You are too funny! My husband & I talk about this stuff frequently! I like these questions :)
I don't believe in evolution at all. I don't believe we are decendants of apes or if you go back further we would have evolved from insects, dinosaurs, and/or micro-organisms.
I believe in a form of creationism. God put humans here and an array of different species. What has happened over time (in my opinion) is that adaptation has occured. We have adapted to our environment to become better suited for the environment we live in. We haven't changed species and evolved into something else, we are just acclimating to the changing world around us in a slightly physical way.
And if you look at animals, sure some animals have "evolved" into new species but that is typically b/c they have mated with other species and created new ones or b/c as climates, resources, food supplies change around us animals have to adapt to fit that so they can survice. At that point it is survival.
P.S. please use my word adaptation VERY loosly. I am talking about what we eat, how we think, our ideals, what we do for jobs all influences these "changes" in us. As technology increases and change we adapt to our environment and the changes in our environment.
I believe in creationism, I don't want that to be lost when I use the word adaptation.
(some times it is hard to expalin more complex thoughts in a blog!!!)
First of all, don’t make any apologies for what you put on your blog. Blogs don’t always have to be about product endorsements or what you had for lunch. Those things are great to write about, but you should also be able to pose existential questions, if that’s what you so personally desire. I, for one, love to read these kinds of posts. I am relieved to know that the subject matter is also relevant to someone else. Even if I disagree with the author’s point of view, I admire that they have one. What I don’t care for, however, are blog authors that pose serious questions or present controversial issues, but then don’t offer their perspective or answer their own questions. That is asking your commenters to make themselves completely vulnerable to you (and the Internet), but being too chicken shit to share your own feelings/opinions. I think that’s a crappy thing to do.
That being said, I have asked (myself) this same question about monkeys/humans. I’m on the same page as Wrestling Kitties. I, personally, am a Creationist. But I have a great amount of respect for science. I do not discredit “evolution” in its entirety, as I don’t necessarily believe that humans have always looked as we do now. I believe that when God created humans “in His image,” it meant “as He saw fit". So maybe God created the first humans to look like –pithecus or homo erectus. And maybe our skulls, and our skills, evolved into modern man. Fine, whatever. But I don’t think we came from monkeys.
Contrary to what some suggest, science can’t explain everything. There are many things that have yet to be scientifically proven. That’s why Evolution and the Big Bang are just theories, and not laws. To those that claim that you cannot prove Creationism, or even the existence of God, I say that is why it is called “faith.” And I have much more faith in God than in Charles Darwin or Stephen Hawking.
I had a HUGE amount of faith when I was little and was quite happy about life and the afterlife. Then my mom married an atheist that totally ripped that faith from me. In my opinion, that's one of the most rotten things you can do to someone. I'm working on getting faith back, but it's tough when you have the type of mind that wants to explain EVERYTHING. I talk to God every day, but I don't go to church. I've yet to find one that I agree with.
I don't care what side of the fence you're on, I don't want beliefs shoved down my throat.
I think it’s important to be able to argue a point from both sides of the issue, so here’s the most concise answer to your question, but from the Darwinian perspective:
“Because evolution is a process of diversification, not simple one-for-one replacement. Think about it. If every species was a direct replacement for an earlier species, there would never be more than one species at any given time.”
Also, I think it’s cool that you’re doing some “soul-searching” now. I think the most important aspect of faith is your personal relationship with God. Church is great for fellowship, and sure it’s important, but I don’t think it’s the most important part of being a believer. There are lots of people that go to church religiously, but still don't know God in their personal lives. I, personally, can’t find a church where I completely agree with everything that they teach. But I go because I agree with most of it, and I feel good when I’m there. The rest of it I just sort out when I get home. And obsess over it so much that it keeps me up at night. But crises of faith are a good thing. All those things that I obsess over, that I don’t have answers to--that’s just God’s way of keeping me interested. The search for answers is a major part of the journey.
I love when you post these types of questions to us. I personally have respect for people, like my brother-in-law, who will make people think and really ponder their beliefs, no matter what side you believe. So keep them up!
And honestly I was one of those people who thought, "Okay, God created everything. But he knew his eternal plan and knew that animals would evolve and that's why we have species." Understanding other people's opinions have made me really think about why I believe that.
As I stand here today, this is one of those issues that I'm not entirely sure on. I do think that God created everything. And God is not stupid. Considering the rate of gene mutation (this includes disabilities, conditions, and yes, cancer), it is obvious that a consistent state of equilibrium in all genes is not what is supposed to happen. God probably considered this.
Think of how prevalent cancer is. That, like I said, is a gene mutation. Evolution is also a gene mutation (and this is a very loose interpretation of that word) occurring over hundreds of years. So in my mind, it makes it likely that our genes could have mutated to better suit our needs over time, and that is why we are hairless, mostly tail-less, speaking monkeys.
Of course, this is just another theory. This is what I've come up with, trying to rationalize science and religion. It's totally not set in stone.
I couldn't agree more about having beliefs pushed upon people. I hope that when we have kids we will give them the tools to find what works for them. I love listening to views of other people, even if they are not what I agree with b/c I think (for me) I need that knowledge to form my own opinions.
I think it is about what works for you. You don't have to be a part of an organized religion if you have faith and a belief that helps you live your life the best you can and to its fullest.
me? i believe in evolution. no apologies. i just do. the way my brain works...if we share 99.9% of our DNA with the apes...well, we have to be related to them somehow.
that being said...i also believe there is a God...and while I don't agree with a lot of what the Catholic church does/preaches/teaches, I am a practicing Catholic (read: I go to Mass).
11 comments:
You are too funny! My husband & I talk about this stuff frequently! I like these questions :)
I don't believe in evolution at all. I don't believe we are decendants of apes or if you go back further we would have evolved from insects, dinosaurs, and/or micro-organisms.
I believe in a form of creationism. God put humans here and an array of different species. What has happened over time (in my opinion) is that adaptation has occured. We have adapted to our environment to become better suited for the environment we live in. We haven't changed species and evolved into something else, we are just acclimating to the changing world around us in a slightly physical way.
And if you look at animals, sure some animals have "evolved" into new species but that is typically b/c they have mated with other species and created new ones or b/c as climates, resources, food supplies change around us animals have to adapt to fit that so they can survice. At that point it is survival.
P.S. please use my word adaptation VERY loosly. I am talking about what we eat, how we think, our ideals, what we do for jobs all influences these "changes" in us. As technology increases and change we adapt to our environment and the changes in our environment.
I believe in creationism, I don't want that to be lost when I use the word adaptation.
(some times it is hard to expalin more complex thoughts in a blog!!!)
First of all, don’t make any apologies for what you put on your blog. Blogs don’t always have to be about product endorsements or what you had for lunch. Those things are great to write about, but you should also be able to pose existential questions, if that’s what you so personally desire. I, for one, love to read these kinds of posts. I am relieved to know that the subject matter is also relevant to someone else. Even if I disagree with the author’s point of view, I admire that they have one. What I don’t care for, however, are blog authors that pose serious questions or present controversial issues, but then don’t offer their perspective or answer their own questions. That is asking your commenters to make themselves completely vulnerable to you (and the Internet), but being too chicken shit to share your own feelings/opinions. I think that’s a crappy thing to do.
That being said, I have asked (myself) this same question about monkeys/humans. I’m on the same page as Wrestling Kitties. I, personally, am a Creationist. But I have a great amount of respect for science. I do not discredit “evolution” in its entirety, as I don’t necessarily believe that humans have always looked as we do now. I believe that when God created humans “in His image,” it meant “as He saw fit". So maybe God created the first humans to look like –pithecus or homo erectus. And maybe our skulls, and our skills, evolved into modern man. Fine, whatever. But I don’t think we came from monkeys.
Contrary to what some suggest, science can’t explain everything. There are many things that have yet to be scientifically proven. That’s why Evolution and the Big Bang are just theories, and not laws. To those that claim that you cannot prove Creationism, or even the existence of God, I say that is why it is called “faith.” And I have much more faith in God than in Charles Darwin or Stephen Hawking.
I had a HUGE amount of faith when I was little and was quite happy about life and the afterlife. Then my mom married an atheist that totally ripped that faith from me. In my opinion, that's one of the most rotten things you can do to someone. I'm working on getting faith back, but it's tough when you have the type of mind that wants to explain EVERYTHING. I talk to God every day, but I don't go to church. I've yet to find one that I agree with.
I don't care what side of the fence you're on, I don't want beliefs shoved down my throat.
I think it’s important to be able to argue a point from both sides of the issue, so here’s the most concise answer to your question, but from the Darwinian perspective:
“Because evolution is a process of diversification, not simple one-for-one replacement. Think about it. If every species was a direct replacement for an earlier species, there would never be more than one species at any given time.”
Also, I think it’s cool that you’re doing some “soul-searching” now. I think the most important aspect of faith is your personal relationship with God. Church is great for fellowship, and sure it’s important, but I don’t think it’s the most important part of being a believer. There are lots of people that go to church religiously, but still don't know God in their personal lives. I, personally, can’t find a church where I completely agree with everything that they teach. But I go because I agree with most of it, and I feel good when I’m there. The rest of it I just sort out when I get home. And obsess over it so much that it keeps me up at night. But crises of faith are a good thing. All those things that I obsess over, that I don’t have answers to--that’s just God’s way of keeping me interested. The search for answers is a major part of the journey.
I love when you post these types of questions to us. I personally have respect for people, like my brother-in-law, who will make people think and really ponder their beliefs, no matter what side you believe. So keep them up!
And honestly I was one of those people who thought, "Okay, God created everything. But he knew his eternal plan and knew that animals would evolve and that's why we have species." Understanding other people's opinions have made me really think about why I believe that.
As I stand here today, this is one of those issues that I'm not entirely sure on. I do think that God created everything. And God is not stupid. Considering the rate of gene mutation (this includes disabilities, conditions, and yes, cancer), it is obvious that a consistent state of equilibrium in all genes is not what is supposed to happen. God probably considered this.
Think of how prevalent cancer is. That, like I said, is a gene mutation. Evolution is also a gene mutation (and this is a very loose interpretation of that word) occurring over hundreds of years. So in my mind, it makes it likely that our genes could have mutated to better suit our needs over time, and that is why we are hairless, mostly tail-less, speaking monkeys.
Of course, this is just another theory. This is what I've come up with, trying to rationalize science and religion. It's totally not set in stone.
I couldn't agree more about having beliefs pushed upon people. I hope that when we have kids we will give them the tools to find what works for them. I love listening to views of other people, even if they are not what I agree with b/c I think (for me) I need that knowledge to form my own opinions.
I think it is about what works for you. You don't have to be a part of an organized religion if you have faith and a belief that helps you live your life the best you can and to its fullest.
(I love reading these posts/comments. Keep it up, SIL.)
wow....heavy stuff. but good, good questions.
me? i believe in evolution. no apologies. i just do. the way my brain works...if we share 99.9% of our DNA with the apes...well, we have to be related to them somehow.
that being said...i also believe there is a God...and while I don't agree with a lot of what the Catholic church does/preaches/teaches, I am a practicing Catholic (read: I go to Mass).
NO.
I don't quite understand why we still have monkeys and apes either. What is there purpose anyway?
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