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can A baptist Believe In Theistic Evolution?
- Thread starter JesusFan
- Start date
quantumfaith
Active Member
Yes, so long as you keep the "theistic" in there.
Do I personally believe in theistic evolution---NO! Can a person believe/endorse theistic evolution & still be a Christian or Baptist—yes! The point of the matter is that the God of the Bible created the universe—not how He created it.
quantumfaith
Active Member
:thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:
Yes they can.
Osage Bluestem
Member
He can believe that but he'll be wrong.
Evolution is a myth and cannot be proven.
Is this true?
Genesis 1:21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
God's creation reproduces after it's kind. It does not change in some magical way into another species.
Is this true?
Genesis 1:21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
God's creation reproduces after it's kind. It does not change in some magical way into another species.
To believe evolution a person must either believe God is misleading, or that God is incapable of properly expressing himself. If God had taken long ages to create the heavens and the earth and all that are in them, he could have easily said so. Why could he not?
And why would God need long ages to create the world? I believe God could have created everything in an instant. The only reason he took six days I believe was to show us a pattern. Now, I could be wrong about this, but I believe each day of creation is a figure of 1,000 years (2 Pet 3:8). If you accept scholars such as Bishop Ussher, many believe that Adam and Eve were created around 6,000 years ago. I believe Ussher was correct within a few hundred years. When Christ returns in his Millennial Kingdom, that will be the 7th day. I could be wrong here, but this is what I expect.
And why would God need long ages to create the world? I believe God could have created everything in an instant. The only reason he took six days I believe was to show us a pattern. Now, I could be wrong about this, but I believe each day of creation is a figure of 1,000 years (2 Pet 3:8). If you accept scholars such as Bishop Ussher, many believe that Adam and Eve were created around 6,000 years ago. I believe Ussher was correct within a few hundred years. When Christ returns in his Millennial Kingdom, that will be the 7th day. I could be wrong here, but this is what I expect.
Amen Brother:thumbs:
If a horse can only reproduce a horse, and a donkey can only reproduce a donkey, then how can you breed them and get a mule or a jenny?
Some call a mule a hybrid. These hybrids are almost always sterile, and so no new self sustaining species (kind) can be developed.
Now, if man cannot intentionally develop a new species or kind, what makes you think it can happen by random chance?
If evolution were true, it would have been proven by people who breed animals ages ago. Animal breeders know better than anyone that a new species cannot be created.
But if you end up with a jenny, then you should just knock it in the head.
Or at least that's what Grandpa used to tell me.
The issue here is that when scripture speaks of 'after their own kind' is more scientically accurate to state not species but genus.
While a German Shepard and Wolf are considered, scienticially, different species, their genus are the same - Canus. Thus they (the species) can produce after their kind or Genus. Animals within the same genus can usually interbreed, whilst interbreeding becomes impossible beyond family level. Even when animals of the same genus interbreed, the offspring are likely to be sterile. Where two species can interbreed and produce fertile offspring, it shows that they are very closely related on the species level.
The problem is really semantical in that species in used in the comman language to describe various types of distinct animals (dogs, horses, humans and other things), but in science it is used to describe variations within a Genus (distinct types of animals).
Example of Genus breeding.. you can not breed a human with a horse and get a Centaur.
Nor can you breed lion with an eagle and get Gryphon or any other interesting variation. (though honestly that would be pretty cool).
An animal of a certain genus can only produce offspring of that same genus, and the fertility of that animal is determined by how closely related the species are within that genus.
Hope that helps?
Last edited by a moderator:
Fred's Wife
Member
The point of the matter is that the God of the Bible DID tell us how He created the universe:
Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
God spoke the universe into existence. God did not use evolution to create the universe.
quantumfaith
Active Member
Fredswife, I know that GE does not hold to theistic evolution, I think he was simply attempting to be in sensitive difference to those that I do lean toward ID through the use of theistic evolution, however, I won't be labor the issue because it is very much like the C vs. A debate, everyone (most) here already know they are correct on the issue. (Note: I dont exclude myself)
Thanks Allan.
Allan said:
As long as we're offering up definitions we should differentiate between 'evolution' (changes in the inheritable traits of an organism) and 'abiogenesis' (the origin of life.) I think all, or I would hope all of us agree that God is responsible for the origin of all life. However, Christians tend to label evolution as the origin of life, which is inaccurate.
Further, within evolution there is natural selection and genetic changes. Both of these phenomenon are observable. The arguments will come when the magnitude and timing of these phenomenon are discussed.
Anyway, to answer the question, yes, I believe Baptists can believe in theistic evolution.