Evolutionism and Creationism?

[gbear]

We haven't had a good religion thread lately.

So I'm reading the Nytimes editorial page today. According to them a recent gallup poll showed that only 28% of people in the US believe in Evolutionism. IS that true? Crazy...maybe us East Coast people are a bit different from the rest of America.

I remember sitting through my third grade class where only creationism was taught (Episcopal school). That night my parents deciding we were taking a family trip to Calvert Clyffs on Sat. On Monday they sent me back to school to ask "If the world is only 10,000 years old, how can this fossil be hundreds of thousands of years old?" (this was before you were forbidden to take the fossils)

Over the years, I've come a little more into the middle ground as I believe something had to start everything. However, I tend to believe evolution took over from there. Heck, I see it. I need only look at average heights among people and various other traits among people and animals to see we change over generations. I can't believe only 28% of people in the US believe in evolution.

I guess I'm stuck with the old "IN the absence of contrary evidence, the symplist explanation is usally the correct one." IF science says the fossil is 10K years old, I'll probably believe that over somebody saying God created everything exactly as it exists 10K years ago. I guess personally I'm okay with faith to explain things I otherwise can't explain, but I just can't use it to explain what is already explainable with science. That goes double when faith's explanation differs from science.

Maybe I shouldn't be surprised though. There's a survey course at the University of MD that tracks people's scientific literacy in the US. According to my friend taking the course now, the past few years have had an even split between people who think the earth revolves around the sun and people who think the sun revolves around the earth.

[codeorama]

I believe in Evolution, because it can be proven by science, but, I am not saying there is no God or anything like that.
I guess I believe that the perception of religion may not be "exactly" as they people picture it... I believe there is a happy medium that exists...
Case in point, many events in the Bible can be proven... 2 great floods=2 ice ages etc.... The bible says God created everything in seven days..... are those seven of our days?? Who is to say a day isn't thousands of years??
Everything in the Bible doesn't have to have a literal translation... and besides, the Bible was written in Hebrew and the last time I checked, there are still Hebrew words that don't have an English counterpart and when ever translating, you leave alot open for interpretation.

Anyway, just some scattered thoughts..

[TheDiplomat]

Creationism

[daustin]

It's a MUCH bigger leap of faith to believe man evolved from an ape, than to believe he was created by The God who created our entire universe.

There is virtually NO EVIDENCE for evolution (if it could be proven by science, that would have already happened) and even Darwin admitted it was a far-flung theory.

[tex]

Man was created but it is doubtful the deities described in any bronze age or iron age book were responsible.

[RiggoDrill]

I do believe that there is something larger at work in the universe -- that the rarity of life, and especially of this planet, cannot be explained by science alone.

That said, I think science gives a more accurate glimpse of the workings of a higher power than religious texts.

[Kilmer17]

I have problems with both theories (Where's the missing link ie). So Im a Raeallian (sp). We all came from space.

Seriously though, I'll have to think on this one.

[Darth Tater]

When I was in college, I became convinced that humanity must have evolved from lizards! My apartment faced the pool and EVERY time the sun came out, it was filled with people sunning themselves!

[BG]

All it comes down to for me is if you have studied astronomy, science has proven som much as to the birth of the universe. The overwhelming theory that is close to fact is that there was a "big bang." Where that came from is where you can put your -----place religious beliefs here--- faith to work..........

[gbear]

Codeo, I'm with you on the whole not as portrayed in the bible.

To my way of thinking, 10,000 years must have just seemed like the largest chunk of conceivable time at the writing of the bible. So maybe saying 10,000 years ago was simply the equivalent of "a really long time ago."

Like I said, it's not that I don't believe in God. I simply don't believe the creation story took place as specified in the bible. What's more, evolution seems to be a given and measurable over modern generations. On a bigger scale, one can just look at the skeletons of people going back through the ages.

[Brave]

If God created earlier primates and we evolved from them ... wouldn't that encompass BOTH theories?

Yippeeee! Everyone's right!

[tex]

The game is afoot.

Google "Ganesh Particle"

[Romo]

I cant believe the vote is near 50/50.

I voted for Evolution. I dont think believing in that theory means you have to forgo God or a higher power. God could have just as easily directed evolution through dna codes. Creationism loses me when it says the world began in 4004 B.C.

[codeorama]

Originally posted by Kilmer17
I have problems with both theories (Where's the missing link ie). So Im a Raeallian (sp). We all came from space.

Seriously though, I'll have to think on this one.

The missing link is alive and well in the pacific northwest....

[codeorama]

Brave, you said what I was trying to say, but only better.........
Damn you