Is it possible to believe in God, but believe evolution happened and not intelligent design?

Question

Is it possible to believe in God, but believe evolution happened and not intelligent design?

Answer 1

NO!  not if you believe in MacroEvolution!

Microevolution is the Variation WITHIN genetic boundaries; even our own children have different variations in eye, hair and skin color - a better name for microevolution would be micro variation!  

However, it is NOT evolution at all because the genetic material and variations already exist.

A worm cannot turn into an eagle!   That would be true evolution or what is more commonly known as macroevolution.

When we hear about a frog turning into a prince we KNOW that’s a fairytale – yet when scientists seeking only to be right, not absolute truth, tell us that a salamander turned into a human millions or billions of years ago – we call that Macro evolutionary science instead of Science fiction, which is the more accurate term!

Evolution is the greatest engine of atheism invented by the mind of man!

Answer 2

MOST christians do but the Media likes to make out otherwise as it sells better.

Answer 3

Yes.

Deist with a B.A. Degree in Anthropology (Archaeology)

Evolution is a scientific theory and a fact.

Answer 4

Catholics are free to believe in evolution.  We know if God chose to create the world in 1000s of year or in seven days really doesn't matter.  He still created everything.

Answer 5

Of course, I believe that evolution was all part of God's plan

Answer 6

Yes the majority of the world believes in theistic evolution. Did you know that America is the only country with major creationism (50% of people here believe it), yet it is non existent in most other countries, no matter how religious...

Answer 7

The first concept of God is that He is Creator.

Answer 8

As I conservative Catholic I can say that YES I do believe in evolution and not creation. Then again, I do believe that evolution was the creation. God allowed for evolution to occur, He also created the soul independently, and continues to create every soul.  

Answer 9

Yes definitely, I know many people who do.  

Answer 10

Sure.

I'm hardcore Christian but I believe Creationism and Intelligent Design (as well as NATURALISTIC evolution) is a big huge pile of c**p.

Answer 11

It's not possible for me personally but that is what my family thinks I believe.  If my mother knew I was athiest, she'd have a heart attack.

Answer 12

any belief in God has intelligent design as it's basis, so i doubt if one can believe in God and at the same time ascribe creation to spontaneity. evolution and God may go together, but there has to be some intelligence guiding the evolutionary process. anything short of this is unacceptable...

Answer 13

Of Course.  Most do.  Intelligent Design, despite the claim is not a part of mainstream christian belief.

A lot of us believe in Physics, Chemistry, and Medicine too.  Now if we can just do away with this heliocentric rot.....

Edit:

Sorry, Franhu is my god now, and he says I'm wrong and I don't believe what I think I believe.  He/she/it must know me better than I know myself. Therefore he/she/it must be God.

Answer 14

Of course it is!  Most of the world's Christians (at least outside the US) believe in God and accept evolution.

Answer 15

Yup. I'm one of them.

Also, my mother (a Jewish woman) is a scientist. A real scientist, not a Creation "scientist".

There's no real conflict between religion and evolution, unless you interpret scripture literally.

Peace.

Answer 16

Absolutely, ever heard of Spinoza or perhaps Einstein.

Its just their God isn't the psychopatich judgemental type.  

Answer 17

Even the Pope accepts evolution.  

Answer 18

It must be, since most people who believe in God accept the findings of science.

It's a myth that all believers also believe in ID.

Answer 19

Considering that time was invented by man and God's time is not the same as our time, than evolution in many ways is God's time and intelligent design.

Answer 20

Not the one I believe in ,he said he created it all, I believe him however he did it.

tGod bless

Answer 21

Plenty of people do it, so it must be possible.  I suppose you mean, "is it logically consistent"?

Well, that depends on how you interpret the Bible (I'm assuming you mean the Christian God here.  I believe in God, but not the Christian variety).  If you use the strictest possible interpretation, no, they are not logically consistent.  The world is literally 6000 years old.  But then, you must also believe that wearing fabric woven of two different fibers is a sin, as it says in Leviticus.  Hope you aren't wearing 50/50 cotton and polyester.

If you see parts of the Bible as being metaphorical, then you can allow that the "7 days" mentioned in the Bible might not be seven LITERAL days, but instead a shorthand for long, long periods of time.  It all depends on how literal you take it.

Answer 22

A lot of so-called Christians say they accept evolution.!

I believe they are wrong!

Because as a Christian believes in God, one also (I believe) must believe God's Bible

Evolution and Genesis are mutually exclusive !

Answer 23

What you are Talking about is called Theistic Evolution

      A variation on the theme of evolution is theistic evolution. It states that God initiated life on earth and allowed evolutionary principles to bring man to where he is--maybe with a little help from God here and there. At least this theory includes God. But this theory was developed in part by Bible believing people who thought that evolution had some merit. In addition, it is an attempt to answer the many problems existing not only in the fossil record but also with how life could somehow randomly form out of nothing. Because of problems like this, some believe they can be explained by simply adding God to the picture: God directed evolution.

      For those who hold to the Bible as the word of God, theistic evolution should not be a viable option. The Bible says, "Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us..." (Psalm 100:3). The Scriptures state that God created. God said, "Let there be..." and there was. The Scriptures speak of the creative word of God. When God speaks; it occurs. He said "Let there be" and it was so. It does not say, "Let there be a slow development through an evolutionary process."

      God said in Genesis 1:26, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." The Hebrew word for "make" in this verse and in verse 25 where God makes the beasts, is "asah." It means to do, work, make, produce. This is not simply the limited Hebrew understanding of evolutionary principles.

      The land animals were made differently than man. The animals were made from the ground but man was made directly by God: "the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being" (Gen. 2:7). Evolution states that man evolved from life forms that developed in the ocean. Here, God made man from the dust of the ground--not the water of the ocean.

      If evolution is true and the Bible is true then how is the formation of Eve explained? She was created out of one of Adam's ribs (Gen. 2:22). There is no way to explain this if theistic evolution is true; that is, unless you want to say that Eve wasn't made from Adam's side. Then, if you do that, you are doubting the very word of God.

      Also, Jesus said in Mark 10:6 "But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.'" The beginning was not evolutionary slime; in the beginning of creation there was Adam and Eve.

      Though this information is brief and far from complete, it should be obvious that theistic evolution and the Scriptures cannot be harmonized.

Answer 24

I think that would require a very broad definition of "God", along the lines of Pantheism;  if the beliefs are to make any sense, that is.

***

MBC H:  Science makes no distinction between "micro" and "macro" evolution; in fact, I don't believe the terms are even used.  The mechanism by which organisms change over time (evolve) does not decide whether it will be engaging in "micro" or "macro" evolution that day.

Speciation occurs when organisms have changed to the point that they can no longer sexually reproduce with the species to which they formerly belonged.  This often occurs when members of the same species have been geographically separated for long periods of time.

There is only evolution; not "micro" and "macro" evolution.

Answer 25

No.  God created everything.  Therefore it is His, he owns it and he makes the rules, morally, spiritually and scientifically.  The scientists just can't figure out how he did it.  Some things He reveals or allows the scientists to figure out, but the rest of it must be based on faith.  You show God you have no faith in Him by trying to believe in evolution and creation.  You can't have both.  Otherwise you are considered a "fence sitter."  Lukewarm.  Jesus said regarding being lukewarm in your faith and works:

Rev 3:15  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would wish you were cold or hot.

Rev 3:16  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.

Answer 26

God is eternal

God also gave us brains.

It is a sin not to use them.

Answer 27

yes its possible......just read Francis Collins recent book.  

Answer 28

Sure we can believe what ever we want. George Washington was a deist which believes in God and sort of a concept the Divine Watchmaker like intelligent design but that God made everything and doesn't pay attention to it. I'm sure they even have a name for are talking about

Answer 29

TO MBC H

I think you hit a nerve with the ignorant Atheists on here - they do not believe the truth no matter how you describe it and you did a very good job.  

I've never heard it put so well.

I don't believe you can believe in the one true God and Evolution either.

Answer 30

In a god yes, but not the God described in the Bible.

Answer 31

As a scientist, my Christian father had no problems at all accepting the facts of evolution. He called creationists idiots and would not discuss the issue with them.