Is Genesis True

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Yes, Genesis is true. I don’t have an opinion regarding evolution. For one thing, there is more than one type of evolution theory. They can’t all be true. For another, interspecies evolution is not the same as intraspecies evolution.
 
As the Catholic Church teaches, it is true in that which the author intended to convey. From the CCC:

[390](javascript:openWindow(‘cr/390.htm’)😉 The account of the fall in *Genesis *3 uses figurative language, but affirms a primeval event, a deed that took place at the beginning of the history of man.264 Revelation gives us the certainty of faith that the whole of human history is marked by the original fault freely committed by our first parents.265
 
Yup, what the CCC says (thank you previous poster for putting that in there). That’s what I believe. I also believe in evolution. Matches perfectly as far as I’m concerned. Also matches the way God seems to work – on a slow, massive scale that seems to make no sense at the time and then you look back and say, “oh THAT was your plan all along, huh? Wow… pretty stupendous.”

Snap His fingers and voila! all the rules of physics are broken and something is created out of nothing in a flash – a miracle, yeah He does that too, but mostly its these massive, slow, steady evolving movements of change that God seems to favor. To my mind, He coulda fast forwarded from Genesis to the Gospels, but no, he had to drag the Jewish people through h*ll and back first (being a Catholic Jew, I can tell you, this is exactly how we view the Old Testament) – and looking back, well, it all makes sense now.

I guess I have a sorta Intelligently Designed Evolution mind-set. But for me, Genesis, yup, its a perfectly wonderful (and as a bonus, poetic) revelation of the beginning of creation.
 
Genesis is true, and may use some figurative language. Just because it uses figurative language does not make it a myth or just a story which conveys some other truth. It can still be literally true and use figurative language. The extreme example of this is St. John’s Apocalypse. Using figurative language is not the same as a parable. When Jesus told parables, he said (paraphrasing), ‘I am about tot tell you a parable’. Nowhere did Moses say ’ I am about to tell you a revamped Babylonian myth which conveys some religious truths’, for instance.

I remain skeptical about evolution. I do not deny there is some evidence that scientists may truthfully believe supports evolution, but this does not make it so.
 
Yes, Genesis is true.
I believe in an old earth and intelligent design, while at the same time seeing no problem between that, and the Scriptural record. That wasn’t part of the poll, so:o I couldn’t vote…
 
So it seems that most of us believe in evolution and that Genesis is true. Thanks for participating!
 
I voted for the second one, but I don’t think I believe in evolution, but I think there is apparently a lot of evidence out there to say that evolution is a very plausible theory. I think most people in the west have never questioned it, especially if those people don’t believe in God.

We are willing to trust the medical research out there, the information technolgy, other forms of science etc. so why would the scientists be so wrong this time?

Many of us believe that global warming is a serious issue too, even the Pope I think.
 
I believe Genesis is true and evolution is untrue.

The way I see it is, if you can’t believe in the literal account of the origin of man in Genesis, how can you believe what scripture says about the destiny of man?
 
Lev23 said:
I believe Genesis is true and evolution is untrue.

The way I see it is, if you can’t believe in the literal account of the origin of man in Genesis, how can you believe what scripture says about the destiny of man?
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Hypothetically speaking, if scientists kept finding more and more ‘evidence’ that evolution occurred, would you then be more likely to believe the evolution theory or have doubts about the Genesis account?
 
Lev23 said:
The way I see it is, if you can’t believe in the literal account of the origin of man in Genesis, how can you believe what scripture says about the destiny of man?
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It’s just that the creation accounts in Genesis were written in a way that indicates that they aren’t meant to be taken literally. They’re full of obviously symbolic and figurative events. They’re true in what they were meant to say.

For example there are two creation accounts one after the other that the author(s) didn’t even attempt to reconcile. Why? Because they aren’t supposed to be taken literally, and therefore they don’t need to reconcile in the literal sense.

Also the first few of the 7 days happen before the sun is created. How can there be days without the sun? It wasn’t meant to make sense. Also, God exists beyond time, He doesn’t create things one day at a time like us. It’s just a way to express creation in terms people can understand.

Genesis is true, but to understand what it means to be true, you have to know what it is meant to say.
 
Neil_Anthony said:
So it seems that most of us believe in evolution and that Genesis is true. Thanks for participating!
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I highly recommend reading the Book:

The Fathers of the Church,
St. John Chrysostom
Homilies on Genesis 1-17

His understanding of Genesis is incredible.
 
Genesis is real history. History given by God who was there, and the writer was careful to add, “this was the first day,” “second day…” and so on. These things are repeated later in the Bible. Keep in mind, all scripture is given by inspiration (God breathed) of God. This sort of thinking is like having scientists in a room discussing evolution and God walks in.

“Hi. Who are you?”

“I’m God.”

“Oh, come on. You look like one of the hippies my dad used to hang out with when he was in college.”

“No, I’m God.”

“Ok, Ok. So you’re God. Answer me this. How did you make man?”

“From the dust of the earth.”

“No, no, no. The scientific explanation!”

“What, you don’t think I can perform miracles?”

The evidence for one creature turning into another is weak. There is evidence of built-in abilities, like the beaks on Darwin’s finches being able to change in certain environmental conditions.

So, by using what I call “insistence theology,” a few people here are insisting that Here Is The Evidence! You Can’t Deny It (OK, you can but you will be ridiculed). And We Are Not Leaving Until You Believe It.

Sorry. God comes first. The Word of God is true. And I’d rather think the particular science of evolution is not factual and incorrectly interpreted by those with an anti-God agenda.

God bless,
Ed
 
Lev23 said:
I believe Genesis is true and evolution is untrue.

The way I see it is, if you can’t believe in the literal account of the origin of man in Genesis, how can you believe what scripture says about the destiny of man?
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We are all sorry you find it that way. We do not. Perhaps if you keep reading you might change your mind.
edwest2 said:
Genesis is real history. History given by God who was there, and the writer was careful to add, “this was the first day,” “second day…” and so on. These things are repeated later in the Bible. Keep in mind, all scripture is given by inspiration (God breathed) of God. This sort of thinking is like having scientists in a room discussing evolution and God walks in.

“Hi. Who are you?”

“I’m God.”

“Oh, come on. You look like one of the hippies my dad used to hang out with when he was in college.”

“No, I’m God.”

“Ok, Ok. So you’re God. Answer me this. How did you make man?”

“From the dust of the earth.”

“No, no, no. The scientific explanation!”

“What, you don’t think I can perform miracles?”

The evidence for one creature turning into another is weak. There is evidence of built-in abilities, like the beaks on Darwin’s finches being able to change in certain environmental conditions.

So, by using what I call “insistence theology,” a few people here are insisting that Here Is The Evidence! You Can’t Deny It (OK, you can but you will be ridiculed). And We Are Not Leaving Until You Believe It.

What again is insistence theology? Cite please. Apparently you’re not going to stop either Ed. You’re so bleeping angry…so sorry.

Sorry. God comes first. The Word of God is true. And I’d rather think the particular science of evolution is not factual and incorrectly interpreted by those with an anti-God agenda.

**That’s plain rude and very unfair. You have no call to accuse us of any anti_God agenda as you put it. You make an excellent Protetant. You admit you would rather think that science is in error than examine whether your own view of the world is right or wrong. Its fair easier, and perhaps fair safer for you. But you have no right to accuse people of being anti-God. That’s just juvenile tantruming at the problem. **********
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Your sleight of hand and misdirection are tiresome. You accuse me of anger when you don’t know what my motivation is. Here it is: Adam and Eve willfully disobeyed God. Fact. Genesis is actual history. Fact. Jesus came to live and die for all men because of the sin of Adam and Eve, our first parents. Fact.

Those who believe these things know them to be true. Fact. Evolution is in error. But you and others hold it up as being more important than anything else to the Christian. It MUST be believed and you and others are obviously committed to promoting this as long as it takes to achieve universal acceptance. It is also clear that there is an agenda: the Theory of Evolution allows for the development of man without supernatural intervention which most people who hear this understand to mean that since the theory is a sufficient explanation and God is not needed then God should be discarded.

That’s the foundational idea being promoted. There is no God.

God bless,
Ed
 
Depends on what you mean by “true” and “evolution”.

If “true” means literally historically accurate in all detail, I’d say no. If “true” means "an analogy for what God really did that people thousands of years ago could ken, then “yes.”

If “evolution” means “speciation through materialist causes alone, with random mutation and natural selection being the sole factors in speciation” I’d say no. If “evolution” means “change within a species due to random mutation and natural selection” I’d say yes.

Precision in terminology matters.
 
Teflon93 said:
Depends on what you mean by “true” and “evolution”.

If “true” means literally historically accurate in all detail, I’d say no. If “true” means "an analogy for what God really did that people thousands of years ago could ken, then “yes.”

If “evolution” means “speciation through materialist causes alone, with random mutation and natural selection being the sole factors in speciation” I’d say no. If “evolution” means “change within a species due to random mutation and natural selection” I’d say yes.

Precision in terminology matters.
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Well, I’m just happy that we can (almost) all agree, at least, that Genesis is TRUE. We have different interpretations, but at least no one thinks that God or the inspired authors goofed up. I think it’s nice to keep that in mind when discussing our differences 🙂
 
😛
Neil_Anthony said:
Well, I’m just happy that we can (almost) all agree, at least, that Genesis is TRUE. We have different interpretations, but at least no one thinks that God or the inspired authors goofed up. I think it’s nice to keep that in mind when discussing our differences 🙂
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Amen to that. 👍
 
  1. Genesis? Yes.
  2. Evolution? No.
Until someone can point to two different species and show me its one or various “intermediaries” also walking around and say, “See that dog? It’s on it way to becoming that horse” then I might reconsider the No.2.

If evolution was correct, the evidences should still be ‘living’ today (in abundance) in all their various sequential stages.

:cool:
 
Yes, Genesis is true. It is not a literal story, but it is true - God did create everything.

Yes, evolution is true.
Deconi said:
Until someone can point to two different species and show me its one or various “intermediaries” also walking around and say, “See that dog? It’s on it way to becoming that horse” then I might reconsider the No.2.
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If anyone does that, run away because you are speaking to a true idiot. Animals don’t change into other animals. Populations of animals evolve, but individuals are what they are.

You have no understanding of what evolution really is, only a comic book version pawned off by anti-scientists.

Peace

Tim
 
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