Francis Collins: Vanguard of Theistic Evolution

Discussion in 'Non-Anglican Discussion' started by Religious Fanatic, Sep 9, 2018.

  1. Religious Fanatic

    Religious Fanatic Well-Known Member

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    I must admit I have some serious qualms with theistic evolution. But, there are some prominent self-proclaimed Christians in the scientific field, such as Francis Collins, who have embraced it's teachings and denied the literal account of Genesis. Francis founded The Human Genome Project, which produced a full map of the human genome. Collins is both an evolutionary biologist and supposedly an evangelical Christian. With this to his name, who is to question him on accepting theistic evolution? Shouldn't he know from studying biology and claiming to be a sincere Christian as to whether evolution is or isn't true?
     
  2. Religious Fanatic

    Religious Fanatic Well-Known Member

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    Last edited: Sep 15, 2018
  3. anglican74

    anglican74 Well-Known Member Anglican

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  4. Religious Fanatic

    Religious Fanatic Well-Known Member

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    Theistic Evolution (the idea that God created the world through evolution) affirms secular science's belief that the world, or at least life on it, was created through survival of the fittest, randomly mutating processes. Thus, if you go to look for evidence for design, you will not find it, because people like Collins and his BioLogos group say the secular scientists are right about that. We only can suggest God is likely as first cause and affirm the bible as true because of the evidence of the resurrection, but nothing more. They also reject the literal Adam and Eve which creates a whole slew of theological problems in the New Testament concerning, "Just as sin came into the world through one man, so did salvation come through one man Jesus." I used to listen to a lot of liberal theology, and was apathetic about the origins of the Earth because it seemed sensible people held to TE, Old Earth, or Young Earth creation without any issues with salvation, but now I know that I was naive and that is not true. TEs have the biggest ratio of heretics and liberal theologians you can imagine, and very impious to church tradition and orthodoxy outside of just the origins debate. It is embraced by liberal Christian hipsters because it tries to take a back seat against arguing with the secular consensus regarding evolution, so it makes things easier for syncretizing worldly claims alongside biblical beliefs. It sounds appealing to the young and ignorant, but believe me, it is a trojan horse and should be rebuked.
     
  5. Tiffy

    Tiffy Well-Known Member

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    What needs to be rebuked is the nonsense that the world was created in 4004 BCE at 9 o clock in the morning, or perhaps the evening of the previous day.

    Why do some people leave their mind in the car park whenever they visit church or talk about 'the faith'. If God meant us always take everything we read literally, Jesus wouldn't have told a single parable. We need to grow up and get some insight, not treat the Bible as a scientific text book or a Constitutional Document, stipulating, forbidding, commanding and controlling every activity and thought of every individual on Earth.

    The Bible is not like The Koran. It is not just a Book of Rules to strictly regulate conduct. Neither is it a scientific manual explaining the origins and chronology of life on earth. It is a Spiritual Library, about Spiritual realities. Best get used to that or remain ignorant. We just don't know how much we don't know, but that is no excuse for deliberately not wanting to learn.
     
  6. Peteprint

    Peteprint Well-Known Member Anglican

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    I don't worry too much about how God created the universe. I feel that the Genesis account is largely unhistorical and should not be taken literally, but that only raises issues related to Biblical interpretation and inerrancy; God is still the Creator.
     
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  7. Tiffy

    Tiffy Well-Known Member

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    Prov.4:5-9. If only Biblical Literalists would literally understand this passage, they would have a garland and the beautiful crown of truth upon their heads. Instead they continue in concrete thinking, metaphor means nothing to them, fiction conveys no 'truth' to them, so must be denied and ignored, even if it is God who is the author of the fiction. Never was this so true. Matt.13:10-15.