Thank God for Evolution!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ahimsa
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
It’s because the people on here who say they believe in evolution usually refuse to name a miracle they think was real.

I believe in evolution, but I think Jesus really turned the water into wine, and really rose from the dead, and all the others. Finally, someone said it.
The point is why do you desire them to? How does that have anyting to do with the idea of evolution? If you want to start a miracle thread, by all means do so. But what my or anyone’s opinion is about a miracle is of no import. Surely you don’t seriously care what my opinion is of any particular miracle do you? If its instrumental in your deciding to believe in evolution, then by all means I’ll respond though it remains illogical.
 
The point is why do you desire them to? How does that have anyting to do with the idea of evolution? If you want to start a miracle thread, by all means do so. But what my or anyone’s opinion is about a miracle is of no import. Surely you don’t seriously care what my opinion is of any particular miracle do you? If its instrumental in your deciding to believe in evolution, then by all means I’ll respond though it remains illogical.
I did start a miracle thread, its the thread with the poll right here:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=204160

I want to help people who are afraid of evolution to see that people who accept theistic evolution can also believe in a God who suspends the laws of nature to perform a miracle. There are too many people who believe in evolution who don’t seem to believe in miracles, and that’s part of why some people are clinging to creationism.

But… I suspect once again you won’t name a miracle you believe in. It’s getting hard to avoid drawing the obvious conclusion… 😦
 
Ahimsa: what was the next miracle after evolution?

I have no problem in believing in evolution and also believing in miracles.

Neither do I

I think that many people who claim to be Catholic and claim to believe in evolution DO have a problem with believing in miracles–if they didn’t have a problem with believing in miracles in the bible it would be No problem for them to be able to name the first miracle in the bible that could not be explained by science that they believe in!

**So you believe this. So what? You have yet to prove why miracles have anything to do with evolution. If you want to discuss miracles, start a thread. You’re the only one marrying evolution to miracles in some bizarre test of one’s level of true Catholicism. **

Many in the evolution believing crowd want us to believe that Genesis is only allegorical .

**We don’t want you to believe anything. You may believe what you wish. Evolution is evolution. Genesis is a story about origins and how man and God relate to one another. Genesis is not so much up against evolution as it is against the Big Bang theory, developed as we all know by a Catholic priest. **

What I’d like them to answer that they never do is when the first miracle in the bible occurred that could not be explained by science and was an actual historical event!

**See you really are confused once again. Science does not and cannot explain miracles. Miracles are by definition events that have no scientific explanation. Historical events may or may not be miracles. I have no idea why you desire someone to name the first miracle. It has nothing to do with anything. **

The ones who can point to such a miracle and say that the bible can be believed–I believe as being Catholics who believe in evolution without Any bit of special intervention or creation.

**You believe that someone who can point to a miracle believes in evolution without any intervention by God? That I submit makes no sense. What are you trying to say? **

All the ones who can’t point to such a miracle in the bible that can be believed as the first miracle that we can believe as historically actually happened I do not believe!

**What don’t you believe? You’re grossly unclear again. Those who can’t point to a miracle as the first miracle that we believe I do not believe? HUH? Please try to reread your stuff before you post. this is simply unintelligible. **

They run from that question for the very reason that they do not believe!

**Why? You have yet to provide a nexus for evolution and miracles. **

If they do believe they can list that first miracle and all my charges against them will be dropped!

**Not until you explain why logically anyone would conclude this, other than you. **

Where I Differ from alot of evolutionists is that I believe in evolution plus special creation and intervention.

**You probably do., but there are almost no pure evolutionists here as far as I’ve seen. **

I believe that Eve being created from Adam is more than allegorical truth–it is actual historical truth!

Fine

I believe that Adam and Eve were the first homo sapiens and both of them was specially created by God in a miraculous way but that all the rest that is said of evolution is true!
No one says you can’t

And I don’t see how it is unreasonable to believe in evolution And special creation if we already believe that God sets up the laws of the universe but does sometimes Intervene against scientific laws in miracles and certainly in the resurrection of Jesus!

And who has said otherwise?

One can believe in the special creation of Adam and Eve as the first homo Sapiens and also believe in evolution and also believe that much of the Genesis story shouldn’t be taken literally–but just because that is true does not mean that some of the Genesis story didn’t actually historically and literally happen!
**You are contradicting yourself here, more precisely you’ve placed two complementary statements together connected with a but which leads to the normal assumption that the second part acts as a qualifier to the first statement. More attention to writing skills would help us a lot. **

If Jesus can rise from the dead when there is no scientific explanation don’t tell me that it is unreasonable or illogical to believe that God can create by Both evolutionary and special ways!

**I’ve not read a single post that says otherwise. **

So oh evolution only believers–when did the first miracle in the bible take place if you don’t believe in the Miraculous special creation of Eve from Adam?

**Please provide a rational nexus between these two subjects first. **

Thank God for the Miraculous Special Creation of Eve from Adam that had nothing to do with evolution!
And go Packers!
 
I did start a miracle thread, its the thread with the poll right here:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=204160

I want to help people who are afraid of evolution to see that people who accept theistic evolution can also believe in a God who suspends the laws of nature to perform a miracle. There are too many people who believe in evolution who don’t seem to believe in miracles, and that’s part of why some people are clinging to creationism.

**I would assume that would be obvious. If one believes in God one believes in the supernatural. God of course as the Creator of all things can suspend them whenever he chooses. This is also self-evident. The part I don’t get is where are these “many people who believe in evolution who don’t seem to be believe in miracles” are. This suggests to me you have some other agenda. There is simply no logical connection between the two. I’m guessing if this point is causing someone a problem them can state it. **

But… I suspect once again you won’t name a miracle you believe in. It’s getting hard to avoid drawing the obvious conclusion… 😦
**you cannot force someone to comply with your demand by attempting to claim some fact from their failure. It’s not considered fair discourse, and of course is zero evidence in a court of law. Can’t you just state forthrightly what you really think or want to know without all the games? **
 
**you cannot force someone to comply with your demand by attempting to claim some fact from their failure. It’s not considered fair discourse, and of course is zero evidence in a court of law. Can’t you just state forthrightly what you really think or want to know without all the games? **
Don’t worry about it, SpiritMeadow, I thought I explained my reasoning. The poll I put up clearly shows that most of the people on here who don’t take Genesis literally, do take the Resurrection literally. So whether you want to talk about your beliefs isn’t crucial. I don’t think I’m the one who brought this up anyway,why don’t you ask the person who brought it up?
 
Neil_Anthony writes:
But that’s a selective quote, because we know Augustine taught that the days in Genesis weren’t literal days as we think of them today:
St. Augustine, as I have already explained is no exception to the Fathers. He, in fact, went the extra step by saying God didn’t need six days. Although some agreed with him, the majority preferred to stick to a literal reading of Scripture. Lateran IV takes account of this difference by simply saying “from the beginning of time”. As their writings demonstrate, the Fathers agree that the “beginning” was the first day or the first instant. These were the limits. Nowhere in the Scriptures is a longer time even suggested. The notion of millions of years was obviously not a factor.

The value of the writings of the Fathers and Writers is that they demonstrate what the Church believes and provide a witness to the content of Tradition, that Tradition which is itself a vehicle of revelation (cf. William A. Jurgens, The Faith of the Early Fathers Liturgical Press, 1970). Confirmation of this witness by the Church Fathers is contained in the Church’s teaching Magisterium. Some examples are:
Council of Trent, 1545-1563
“…no one who distorts the Sacred Scripture according to his own opinions, shall dare to interpret the said Sacred Scripture contrary to that sense which is held by holy mother Church…or even contrary to the unanimous consent of the Fathers…” (Session IV, 1546)
“I shall never accept nor interpret it (Holy Scripture) otherwise than in accordance with the unanimous consent of the Fathers” (Profession of Faith of the Council of Trent)
The Vatican Council, 1869-1870
“ …that must be considered as the true sense of Sacred Scripture which Holy Mother Church has held and holds, whose office it is to judge concerning the true understanding and interpretation of the Sacred Scriptures; and, for that reason, no one is permitted to interpret Sacred Scripture itself contrary to this sense, or even contrary to the unanimous agreement of the Fathers” (Session III, Dogmatic Constitution concerning the Catholic Faith)
Leo XIII’s Encyclical, Providentissimus Deus 1893
« Now, the authority of the Fathers, by whom after the apostles, the growing Church was disseminated, watered , built, protected, and nurtured, is the highest authority, as often as they all in one and the same way interpret a Biblical text, as pertaining to the doctrine of faith and morals. The authority of the other Catholic interpreters is, indeed, less…” (The Study of Holy Scripture)
The central theme of the Fathers’ teaching is that in the beginning the proto-types of « all things », each one separately, were created from nothing. Involving instantaneous production of first things, it obviates ancestors, thus leaving no place for evolutionary hypotheses.

The standard argument by Catholics believing in evolution is that as the majority of the clergy accept it, one can ignore the Church Fathers and the Magisterium (although they don’t put it as bluntly as that, it’s what is implied). As already mentioned this situation is paralleled by Airianism which spanned the 4th to the 6th centuries. Although it denied the divinity of Christ it swept through the Church up to the highest echelons.

Evolution challenges original sin and all its ancillary doctrines including Baptism and Redemption. The clergy continually say science and theology should no be mixed. Yet their theologians, with little scientific training, have opted for evolution and sacrificed theology.

The Pontifical Academy of Sciences with such people as Stephen Hawkins as members have done a remarkable job.

St. Athanasius where are you?

Peter
 
Spirit Meadow: What is the first miracle in the bible that cannot be explained by science that you believe actually and historically happened?

The reason I keep asking this question is to try to understand Why the people who believe in evolution only and claim to be Catholic are totally 100% convinced that God could in no way ever intervene in a way that science cannot explain yet still claim to be Catholic which entails God Intervening in historical actual events such as the resurrection of Jesus which cannot be scientifically explained?

Why do you Spirit Meadow think that God chose to Not Intervene along with evolution and then later on did choose to intervene through miracles?

If God is capable of acting in evolutrionary ways and miraculous ways why did He choose to only create in an evolutionary way?

That question gets to the heart of the matter.

I’m not saying that there is no way that God could have chosen to create in an evolutionary way only.

I am saying that anyone who would say that they Know that that is the only way that God chose–when we as Catholics already know that God does in fact sometimes intervene in miraculous ways–that that Arrogant knowing against how we have already seen that God has acted in history is Baffling to me!

Of course if someone does not believe in God intervening in miraculous ways during history such as the resurrection of Jesus–if someone thinks that way it is very consistent.

I believe that God created Both in evolutionary ways ahnd miraculous ways because that is the way He has acted at other times in human history.

That is perfectly reasonable.

I just want someone who is Catholic and thinks that they Know that God didn’t choose to act similiarily involving creation could explain how that is reasonable?!

And also why believing that God would choose to create in evolutionary and miraculous ways is unreasonable?!

I don’t think they can do that!

Of course I think that many–though not all Catholics who profess to believe that they know that God only created through evolutionary ways only do not really believe that God ever in human history acted in miracuolus ways either!

Any who do could cite what they think is the first time in the Bible that God did so.

Any who cannot cite any first time in the Bible that God did so I do not believe!

What about you Spirit Meadow?

Do you think that God ever acted in human history in a way that could not be explained by science?

Do you have any speculations as to why God chose to act in the first miraculous way after creation if you believe in evolution only and can you speculate Why God chose to create by evolution only?

Any Catholics who profess to believe that God created only in an evolutionary way are invited to answer any of these questions as well though I’m not holding my breath because I think many are afraid to face such questions!
 
** For instance, the light seen from earth was created at the same time as the star from which it came. The law governing the speed of light was introduced after the creation period was finished.**

Would that mean that the light from our sun as observed by people on a planet ten billion light years away would also be created as if it were already on its way?
 
People who claim to be Catholic and believe in evoution only have no problem with the literal 6-day creationist pseudo scientist crazies.

They do have a problem with articulating why God chose to create in only an evolutionary way but then later on chose to intervene in human history in miracuolus ways.

Are any of them smart enough to even attempt to answer such questions?
 
People who claim to be Catholic and believe in evoution only have no problem with the literal 6-day creationist pseudo scientist crazies.

They do have a problem with articulating why God chose to create in only an evolutionary way but then later on chose to intervene in human history in miracuolus ways.

Are any of them smart enough to even attempt to answer such questions?
I’ll try.

I disagree with the phrase “God chose to create in only an evolutionary way”. I wouldn’t say that God creates things through evolution. When God creates something, He creates its present, its future, its past, and all the ramifications that is has through all future time, and all the ramifications it has through all past time.

For example, God doesn’t create a tree by by planting a seed and watching it grow. God in fact holds the seed, the sapling, the young tree, and the old tree in existence in various times, all from his vantage point beyond space-time.

The same with man, he didn’t create us through evolution. Rather, I would say that God for some reason created a universe with natural laws that determine how the present relates to the past and the future. When he created man, he made man fit into that scheme, so he also created an evolutionary history for man.

An example I can think of is, if God created a tree, like if it just popped into existence today on my front lawn. I bet if I cut that tree down, it would have rings, making it look like it was many years old. Because thats part of what a tree is.

Similarly, when God popped Adam into existence, I bet Adam had signs of his age… not just his physical height and facial hair, but he probably looked like an actual man who had been through, say, 30 years of life, with little marks here and there from cuts and scrapes, and skin damage from the sun, etc. I don’t think he made Adam to look like a man but with baby skin. Adam must have been created with callouses and tough skin and a tan to protect from the sun, as if he had been around for those years leading to adulthood. In the same way, God would have created bones somewhere in the ground which were the bones of his parents, and fossils of their distant evolutionary ancestors, etc., etc., etc., right back to the beginnings of the earth. All that time from before Adam appeared on the scene was a past God made just for us, to fit into his universe which works by natural laws.

Why did He do it that way… I don’t know,but there’s lots of scientific evidence that He did… it’s very mysterious though.
 
What a dodge! God doesn’t create by evolution only but creates an evolutionary history for man!

When Jesus changed water into wine did that wine contain an evolutionary history?
 
What a dodge! God doesn’t create by evolution only but creates an evolutionary history for man!

When Jesus changed water into wine did that wine contain an evolutionary history?
No, I’d say the water-to-wine miracle broke the laws of nature.

Do you think if God suddenly made a tree from out of nowhere, would it have age rings inside it?

And when God made Adam, did adam already have tough skin on his feet, and tanned skin?
 
Spirit Meadow: What is the first miracle in the bible that cannot be explained by science that you believe actually and historically happened?

**See I told you before, no miracle can be explained by science. First explain to me what this has to do with evolution. **

The reason I keep asking this question is to try to understand Why the people who believe in evolution only and claim to be Catholic are totally 100% convinced that God could in no way ever intervene in a way that science cannot explain yet still claim to be Catholic which entails God Intervening in historical actual events such as the resurrection of Jesus which cannot be scientifically explained?

**I can’t answer you. I don’t know anybody here who believes in evolution “only” and claims to be Catholic. I don’t fit your perameters. You would have to ask them. **

Why do you Spirit Meadow think that God chose to Not Intervene along with evolution and then later on did choose to intervene through miracles?

**I’m not sure what you mean by not intervening along with evolution. I’ve never said anything like this and frankly don’t know what you mean by it. **

If God is capable of acting in evolutrionary ways and miraculous ways why did He choose to only create in an evolutionary way?

**I don’t know that he did. **

That question gets to the heart of the matter.

I’m not saying that there is no way that God could have chosen to create in an evolutionary way only.

Nor am I

I am saying that anyone who would say that they Know that that is the only way that God chose–when we as Catholics already know that God does in fact sometimes intervene in miraculous ways–that that Arrogant knowing against how we have already seen that God has acted in history is Baffling to me!

**It would be to me as well. **

Of course if someone does not believe in God intervening in miraculous ways during history such as the resurrection of Jesus–if someone thinks that way it is very consistent.

I would agree

I believe that God created Both in evolutionary ways ahnd miraculous ways because that is the way He has acted at other times in human history.

**/Well that is a belief of course, but basically I agree. **

That is perfectly reasonable.

I just want someone who is Catholic and thinks that they Know that God didn’t choose to act similiarily involving creation could explain how that is reasonable?!

**If you find such a person, i’ll be interested to see what they say too. **

And also why believing that God would choose to create in evolutionary and miraculous ways is unreasonable?!

I don’t think they can do that!

**You might be right. **

Of course I think that many–though not all Catholics who profess to believe that they know that God only created through evolutionary ways only do not really believe that God ever in human history acted in miracuolus ways either!

**Is that what you conclude? Interesting. Since so many of the creationists claim that evolution can’t be sufficiently proven, yet the evidence seems to explain the facts rather well, would you conclude perhaps that evolutioni should be considered a miracle? **

Any who do could cite what they think is the first time in the Bible that God did so.

**I’m not sure what you mean here. **

Any who cannot cite any first time in the Bible that God did so I do not believe!

Okay

What about you Spirit Meadow?

**I don’t fit your perameters remember? **

Do you think that God ever acted in human history in a way that could not be explained by science?

Without a doubt I surely do

Do you have any speculations as to why God chose to act in the first miraculous way after creation if you believe in evolution only and can you speculate Why God chose to create by evolution only?

Haven’t a clue. I’m told i’ll learn all one day though. But if he did as you stated above create solely by evolution…isn’t it the most mathmatically elegant solution?

Any Catholics who profess to believe that God created only in an evolutionary way are invited to answer any of these questions as well though I’m not holding my breath because I think many are afraid to face such questions!
**Naw, now that they have seen how easy it is, I’m sure they will join in and answer you too. **
 
I’ll try.

I disagree with the phrase “God chose to create in only an evolutionary way”. I wouldn’t say that God creates things through evolution. When God creates something, He creates its present, its future, its past, and all the ramifications that is has through all future time, and all the ramifications it has through all past time.

For example, God doesn’t create a tree by by planting a seed and watching it grow. God in fact holds the seed, the sapling, the young tree, and the old tree in existence in various times, all from his vantage point beyond space-time.

The same with man, he didn’t create us through evolution. Rather, I would say that God for some reason created a universe with natural laws that determine how the present relates to the past and the future. When he created man, he made man fit into that scheme, so he also created an evolutionary history for man.

An example I can think of is, if God created a tree, like if it just popped into existence today on my front lawn. I bet if I cut that tree down, it would have rings, making it look like it was many years old. Because thats part of what a tree is.

Similarly, when God popped Adam into existence, I bet Adam had signs of his age… not just his physical height and facial hair, but he probably looked like an actual man who had been through, say, 30 years of life, with little marks here and there from cuts and scrapes, and skin damage from the sun, etc. I don’t think he made Adam to look like a man but with baby skin. Adam must have been created with callouses and tough skin and a tan to protect from the sun, as if he had been around for those years leading to adulthood. In the same way, God would have created bones somewhere in the ground which were the bones of his parents, and fossils of their distant evolutionary ancestors, etc., etc., etc., right back to the beginnings of the earth. All that time from before Adam appeared on the scene was a past God made just for us, to fit into his universe which works by natural laws.

Why did He do it that way… I don’t know,but there’s lots of scientific evidence that He did… it’s very mysterious though.
Actually its a very interesting way of looking at it. I rather like the symbolism. It’s unlikely to be proveable, but thats the beauty of it really. It’s a very interesting meditation …Thanks.
 
Actually its a very interesting way of looking at it. I rather like the symbolism. It’s unlikely to be proveable, but thats the beauty of it really. It’s a very interesting meditation …Thanks.
SpiritMeadow,did Adam and Eve have belly buttons? If so, were they fake or real?
 
SpiritMeadow,did Adam and Eve have belly buttons? If so, were they fake or real?
Wow, surrogate realism must be a very strong theory if Dr. Peter MJ Hess has to resort to sarcasm to ‘refute’ it :rolleyes:

tsk, tsk
 
SpiritMeadow,did Adam and Eve have belly buttons? If so, were they fake or real?
Me personally, if they were indeed miraculously created with the appearance of age, then it seems that, genetically speaking, they would have had belly buttons according to their perceived phenotype.

That’s just my opinion though. 🙂
 
Wow, surrogate realism must be a very strong theory if Dr. Peter MJ Hess has to resort to sarcasm to ‘refute’ it :rolleyes:tsk, tsk
It’s not sarcasm at all – educate yourself!. In 1857 Philip Gosse proposed a theory in Omphalos: an Attempt to Untie the Geological Knot: “when creation occurred, apparent records of events occurring that actually did not occur — [Gosse] called them “prochronic”, meaning “outside time” — must have been rife throughout the world. Was it not reasonable to argue that fossils and geologic strata and so on were merely prochronic artifacts of a non-existent time pre-dating the actual Creation? This idea became known as the Omphalos hypothesis.”

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Henry_Gosse
 
Me personally, if they were indeed miraculously created with the appearance of age, then it seems that, genetically speaking, they would have had belly buttons according to their perceived phenotype. That’s just my opinion though. 🙂
Mr. Ex Nihilo, the Omphalist hypothesis – if its tenants are consistent – must argue that everything has the appearance of age, and nothing has real age older than 6,000 years. Bristlecone Pine trees in the White Mountains of Nevada only appear to be 8,000 years old; 2,000 of their rings are fake. Cretaceous fossils are fake, starlight from the Andromeda galaxy is fake, Greenland ice cores are fake, and Adam and Eve’s belly buttons are fake.

Ultimately there is nothing you can trust with certitude, because God might have created it with the appearance of age. And if nothing can be trusted, your epistemology collapses, and science collapses. The geology of the Sierra Nevada – which real geologists know to be three million years old – would be no more trustworthy than the “geology” of the “strata” of the fake Matterhorn in Disneyland!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top