinterpret "days"?

[TXboomerang]

I don't consider the Bible as a comprehensive science book. I consider it a group of scriptures and teachings that are supposed to lead one's moral and spiritual concepts, not their scientific beliefs.

I do believe we were created. When? I don't know. How? I don't know. Does it matter? Not really to me. I believe a higher power, God, is responsible for everything we see on this earth. How he brought it into existence is a mystery that can't be proved. Just like the big bang. Both require faith in something having to exist before anything could exist.

I do think Genesis was intended to provide information, but it is far too incomplete to consider it somehow a science guide. I've posted elsewhere what I think about the Adam and Eve story, that it is a HIGHLY condensed description of the beginnings of mankind and the hunter/gatherer and agricultural developments that cover a long period of time. It was not meant to be a 100% complete story.

[GregW]

Darwin's "Origin of Species" makes more sense than anything else I have ever considered.

Emotionally I like the way evolution has removed humans from the center of the universe to just another creature. When we eventually render the planet nearly uninhabitable for humans and many other species we will know we did it for the best of reasons - unlimited human population accompanied by infinite greed.

[baystater]

Easy to say it takes billions or millions of years for life forms to evolve when no one can prove or disprove it.

And you can prove that the earth was created in 7 days? I mean not just faith in the bible. But hard evidence. (I'm assuming your a creationist and as Christian.)

Why is Earth the only planet found to have life on it?

Grant I can't prove there is. But you can't prove there is not. The universe it huge. With untold number of stars and planets in it. Are we the only spot in all the universe with life? Maybe? But if you look a the laws of numbers it's almost impossible for earth to be the only planet in life.

And so many different kinds of life?

Actually. That's the question that started Charles Darwin on his path to write origin of species.

Why are humans the only species that have knowledge?

Well I think a poster above post that an ape was taught sign language. And that the ape can communicate with the sign language. So the ape does have some knowledge. Granted it not that much but it is knowledge.

That know the difference between right and wrong? To have affection? To love? To hate?

Again scientist are finding some ape (actually it think it's chimpanzees.) So have emotional responses. But not much emotional control. Frontal lobe wonderful adaptation.

Surely there would have to be at least a species comparable to humans of the thousands upon thousands of species on this Earth?

Well we remember we are a aggressive creature. We humans either probably kill off rivals or interbreed with competing species.

Ex. Neanderthals (no our genetic line). I believe if you take the scientific theory we are descended from Cro-magnon man.

Humans have been around for millions of years?

Actually I think the theory say that man in his current from has only been around for 200,000 and 250,000 years.

But only in the past few thousand years has there been any trace of intelligent life?

Humans were to busy hunting and gathering and had not figured out farming yet. So there was not time for reading, writing, Etc.

What clicked on in the human head all of sudden and make people think, lets start a society, a language, tools?

Actually they found flint tools that predated humans. So it is currently believed that our prehumans ancestors used tools. Actually they are finding some primates use primitive tools to get at food.

Why only very recent (recent being several thousand years) has there been historical evidence of humans?

Again. Humans were to busy hunting and gathering and had not figured out farming yet. So there was not time for reading, writing, Etc.

My point is this: If humans have been around for millions of years, why do we only have knowledge of humans from under 10,000 years ago? All writings, artifacts, bones, nothing dates that far out.

1. Humans have only been around for 250,000 years tops.

2. Humans didn't figure out farming until 12,000 years ago. So they didn't have the extra time to invent reading and writing etc.

3. your last statement with the bones and artifacts is utterly wrong. There are some bones and plenty of artifacts that show there were prehuman communities that date back way before humans even existed.