What makes a Christian? Somebody who believes that Christ died for their sins. I fail to see what an acceptance of the Theory of Evolution has to do with being or not being a Christian. Unless, of course, the Christian in point is one of those fundamentalists who has to believe that every single word in The Bible is the absolute truth.

Some Christians believe that God created the natural processes of evolution. I am not one of them. Whether or not you believe in evolution is not what makes you a Christian. In the end, not matter what the debate, "Christian" means "Christ follower" not "anti evolutionist."

Christianity and Evolution are only contradictory if you are a strict Bible-truther - if you believe that every word of the Bible is exactly true using the language of today. Many people who call themselves Christians, and believe devoutly in the teachings of the New Testament, regard the Old Testament, and particularly Genesis, as an allegory rather than the literal truth. If you do not believe in Genesis as literal truth (which the Jews, who wrote it, do not), it is perfectly possible for God to have have achieved His ends using the tools of Evolution.

It's the other way around, actually- The concept of Biblical infallibility is new to Christianity- just in the past hundred years or so, and not only is it not believed by all Christians, it is not believed by the majority of Christians- just by Fundamentalists. So most Christians can accept scientific facts just fine, it's only those who have ignorance of BOTH Christianity and Evolution that see a conflict.

With respect to the conflict between literal and figurative interpretation of the Bible, wrote, JakeTKD "So it's not ignorance, it's just people who pick and choose what to believe." Jake, there are parts of the Bible that are clearly intended to be taken figuratively. Let me give you some examples. Genesis 40: tells us of some dreams that Pharaoh had about wheat and cattle. Did these dreams actually portend a time when wheat and cattle would start eating their own kind? No, the were symbolic of seven year of plenty to be followed by seven years of famine. If Joseph had interpreted the dreams literally, then Egypt would not have prepared for the famine. Daniel 4: Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a statue. Was this just about a statue? Daniel 7: Daniel sees four beast that rise up out of the sea. These beasts are unlike any that have ever walked the Earth. Does this mean that these strange beasts are actually going to appear some day? The Gospels: Jesus spent a lot of his time telling stories (The Ten Virgins, The Prodigal Son, The Talents, etc.) Were these just stories? Revelation 11: Two prophets will preach in Jerusalem. Fire will come out of the mouths these these two prophets to kill any who seek to hurt them. Will these to men really be able to breath fire at their enemies? Revelation 12: talks about a dragon that was cast out of heaven. I Satan really a dragon? I think that that is enough examples. The fact of the matter is that the Bible is full of symbolic language. Much of it is not meant to be taken literally. Sometimes it is difficult to separate out the symbolic language from the literal accounts. In the debate over creationism and evolution, it is not so much a matter of people picking and choosing what they believe from the Bible. Rather, it is a matter of trying to separate the literal account from the symbolic account. If you take the Biblical account of creation literally, then there is no room for evolution. However, if you take the creation story as being symbolic, then evolution becomes a possible tool that God could have used in the creation. It is up to each of us to decide which way we will look at this story and I don't criticize either side.

Mankind is urged by the Holy Qur’an (HQ) to seek knowledge and explore nature. This can only be based on confidence that the resulting discoveries will not run in the face of the HQ itself. As if that is not enough the HQ ventures into making statements about nature, thus sticking its neck out, so to speak. For example HQ 21:30 says “Have not those who disbelieve known that the heavens and the earth were of one piece, then We parted them” This has been taken by commentators to allude to the so called Big Bang view of the beginning of the universe. While HQ 51:47 is taken to refer to the continuing expansion of the universe when it says “With power and skill did We construct the heavens and it is We Who create the vastness of pace.” HQ 21:30 goes on to declare “and We made, from water, every living thing” and ends by asking “Will they not then believe?” The HQ makes forays into other branches of science as well. We can thus see that the HQ encourages man to explore nature in a bid to understand it better and to further that cause it would want people to question their findings. Some of the outstanding questions on the theory of evolution can be found on http://www.harunyahya.com/books/darwinism/therewasdarwinism/therewasdarwinism2.php

Most Christians do not take the stories of creation in the Bible literally. Catholics believe the book of Genesis tells religious truth and not necessarily historical fact. One of the religious truths is that God created everything and declared all was good. Catholics can believe in the theories of the big bang and/or evolution. Or not. On August 12, 1950 Pope Pius XII said in his encyclical Humani generis: The Teaching Authority of the Church does not forbid that, in conformity with the present state of human sciences and sacred theology, research and discussions, on the part of men experienced in both fields, take place with regard to the doctrine of evolution, in as far as it inquires into the origin of the human body as coming from pre-existent and living matter - for the Catholic faith obliges us to hold that souls are immediately created by God. Here is the complete encyclical: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_12081950_humani-generis_en.html The Church supports science in the discovery of God's creation. At this time, the theories of the big bang and evolution are the most logical scientific explanations. However tomorrow someone may come up with better ideas. As long as we believe that God started the whole thing, both the Bible and modern science can live in harmony. With love in Christ.

I have been a Christian since 1980 and in all that time I have never heard a Christian call them self an evolutionist. Where are these Christians you're speaking of?

Yes. And the Earth does not rotate and it is the center of the universe.

Well, you're wrong. You can have it both ways. When the theory of evolution was introduced and the Christians were came out against it, the main reason was "God created." Some people thought that if things weren't always exactly like they are now, that meant that God didn't mean them to be that way. But I believe that is an extreme underestimation of God. If you truly believe God is all powerful, how can you say He couldn't orchestrate somethign like evolution? Another problem they saw was the Genesis account of the creation of earth, and the use of the word "day." You know, "On the first day, God...". If you were to take this literally, it would mean the earth was actually made in a period of 144 earth hours, plus 24 for God to rest. Clearly, that isn't enough time for species to evolve from goo, form intelligent life, populate Pangea, and become human. There are a lot of Christians who find good reason NOT to take literally the use of the word "day." For me, it's because God is GOD, and doesn't really exist in any one place, and therefore most likely wouldn't confine Himself to the rotation of a planet He hadn't even finished creating yet. Plus, what we call a day is the rotation of the earth 360 degrees, and who knows if that's always been 24 hours? The Bible uses symbolic numbers A LOT. For instance, 1,000 just means "a really big number", and 7 is perfection. Forty also means "a lot". A day for The God of the Universe could mean anything. Who knows what a day is to a God who exists beyond time? There are a lot of problems with complete evolutionary theory. It is clear that things evolve. That is a fact of life. Species adapt to new environments, and survival of the fittest is a fact of nature. Some people think that this means all things evolved from the same stuff. The problem is that if you go back far enough, eventually you have to answer the question, "Where did the stuff come from?" And since something can't come from nothing, what are you left with? Life on this planet is so complex, and when you look closely enough, it really makes you wonder how any of it could have happened by chance. Do you have ANY idea how complex and perfect a chicken egg is? Do you know how immensely complicated the process of blood clotting is? These are things that, by evolutionary theory, would have taken millions of years to come about perfectly. But the fact is that for all the parts to come together and work the way they should, it would have needed to happen with the very first generation, or everything would have died out before it had a chance to evolve. Of course things evolve. Things change. Things adapt. That doesn't mean there isn't a God. It just means God made it all happen.

Christianity is based on the bible. Evolution goes against the entire creation story in Genesis. In Genesis God says that he created each animal, including Humans, after their own kind. He doesn't say he created one animal who Evolved into all other animals!

For myself, I am a Christian, (someone in a right relationship with God through trust in Jesus, who died in my place and rose again as King), and I see no problem (at the moment) with believing that God created the world through evolutionary means. I also don't see a problem with believing that God created directly. There are a few reasons for this: 1) Genesis is roughly 1500 year old Hebrew literature, and it deals not so much with the mechanics of creation, that is, the "how" questions, but more with the deeper issues, like the fact that God created and what that means (i.e He is the Rightful Ruler). It deals more with the "why" questions and the consequences. 2) Genesis one, when you look at it in it's original language, has elements of Hebrew poetry. Does that mean I shouldn't take it literally? No, but it does force me to genuinely consider whether there is something deeper I can get out of it besides just a literal comprehension of the text. 3) When I look at Genesis 2, the order of creation is different from Genesis 1. e.g man is formed first, then animals. Is the Bible being contradictory? My conclusion is that it is not trying to deal with the scientific mechanics of creation. Whatever my Christian brothers and sisters believe in this matter, as long as Christ is their King, and the One they trust in for a right relationship with God, I will call them a CHristian brother/sister and pray that I can be an encouragment for them to keep persevering in Christ

A person who believes the entire Bible is true, right down to the 7 days of creation, cannot rightfully believe in evolution. However some people do somehow decide that certain parts are metaphor and pick and choose what to believe and what not to believe.

i think he puts the answer to this question pretty nicely

I have NEVER understood why people think religion and evolution have to be mutually exclusive concepts. Did it ever occur to anyone that God INTENDED evolution to be a part of the natural order when he created the world? It really angers me that whenever I have a question about God that can't be answered, religious people say "God works in mysterious ways", but then they turn around and presume to know God's truth about a handful of issues like evolution, abortion, birth control, etc. THAT is what you can't have both ways. Either admit that you know nothing of God, or tell me everything about him. Don't cherry-pick to suit your own needs.

Some Christians believe in Evolution because they did not yet understand the difference between science and belief. You don't have more to believe in Evolution as you have to believe in the war in Iraq, or in the North Pole, in koala bears, in television, in gravity or in electricity. However, you might believe in God or not. That is your choice.

I personally don’t see how a Christian could refuse to accept evolution and still call herself a Christian. Such a person would have to believe her own interpretation of the Bible instead of the evidence God personally left for us to find in the world. It would be like insisting grasshoppers have four legs, because the Bible says so, while all the while refusing to count the legs on a real grasshopper. In fact it’s worse, because while the Bible is quite specific about the number of legs a grasshopper has, there is nothing in the Bible to specifically rule out evolution. Genesis 2 says God formed man from the dust of the ground, but it doesn’t say how long it took or how many intermediate forms it passed through. Genesis 1 says God made the earth and the heavens in 6 days, and the plants before the sun, but those days are from God’s perspective. If an author of a book can take a day to write about something that takes many years within the timeframe of the book, and can write another narrative the next day that takes place prior to what he’d written previously, then why couldn’t the Author of the Universe do the same? Finally, Jesus’ own example shows that the Bible was not intended to be taken literally. He taught using parables, whose meanings were allegorical. He disagreed with the literalist Sadducees, and even with the more liberal-minded Pharisees, and summed up the entire Mosaic law with just two commandments - to love the lord and to love our neighbors. . To insist that one’s personal, literal interpretation of the Bible should take precedence over God’s own works and Christ’s own example is to follow hubris rather than Christianity.

PLEASE educate yourself. The Bible is a collection of NARRATIVES. The Genesis account of creation ( there are actually two of them in Genesis, did you know that? ) is a MYTH!. And I don't mean "myth" in the sense of "lie." I mean "myth" in the sense of a larger-than-life narrative that attempts to get at the mysteries of existence. Why, oh why does ANYONE in this day and age ( and so many Americans!) believe the literal truth of Genesis?? It's a story--a meaningful one, perhaps, but not one to be taken literally. I'm constantly amazed at this. It's so obvious. Read other creation myths and you'll see a similarity of language in them all. If you insist on it, use the ol' argument, how can the world have been created in six days when the sun wasn't created till the fourth day? If you insist on approaching it that way (which you shouldn't), at least consider that. DO NOT BELIEVE THE BIBLE LITERALLY. People who show such imperviousness to metaphor are the ones who have done the damage over the centuries. Imagine killing people because they don't believe Christ literally exists in a cracker at communion!

How do you judge a "true" Christain? or anyone else for that matter? This is quite simple for me, i can speak for no other..Evolution=change formation;to develope by gradual changes;unfold... For me, evolving is is the way God made us , to be able to grow,change and adapt.....we all do, it is part of daily LIFE for most, many can't grow and change and refuse to do so...their perogative... God is my Evolutionist..we all evolve and adapt ...as HE made earth and man to do...... HE is my scientist, biologist,evolutionist...this has nothing to do with any religion ,science , etc.. when we come to God, we grow,change, adapt, gradually, we evolve in HIM also....just me and HIM,my ALL.....:)justme

People insist on conflict. It's human nature. It's how evil operates. Insisting that Science and Spirituality are mutually exclusive concepts will only destroy them both.

What do you consider a "True Christian?"

Huh? Sounds like ignorance, pure and simple. Why can't one of you believe in evolution? Why is it either/or?

Probably those whom donot have Christ in them.They know Jesus but He doesn't know them.If you donot believe God created all as Genesis proclaimes then you are not truley saved.

We have more common DNA with the banana that with the great apes. To me Evolution goes out the window,when DNA SHOULD expose creationism, it only backs it up!

Ignorance of both perhaps!

Because of a few who chose to worship a book over God, doesn't make them any more Christian. Bibliolators all.