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Have you ever known a theist who believed evolution was true?

I have. My mother always said god used evolution as his tool to create the world. She is not a typical theist, in that, she does not believe the bible is the literal word of god, but rather the inspired word of god. However, she is a Methodist, and I have been to bible class with Methodist ministers who have said the same things. I also attended a Methodist bible class on Revolations in which the minister said it was not a prophetic book that it was merely written in a code to the people of the day to help them "keep the faith" as it were and not a guide to the future.

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Permalink Reply by Jezzy on September 26, 2010 at 1:01pm

Yep. My old biology teacher used to say that he didn't feel scientific findings disrupted his religious beliefs at all, and it seems there are quite a few with that sort of mentality. He also recognizes that we look like monkeys. We totally do.

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Permalink Reply by Linda on September 26, 2010 at 1:10pm

I used to believe evolution back when I was a theist. Well it wasn't so much that I believed it as I thought it was most likely true even though I did kind of have some allowance for the "God put dinosaur bones there" theory. The church I belonged to never made any kind of big deal out of it or even talked about it. I don't remember it ever being any kind of issue at all. This was 30 years ago, however. Maybe this was before evolution became so politicized. I never remember anybody ever challenging evolution when I was going to school either. I went to school in the North (Detroit) and in the South (TN). The church I belonged to was when I was an adult and had moved to Atlanta.

When did it become such a big deal? I understand why it is a big deal but I was just curious as to what was the catalyst that brought the issue to the forefront?

Or have I just been living off in an alternate universe somewhere? LOL

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Permalink Reply by Grace Fitzpatrick on September 26, 2010 at 1:26pm

It seems like in the last 10 years or so, the sensible religious types have been pushed out for this fundamentalist craziness. It used to be you met tons of xains who had their kids vaccinated and believed science was real, but those numbers appear to be dwindling. Somehow the Xain Right is even pushing moderates out of the fold. You're right. Back in the 70s, evolution was a given. Maybe Xains believed magic created people, but most i knew also believed animals definitely evolved and dinosaurs were real. I don't remember ever being told dinosaurs were not real. My mother used to get a good long laugh at people who said that. My MIL, on the other hand, is just coming around to recognizing dinosaurs were real and evolution is also real. She was lost to pentecostalism for a long time though.

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Permalink Reply by Grace Fitzpatrick on September 26, 2010 at 1:16pm

My husband never had until he met my mom. We were discussing this last night if science and religion could be compatible. I used the example of my mother who believes in both science and god. He says numbers of people like this are few. I have met more than he has, then again his parents were pentecostals and mine where Methodist. I grew up around mainline methodists and presbyterians. That could explain why I have known more rational xains than he has.

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Permalink Reply by Louis on September 26, 2010 at 1:26pm

I know a few people who think that Evolution is just part of god's plan. I think that's mad. If it was his plan, he's a fucking sadist.

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Permalink Reply by Panku (Pankaj Kumar) on September 26, 2010 at 2:33pm

who can disagree with you ?

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Permalink Reply by Jim DePaulo on September 26, 2010 at 7:58pm

Actually, the Catholic church accepts evolution - they do, however, work god it to it.

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Permalink Reply by Sarah Walton on September 27, 2010 at 7:54am

Plenty, in fact, most of the theists I know also believe in evolution. I can count the creationists I know on one hand, and two of them I haven't talked to in years (we drifted apart after high school, which sucks because they were otherwise cool people).

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Permalink Reply by Jim DePaulo on September 27, 2010 at 2:40pm

True, I've got some cousins in Louisana that are twice a week churchy folk and they don't buy the 6 days creation nonsense or the 6000 year old earth.