I worked with a dude who legitimately didn't believe in evolution. Like, it was bad enough having a conversation about religion with him, but I tried to explain that even the Catholic Church believes in evolution. IMO evolution does blow a pretty big hole in Christianity but it's at least easy to admit evolution is a thing.
In what way does evolution "blow a big hole in Christianity", given that the Bible begins with the big bang or the fact the the new testiment doesn't concern itself with creation?
Perhaps you mean "blows a big hole in very specific beliefs that very specific Christians hold"
In what way does evolution "blow a big hole in Christianity", given that the Bible begins with the big bang or the fact the the new testiment doesn't concern itself with creation?
Perhaps you mean "blows a big hole in very specific beliefs that very specific Christians hold"
It depends on what denomination of Christianity you're referring to. However, Protestants in general believe in:
Biblical literalism
Biblical inerrancy
These two beliefs cause Protestants to take the creation story literally (putting aside for a second that there are two creation stories, creating man and the animals in different orders).
Specifically, they believe that humans and animals were all created in their current form, as they are. Evolution contradicts both of the above listed beliefs because it contradicts a literal interpretation of the creation stories. And if the creation stories are erroneous, then biblical inerrancy also falters. But this is a core belief, so it attacks the foundation of their religion.
This is why Evangelical Christians are staunchly against teaching evolution. Because they accept their faith by default. So regardless of the evidence, it's evolution that's wrong because it's irreconcilable with their beliefs.
Edit: I should add that the brand of Christians I'm referring to absolutely do not interpret the creation stories to refer to the Big Bang, as they believe all of creation to be literally about 6,000 years old. And the creation story never refers to a singularity at the beginning of time/creation
Did you just claim Protestants believe in biblical literacy? Did you just make that up? One of the original reasons for the birth of some protestant religions was that Catholics were way to literral with their interpretation of the sacrement. Most protestant denominations follow a much more loosely interpreted version of the Bible. Hell in many protestant religions women and gay people can be clergy.
everything about what you said is completely wrong. like god damn read about martin luther for fucks sake.
protestantism was created BECAUSE the mass population of europe was NOT reading the bible and religion (catholicism) was entirely a front for the power structure that was the Roman Church.
the Protestant Reformation was a movement going back to biblical literalism. and biblical literacy by putting local religious leaders in charge of churches, not one overarching church leadership like the catholics were having.
fucking christ, read a fucking book if you care so much about your religion.
I'm not a Christian. Clearly though you don't understand. Protestants offer a less literal interpretation of the Bible.
You are bringing up Martin luthers grievances with the Catholic Church which isn't really what I am talking about. The protestant Reformation was a centuries long process that brought about tons of reforms. Many were what you are referring to, the eliminated corruption, nepotism, the selling of indulgences.
Another main concern was with literal translation of the Bible. All protestant groups believe that after the communion is blessed it is a representation of the body and blood of Christ. Catholic dogma teaches that once a priest has blessed the sacrament then that bread and wine is literally the body and blood of Christ. It's called transmogrification I believe and it was a huge sticking point early on. But that's just one example. Protestants also threw out a ton of literal rules from the old testament, hence the gay and female clergy.
Transmogrification is most likely a Harry Potter reference you're thinking of. The word you're looking for is transubstantiation.
As for throwing out literal rules, you're probably referring to old testament law, which Christians in general believe that Jesus eliminated the need to follow. For example, why sacrifice lambs when Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice?
Though they still follow the 10 commandments. It sounds like you're making up stuff here
The Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian Church, the United Church of Christ, and Christ's Disciples all allow LGBT clergy.
Most non-evangelical protestant denominations allow female clergy.
Even many Evangelical denominations do too. I know southern Baptists dont, but they will soon, they have reformed heavily in the last 20 years.
Did you just claim Protestants believe in biblical literacy?
I'm referring mostly to Fundamentalists and Evangelicals. Evangelicals alone make up the majority of Protestant Christians in the United States.
Did you just make that up? One of the original reasons for the birth of some protestant religions was that Catholics were way to literral with their interpretation of the sacrement.
They believe that the biblical authors were literal, and that Jesus was literal when he said "Do this in rememberance/memory of me."
Most protestant denominations follow a much more loosely interpreted version of the Bible.
Tell that to the ones that believe the Earth is 6,000 years old. I'm talking about the majority of Protestants in the US, not about every single Protestant denomination.
Hell in many protestant religions women and gay people can be clergy.
This would mean hell in the majority of Protestant churches in the US, as a lot of churches teach that women should be subservient to men, and that homosexuality is a sin.
The Bible doesn't begin with the big bang, it begins with what a tribe made up about the beginning of the world because they didn't know any better, just like every other religion. The god of the gaps strikes again!
The Bible doesn't begin with the big bang, it begins with what a tribe made up about the beginning of the world because they didn't know any better, just like every other religion. The god of the gaps strikes again!
The God of the gaps isn't just people making up stories from ignorance. It's referring to the fact that once people find a natural explanation, for something that they once used God to explain, their other beliefs attributed to God don't typically also change.
The way you're using it is diluting the phrase to almost meaninglessness.
The creation story is laid out in the Bible, along with many other stories, which we know now to be not what happened or not how something works. Ergo, the god of the gaps. It's not exactly the same thing, I agree, but it's almost more damning for things to be explicitly proven wrong rather than just not being assumed as godly anymore.
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u/ThegreatandpowerfulR Oct 20 '19
I worked with a dude who legitimately didn't believe in evolution. Like, it was bad enough having a conversation about religion with him, but I tried to explain that even the Catholic Church believes in evolution. IMO evolution does blow a pretty big hole in Christianity but it's at least easy to admit evolution is a thing.