Evolution and Religion Can Coexist

When I was a new Christian, back in the day, I had the tendency as most new Christians do, to take the bible literally when it comes to the story of the creation, ie, God created the heavens and the earth in 6, 24, hour days. As I studied and grew in knowledge of both God and scientific method, I became more and more aware that I was putting God in a box that He did not Himself design.

The bible is replete with scripture and by God's own declarations that He does not look at or consider time in the same way that we do and that there is nothing in biblical teaching that precludes the idea of, at the very least, microevolution. It seems that a very large percentage of scientists in the USA agree. Here is an article from National Geographic on just that subject.

Evolution

The notion that science and religion are irreconcilable centers in large part on the issue of evolution. Charles Darwin, in his 1859 book The Origin of Species, explained that the myriad species inhabiting Earth were a result of repeated evolutionary branching from common ancestors.

One would be hard pressed to find a legitimate scientist today who does not believe in evolution. As laid out in a cover story in the November issue of National Geographic magazine, the scientific evidence for evolution is overwhelming.

Yet in a 2001 Gallup poll 45 percent of U.S. adults said they believe evolution has played no role in shaping humans. According to the creationist view, God produced humans fully formed, with no previous related species.

But what if evolution is God's tool? Darwin never said anything about God. Many scientists—and theologians—maintain that it would be perfectly logical to think that a divine being used evolution as a method to create the world. Source

I found the piece to be very informative and apropos to the debate that has been going on in several threads in this forum. It's my considered opinion that it is not necessary to disbelieve in an Intelligent Designer or at least a personal God to be considered scientifically objective. To quote Albert Einstein: "Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind."

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the matter.

[edit on 11/23/2006 by Stormrider]