Question:
God vs. Science?
Laurajean
2008-03-26 12:29:08 UTC
Today I read a story titled the top 10 missing links on AOL, it was talking about evolution. This has really got my brain wondering. Ok here are my questions that I would like to be answered. I believe in God, that is not a question. I have never really sat down and read the bible. I guess that I am not as good of a Christian as I could be, but there are a few things that I wonder about. I am an educated person who likes to see both sides of the story; I want to know why the engine runs not just that it does. I guess you could say that I am a very curious person whose mind needs to be fed.

1. Since God created the heavens and the earth then why do scientists think that we evolved from Apes? I don’t think I look like an ape, do you?
2. Does anyone really know which came first……the chicken or the egg, or the platypus or the egg? How do you know?
3. Did God create an alternate universe where everyone is good, healthy, the same social status and there is no war? How do we know that we are the only living beings?
4. I believe that God does talk to us we just have to be open to listening. Why do we not listen?
5. Why do some people not believe in God?
6. Some people say that God is not happy with us because of advanced medical devices, such as a pacemaker, life support….etc. So if God did not want us to make these instruments why did he give us the brains to figure them out?
7. Why is it the more money we make the less percentage we give to God? (and yes this is a fact)
8. Who thought of the big bang theory? Some guy on drugs is my thought.
9. Are there any really great books that dispute God versus Science? What are they called?
10. Do you have any stories where you can prove or disprove anything related to science and God?

Thanks for your answers, believe me, in my eyes you can neither have a right or wrong answer, I just want to know what everyone thinks.

Laura
26 answers:
Dan the Man
2008-03-26 21:56:17 UTC
I don't think God and scientific observation are as at odds as many people like to believe.



There are many theories of creation besides fiat creationism, where everything was created 6,000 years ago in six literal days. The day/age theory believes there were great expanses of times between the days. "Day" is used in many scriptures figuratively for a period of time, like, "in that day." And in the day/age theory the days of creation can be ages of millions of years between the days.



You can find marine fossils of extinct animals at the tops of mountain ranges that were once part of the ocean floor. Not only does South America and Africa look like they fit together like pieces of a puzzle, but you can find similar mineral deposits along each's shores showing exactly where they once fitted together, even lava flows that compassed both continents when they were once joined together.



A problem Christians have is they often believe a very narrow interpretation of creation that the world can easily recognize as nonsense. That's really at the heart of what you're getting at with God vs science.



If you compare the days of creation in Genesis it matches up fairly well with the order science gives. First you have God creating the heavens (stars, etc.) then the earth.



Comparable to science the earth begins as an empty world without a set form, then you have dry land followed by oceans. You have plants before intelligent life. The first intelligent life is in the sea. Then you have birds. We know today that birds are descendants of dinosaurs. Mammals didn't rise until later. Science and the order of creation are following the same order.



On day 6 the KJV says, cattle, beasts, man. The Hebrew word translated cattle is mammals in general. Beast is a more specific wild animal, and then man. If you categorized these scientifically it would be class, genus, species. So far science and Genesis are uncannily similar in the orders they describe.



Something else to consider is that Adam and Eve were not created until after the seventh-day, and in a day/age theory the man on the sixth day is not the same as Adam "after" the seventh day. Could it be that science is correctly observing the order of creation? It would certainly make sense that science is obseving the way creation is ordered.



This would explain cave men, and where Cain and Seth found wives, if man created on the sixth day is different era from Adam created after the seventh day.



Now, I believe the bible is without error. It's more amazing to me that scripture could line up with the same order science gives for the creation of the world.



Now, many Christians have a narrow view, to where they put God in a box and not allow Him to work in any sort of an evolutionary process. That is dictating to God how he must have accomplished his creation.



Look at the different animals that have developed in Australia. The Aborigines people have been there for 35,000 plus years, and have developed an internal organ that no other race on earth has. They have a scent gland on the sides of their faces. It's because they were isolated in Australia.



There are other theories of creation: day/age theory, theistic evolution, etc., that allows the creation story in Genesis to agree with observable science and not make Christians look like such narrow minded idiots.



1. You brought up apes, of how you don't look like one. On day 6, when it speaks of mammals, beast, and man, in that order, is that the order we derived, and can we equate beast with ape?



2. The egg came first since the genetic alteration that became the first chicken was in the egg.



3. God created the alternate spiritual realm including heaven.



4. We fail to hear God our of our own stubborness.



5. People say there is no God out of foolishness. "The fool hath said in his heart, 'There is no God'" (Psalm 14:1).



6. I'm not sure who would say God is not happy with us inventing medical devices that help people. James 4:17, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin."



7. Malachi 3:8, "Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings." The percentage drops because people have difficulty parting with their money.



8. If the universe came into being in a big bang, then God thought it up.



9. Seeing how God cannot be disputed, there are no great books disputing God.



10. My sister-n-law was in a coma and a large area of her brain was dead. Another person and I were praying for her, and I felt the person of Jesus tell me she had her healing. It was so strong I had to tell the person I was praying with.



She was healed. Her doctor told her that it was medically impossible for all that brain dead area to come back like it did. She went on to college and had an A average. That disproves science (since it was medically impossible) and proves God, Matt. 19:26, "But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."
Simon T
2008-03-26 12:57:14 UTC
Do you have any evidence that God created us? Any evidence for God?



1. Look at a chimpanzee. Look at a human. If we are not close to looking like an ape I don't know what "close" means. As a comparison, look at a Great Dane and look at a Chihuahua. Are you really going to try to claim that the two dog bodies are closer than the chimp and the human?



2. We evolved from lifeforms that reproduced asexually. Sexual reproduction and eggs evolved later. It is a meaningless question.



3. Again you assume a creator god. Who knows. Ask him.



4. There are people who think that they get messages from UFOs. You could get them too, you just have to be open to listening. How is God's 'voice' different from your own 'voice' inside your head? Has God ever told you something that you did not already know?



5. The total lack of evidence to support your mythology over the thousands of other gods that people have fervently believed in over the ages.



6. Simple answer - there is no god. Why was god so angry in the 1800s that he killed of all those people that died of diseases and conditions treatable in the 1900s?



7. Link please. Is this in general or specific cases? In general more intelligent correlates to more money, it also correlates to less belief in deities.



Why does God need money? Why is it that the pastor of a floundering, but holy, church does not find a large gold brick under the alter? Or is God not omnipotent enough to do that.



8. No People who realized that the (then) current model of the universe did not fit the facts. You can chose to not accept it, but it is the best explanation of the known facts and has been confirmed many times since it was first proposed. Choosing not to accept it is kind of like choosing not to accept Jupiter is a planet. You can do that if you really want. Or you could read up on the actual theory and the facts supporting it.



9. Not that I am aware of. There might be some out there. Historically in God vs Science God is batting a zero.



10. Please learn about the scientific method and what a scientific theory is. All of science has proof. There are 'proofs' of God, but only for a very distorted definition of the word 'proof'. (I.e. a totally wrong definition.)
anonymous
2008-03-26 12:43:34 UTC
1. We look a lot like apes, really, and when you go back in time, a couple of hundred thousand years, you'd have to be a real expert to tell the difference between the skeletons of the animals that evolved into humans and those that evolved into modern apes.



2. eggs came way before chickens, but the first eggs weren't chicken eggs.



3. We don' know anything about that which we have no evidence.



4. I believe that people can talk to God, but if God is talking to you, you may need some medication.



5. I have no need to believe in God. If I needed to, maybe I would believe in it. That doesn't mean that God is real, however.



6. I don't know about medical devices, but if there is a God, I think he is really ticked off about the TV show, Extreme Makeover.



7. I have news for you - NOBODY gives ANY money to God. He has no place to spend it, anyway.



8. Dr Hubble came up with the Big Bang theory and his telescope is bigger than yours!



9. The God Delusion is a good book for describing how bad God is. The Bible is another one.



10. Which God do you want me to disprove?



Thanks for asking!
Kc
2008-03-26 12:49:44 UTC
1. You do not understand evolution. Please research it more. Apes and humans have a common ancestor. Humans have evolved over time to look different from apes, yet share similiar attributes.

2. Again, you do not understand evolution. It's not saying that just one day an egg appeared out of nowhere. It started with the formation of bacteria and over millions and millions of years advancing into more complex structures to adapt to the environment around it.

3.That is more of a philosophical question.

4. I have never understood "God" talking to us. All of my thoughts, ideas, etc. are from my own thought, so why would I let God take credit for them? I am my own person, I am not influenced by a higher power. I do have a conscience that tells me right vs. wrong, but I don't need religion for that.

5. I do not believe in god because there is no scientific evidence to believe otherwise. How do you know there aren't multiple gods? What makes the others less worthy of worship? How could a god be so cruel to his creations that he/she/it/they punish them for not believing?

6. This is yet another contradiction of belief.

7. Why does the church need money? To do good? Couldn't the members independently do this outside of a religious setting?

8. You do not understand the scientific definition of theory. Theory means that it has evidence to support it, and not just a guess. Just because it seems unreasonable to you does not make it wrong.

9. If you'd like to read an atheist's view on religion, check out A God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. I don't know of any religious books on the subject that aren't biased.

10. A website I find interesting is about a minister that turned into an atheist after years of being religious. This man knows a great deal about the bible and documents his journey very well. The web address is: www.ministerturnsatheist.org. Do check it out with an open mind.
anonymous
2008-03-26 12:35:45 UTC
1: Because we did. Go look at the evidence. Creationism is a myth, and that's all. Even the majority of Christians around the world accept it.

2: The egg of course. It was laid by something that was just one tiny step down the evolutionary ladder from a chicken or platypus.

5: Why do some people actually believe he DOES exist?

7: What the hell does God need money for?

8: Many different scientists have worked on the theory. And it's got far more evidence than any creation myth does.
ra
2008-03-26 14:01:06 UTC
WOW. Lots of questions. You have a mind like mine!!

1. Scientists don't really know, cause they were not there! NO you don't look like an ape.

2.NO they don't know.

3.I don't know. God does not say anything about it in the bible. Even if there was, it would not change his plan for us, his creation. Nobody has ever found any credible evidence to suggest there is.

4.I believe that too. Ignoring him, sin or disobedience CAN block or prevent us from hearing or listening to him.

5.Because they have a choice,they do not have any desire to want to seek Him or when they have tried, ie read a book or even read the bible, they have been arrogant and proud and do not seek him for the right reasons. They genuinely don't see anything, even though the proof IS there.

6.I agree. Though some science/ experimentation can go too far.

7.Greed

8.Someone who wanted to take God out of the picture. Scientists make up a theory and make themselmes a big name in the science world. Even though they weren't there!!!

9.The evidence bible.Also try www.therealtruth.org either to read the articles on the website. They also show a variety of books that you might like to read if you were interested.

10.Nothing has ever been disproved in the bible. Of course, not everything has been proved, but there ARE many incidents where proof has been found , check out www.therealtruth.org. There are many scientists and archeologists who have converted to christianity after discovering real biblical evidence(who were atheists before).

A lot of science has been disproved or discredited, though does not make headline news, ie Nabraska man (built up from one tooth, found to be an extinct pig), Piltdown man(the jawbone turned out to belong to a modern ape), Neanderthal man(turned out to be a skeleton of an old man with arthritis). There are hundreds of scientific theories which have now been disproved.



If you truly seek God, he will show you.God bless.X
anonymous
2008-03-26 12:34:07 UTC
1) well we evolved from single cellular organisms too. We don't look like them, true- that's because we evolved. Scientists think this way NOT because they are out to disprove God- just they are following the evidence. Anyways, faith and evolution aren't mutually exclusive.

2) The transition between asexual and sexual reproduction. I admit I'm not very learned on this exact transition, but thats where you'll find out.

3) dunno =(

4) I've tried quite a bit. Not kidding. I didn't hear anything =(

5) refer to number 4

6) exactly. Same with evolution- why did he give us the brains to figure out we evolved unless it really happened?

7) greed>god, even if ppl dont wanna admit it

8) actually, some seriously intelligent people who did quite a bit of research and some intense mathematical calculations

9) lol, The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins is for Science, Case for Christ by Lee Strobel is for God

10) stories cannot disprove or prove anything. however, there are many scientific peer reviewed journals that can.
mommyoffour
2008-03-26 12:45:58 UTC
I am a fundamental Christian who regularly reads my bible, I am a bible study leader and children's Sunday school teacher. I believe in evolution. I do not know all of the "facts" around any of it, but I honestly believe that nobody really does. Unfortunately the church often times makes way too big a deal out of evolution and tends to stretch facts leaning towards creationism. In fact God did create the universe....evolution does not negate that. He created man, but not in the way described in Genesis. Genesis is NOT A SCIENCE book, it's an analogy for man to try to understand, a puzzle. God breathed the breath of His spirit into man...and yes man was naked in the beginning, because he was an animal...what animal has ever made clothes for himself but the human animal once he BECAME CONSCIOUS OF HIMSELF, of his SIN. The two do not have to be enemies. Christians around the globe are making a mockery of themselves by these stoic creation beliefs...it's okay to look through the telescope, God will still be the great

"I AM WHO I AM"
Ode to the Damned® ÆA NR
2008-03-26 12:32:46 UTC
1. We are apes.

2. Eggs were around millions of years before the first chicken.

3. No, and we aren't the only living beings.

4. No.

5. No evidence.

6. He didn't.

7. a. Why would God need money? b. You don't give the money to God, you give it to the Church.

8. Wrong, it has evidence.

9. I don't know.

10. Can you clarify?



[edit:] Any more questions?



Thank you for clarifying.

10. I can't say that there isn't a God/gods because I don't know, but evolution itself disproves the Christian God.
anonymous
2008-03-26 12:34:00 UTC
1. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/faq/



2. http://radicalpedagogy.icaap.org/content/issue5_2/04_garner.html





4. that is called schizophrenia



5. because god is a logical fallacy and makes no sense in the least , do you really know why you believe in god?



6. some people are idiots (see www.fstdt.com)

7. because giving your money to someone because he says an imaginary dude in the sky will burn you forever when you die if you dont is faulty reasoning and stupid



8. the big bang theory has nothing to do with evolution , who thought up the concept of god ; someone on opium?



9. science is self disputing and self regulating , god is a nonanswer that helps nothing progress-wise



10 . noah's ark is a physical , biological , and scientific impossibility
Fugitive Peices
2008-03-26 14:33:25 UTC
you have asked a wonderfully thought out question. Congrats.



What you have is this: God created everything there is. He says He created every animal after its own kind. which goes against evolution.

What happened was, the very people He created denied the very existence of Him and came up with their own creation. They denied the very God that created them and became vain in their imaginations, claiming science falsely. God created Science as well as the very technology we enjoy. He gave us the very ability to either Glorify Him or deny Him. This can go on even further. You can contact me for more of an explanation if you like
bocasbeachbum
2008-03-26 13:04:57 UTC
Try readin Genesis Revisited by Zecharia Sitchin. It explains why the bible says what it does. The bible is a poorly plagiarized version of the Sumerian Tablets that Mr Sitchin explains. We did not come from apes, we are a manufactured species to be used as slaves. We revolted.
Indialchemigo
2008-03-26 12:46:00 UTC
Most of these questions I think you can answer for yourself and be happy with your answers.



Personally I know apes and man share genetics, I just believe apes evoled from man and not the other way around.



Humans have been around for Millions if not nillions of Years, thats something you won't learn in school.



In the Future we will finally discover God and it will be through science.!



All Alternate universes exist simaltaneously in potentiality. Together as one species we choose what reality is out of these alternate(possible) realities.



Hope this helps.
whynotaskdrzaius
2008-03-26 12:39:00 UTC
We believe we evolved from apes because we have the bones on display that proved we did.



There's no "belief" involved when you can see the proof with your own eyes.



Other than that, evolution is one of a thousand reasons why Abrahamic faith is false. Genesis is wrong. This is a proven fact. So now what?



Your version of god does not exist. That's not my belief. It is a proven fact. I take it one step farther and say that no gods exist.



That is my "belief".



But seeing as how every other incarnation of 'god' has also been disproven, my "belief" is considerably well founded.
Wraith89
2008-03-26 12:58:55 UTC
The problem with modern day scientists is that they always want to find an excuse to avoid mentioning a higher supreme being such as God because they think it is "silly and childish" to believe in such "fairy-tales"... so they come up with absurd ideas such as "Big Bang" or "The Single Cell Theory" and stuff. Grown up? Yeah right. Even children can have greater faith than they do! After all, didn't Jesus said "You must become like a child to enter the kingdom of God"?



So scientists come up with an excuse to debunk God... stating absurd things like: "Everything is relative". Everything is relative? How is that even possible? How could such a suicidal statement exist. If you read this sentence carefully... you'll know that EVERYTHING is ABSOLUTE... the EXACT opposite of relative.



Then they want to make sure God is a lie... so they go again saying "No ONE can arrive at the truth." Again... suicidal and controversial. If no one can arrive at the truth, that statement itself is a lie too. I'm afraid people fall away from God...



Why was science even made? Science was created so people can LEARN about the environment surrounding them. There's nothing wrong with that. It's innocuous in a sense... and God isn't against it either. I'm not against science... but I'll bet God is annoyed at how people try so hard to leave Him out of the picture, as if they were ashamed of Him. Why can't science just be exploring our world again rather than debunking the existence of God? Oh well... now to answer your questions.



1) Another way to leave God out of the picture. We have not evolved from apes. If Adam and Eve were apes... um... what would happen to us? Then what about the "real" apes we see nowadays? Do you suppose they're our primitive cousins? Heck, do they even have souls? I don't think we'll ever see apes in heaven... at least that's what I think.

2) God created the animals first... it says so in the Bible. (bleh...) The birds and beasts of the earth... nowhere does it mention eggs. Eggs are only a method of these birds to reproduce. The hard shell protects the premature baby from climate or repeated attacks of small predators...

3) Then why would God send His ONLY SON on EARTH? I don't think God plays dice with the universe... but one can only wonder what the galaxies and stars are for... that's why humans are still exploring the celestial majesties of the outer space.

4) We're humans... ignorant, bumbling, prideful humans with the intent of sinning. I have yet to hear God or receive the Holy Spirit.

5) God gave us free will... and it is up to us to accept Him or not. When sin entered our world... death entered too. Satan laughed... and drove many out of God's reach... thus contaminating us and always deceiving us so that he'll see us in hell. Cool! Free PSPs! No... hell isn't cool... and I don't think there'll be PSPs. Jesus wanted to rectify this and told us to become His ambassadors so we could spread His love to ALL. God gave us all equal chances... but will our foolish hearts be ready to take it?

6) How is God not happy with that? Humans should progress... according to science, but to ignore God means we're all going retro. As for technologies... they're helpful at times... especially with medication and life support, so now people have longer life expectancies than a few centuries ago! I'm sure God wants us to be happy... and He'll give us long life if He wills it. However, the only thing that isn't good is if we depend on technology excessively. Then we'll all forget about our Creator... and turn away from His loving arms... thus leaving us to utter destruction...

7) Hm... really? I don't know about this... I'll look it up.

8) I don't know... some crackpot scientist like you suggested? LOL. He was trying to suggest something not named God created the universe... which isn't right. God is our creator. He created us and the universe!

9) I don't know... sorry.

10) God made science... He gave us the brains to explore the world He created for us and the rights to inhabit it and further improve the human race... but sometimes we go towards the wrong direction thanks to Satan... and I don't have any stories to disprove either one. The debunking of God's existence shouldn't play any role in science... but rather the foolhardy arrogance of humans stating "God is dead" or "No one needs Him!" and all. That's why even naive children who believe and love God are more intelligent than they'll ever be...



That's all I'm going to say...
Rev. Charles Jordan Jr
2008-03-26 12:38:44 UTC
God, science has nothing to do with the creation of this world. Science can't make a sun and moon show up during seperate times a day and it just sits in the air without having to held up by anything. Science can't make it rain or snow. Science can't wake you up and keep you breathing. Science created a life support machine but the thing about that machine is when your taken off of it, you die; but we walk around all day not hooked up to any machine. It's because we were created by God. Not by the Big Bang or any of those other things.
darwinsfriend3 AM
2008-03-26 12:36:00 UTC
I stopped reading after your first question.

You claim to be an educated person then study evolution a lot closer than flicking through a page on aol.
What did you just say?
2008-03-26 12:33:46 UTC
I'm not sure but I think in Islam they acknowledge evolution, correct me if I'm wrong. Why can Science and Religion come together and work as 1?
reporters should die
2008-03-26 12:38:31 UTC
I figured it's useless to give a serious attempt at answering when you can say with a straight face that you don't see a resemblance between yourself and apes.There's no need to go further if you won't be honest with yourself.
leo d
2008-03-26 13:20:13 UTC
ok the egg came first before it the birds were somthing els,besides chickens.
anonymous
2008-03-26 12:34:41 UTC
Science, 3rd round, by KO
Fred
2008-03-26 12:56:11 UTC
This is a long and funny post. Your arguments against evolution consist of "How do you know", thereby making them false, whereas your defense of religion is "I just know', as though that is superior. This is great as a joke, and I plan to quote it frequently. Thanks.
anonymous
2008-03-26 12:33:41 UTC
SCIENCE

not really im terrible at science

so neither.
anonymous
2008-03-26 12:36:15 UTC
God Vs science is absurd



GOD CREATED THIS WORLD, THE EXPLANATION OF THIS WORLD IS SCIENCE THEREFORE GOD CREATED SCIENCE.!
Billy B
2008-03-26 12:32:33 UTC
god
♥mtnsky♥
2008-03-26 12:34:05 UTC
god is science, god created man as man not an ape first. i am a creationist not a evolutionist.


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