Evolution DNA and Faith

[jArsOfClay]

I've read a lot of books and articles lately that offer interesting evidence that Evolution is not necessarily as sound a theory as our biology professors would have us believe.

Being a medical student, I am of course compelled to acknowledge the overwhelming evidence of the possibility of evolution. However being a Christian drives me even more powerfully to believe what the bible says.

Right now the most bothersome aspect of the evolutionary theory is the Neanderthals. Does anyone know of any information that proposes that the Neanderthals could have just been Homo Sapiens with a very common Genetic Defect of that pre-historic period.

Any other interesting thoughts?

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[dakotaman]

A CHRISTIAN who's gonna be a doctor?! How DARE they let you in!

 

[theduke]

This is an interesting topic. I'm a reluctant Christian who disagrees with some of the theological aspects. I don't believe God create man. I think He is the first cause and evolution is a method to increase our ability to understand Him and hence return to our first cause.

Regardless, I really doubt evolution will be disproven.

 

[coldsteel]

I'm not trying to be rude, but if you're not sure you "believe" in evolution you are not a very good biology student. I assume from what you say in your post that you are trying to hedge the evidence for evolutionary theory from fossil data. That became outmoded in the 1960's with the advent of refined molecular biology techniques. If you honestly aim to understand evolutionary theory read Carl Woese's papers that started appearing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science in the 1970s. He is a molecular biologist at the University of Illinois, and is considered to be the foremost expert in evolutionary theory. He has shown that those pictures that you see in your biology book with the monkey on the left side of the page and "modern man" on the right side are a bunch of BS. The real evolutionary tree looks like a bush with a bunch of dead end branches and growing branches that stem from a common ancestor.
Furthermore, why is it that people always believe that traditional creationism and evolutionary theory are mutually exclusive? Ask any professor in the department of theology at your university if the bible is to be taken literally and they will tell you NO! I have no problem with reading the bible, but you have to take it in context and think about who wrote it just as you would do with any scientific paper. Many scientists and theologians alike accept that it is entirely possible that god created the appropriate environment for the development of life, and stepped back to watch his creation evolve into life as we know it today. An analogy that is commonly used is that God is like a watchmaker: he made the watch, wound it up, and then it continues to run on its own. This view is part of a larger theological idea known as deism. You've probably heard the term in history class: most of the founding fathers of the US were deists.

 

[medic8m]

If two students handed in 100 page term papers and they were absolutely identical except for a few words or letters would you think they came from a common source? What about not just two but 100 term papers which all veried by only a few words exactly in the same areas, and some in other areas. You would have to conclude they came from a common source and expel the students Now replace book with genome and words with DNA or mitochondrial DNA. This is an oversimplified example of the DNA evidence for common ancestry/evolution. This along with mountains of other "evidence" make it difficult to "believe" anything else. It is the fundamental premise of modern biology. Personally, I dont think this/my belief is contradictory to the basic belief of most religions including christianity. Peace. love, respect, mercy are all compatible.

 

[aphistis]

Originally posted by coldsteel
Furthermore, why is it that people always believe that traditional creationism and evolutionary theory are mutually exclusive?

Amen. I've been saying this for years.

 

[Daiphon]

Originally posted by coldsteel
Furthermore, why is it that people always believe that traditional creationism and evolutionary theory are mutually exclusive?

An analogy that is commonly used is that God is like a watchmaker: he made the watch, wound it up, and then it continues to run on its own.

Well said, coldsteel... good to know it's not just me thinking/saying this (ditto to you, aphistis)...

I'm also a big fan of the people who think that creationism and the big bang theory are mutually exclusive - they're not (insert watchmaker analogy)...

-tim

 

[Seaglass]

Incidentally, most Christians of any denomination would not accept deism or the watchmaker analogy as being compatible with their faith or the bible-literal or not. That said there is still no reason the bible and evolution cannot be mutually acceptable if you want them to be.

Casey

 

[DrMom]

duplicate thread...closing.

The version in pre-osteo has more responses...feel free to contribute there.