Can a Darwinian Be a Christian?

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Can a Darwinian Be a Christian?

Posted Jun 12th 2008 4:35AM by Dinesh D'Souza
Filed under: Science, Christianity, Atheism

When Richard Dawkins published The God Delusion, philosopher Michael Ruse was quoted as saying that the book "makes me embarrassed to be an atheist." What especially galls Ruse is Dawkins' pig-headed insistence that anyone who embraces the Darwinian account of evolution cannot remain a Christian.

Ruse is a noted philosopher at Florida State University, an atheist champion of evolution and Darwinism, and author of several critically acclaimed books including Can a Darwinian Be a Christian?

I've been reading Ruse's book, and in it he counters Dawkins' simple-minded argument that God has been proven irrelevant since chance and natural selection now constitute "the blind watchmaker." Ruse writes, "It still leaves open the option of God's designing at a distance. Perhaps God put His design into action through the medium of unbroken law. Perhaps a God who works in this way is superior to a God who has to intervene personally and miraculously."

But doesn't evolution contradict a literal reading of the first chapter of Genesis? Yes, but Ruse points out that there are only two groups of people who insist on reading Genesis in a close-mindedly literal way. The first group is ignorant fundamentalists. And the second group is ignorant atheists like Dawkins.

By contrast, Ruse shows that from earliest times thoughtful Christians like the church father Augustine read the creation account figuratively. And for nearly two thousand years the Catholic Church has followed in this tradition. Ruse adds that while Calvin was a bit more literal-minded than Luther, both leading reformers also allowed for non-literal understandings of creation. Indeed Calvin introduced his doctrine of "accommodation" in which he argued that the Bible is sometimes written in a form as to make itself intelligible to people who are not well educated and don't have a sophisticated understanding of science.

Ruse 's conclusion introduces subtleties that seem entirely beyond the capacity of Dawkins. "Is the Christian obligated to be a Darwinian?" Ruse answers no, but urges Christians to take evolutionary biology seriously because they don't want a Christianity practiced in the dark. "Is the Darwinian obligated to be a Christian?" Again, the answer is no but Ruse adds this advice: "Try to be understanding of those who are." Finally Ruse gets to the big one. "Can a Darwinian be a Christian?" To which he offers the resounding answer: "Absolutely!"

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Reader Comments ( Page 24 of 115)

Previous 15 Comments | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

346. "Remember this, faith is more important than fact." - P

How true that is!

I don't know why these people even attempt to argue the facts with us as they know in their hearts that dead bodies can't rise from the dead after rotting there for three days. They know that is true and that it's just faith that sustains them. They know they can't covert us. It must be that they are clamoring to somehow prove to themselves, that part of them still clinging to sanity, that they are not insane for their beliefs and leaps of faith. Little do they realize the depths of their dementia.

One religious nut job once (two decades ago) actually asked me to go fight in a religious war with him and kill his enemy. What the fuck? No way! I'm an ethical human being and I don't kill anyone for any reason except personal self defense. Their dementia even has them recruiting people to kill others with beliefs that are opposed or even just slightly different than theirs. This is one reason that religion is EVIL. That is fucked up.

Religion is mass delusion. Get real people. Get off of your high horse and come back to reality. It's usually quite nice, warm and cozy. It's all there is and then we're out like a blink in no time.

Peter at 6:46PM on Jun 13th 2008

347. ATHEIST

Again, I simply say, "Look at the FACTS."

Old age is no fun.

Look at a person who is 80 years old. They need walkers. for many of them, life is terrible.

If there was a design to all of this, it should be easy to stop or reverse the aging process.

There is NO DESIGN.

ALL of the evidence supports a random process.

At a genetic level, in the structure of human DNA, there are RANDOM changes.

A segment is duplicated fifty times. All 50 of them appear in the genome. Only ONE of them codes for proteins.

Our DNA is the result of RANDOM mutation. Seriously. If you spend two or three years studying the structure of DNA (say, while you're getting a graduate degree in genetics) you come to that conclusion.

the dimwit Christians (like Dinesh) say, "I haven't really looked at the facts, but in my opinion...."

The Con Game.... wants you to give opinions without having them based on FACTS.

hence, the Jewish idea of dybbuk, or a soul that takes possession of a living person to finish some task.

there are lots of LIES... stories that aren't true... and the resurrection of Jesus is one of them.

William Hays at 6:46PM on Jun 13th 2008

348. "I believe Preter got mad at Peter and condemned him to hell for not believing or blaspheming Jesus." - goddess1prevail

I don't recall seeing myself condemned to burn in the mythical hell. Just to be sure. I deny the holy spirit. I deny the power of the holy spirit. I deny jesus and god even if they are proven to be true. I would never bow down to them as I am a Freeman and a Free Thinking Living Being who does not submit to evil powers of gods - real or fake. In fact there is a warrent - dead or alive - out for the arrest of jesus and god. God is wanted for the mass murders of almost eveyone on planet Earth as he is reputed to have caused a great flood on purpose wiping them out. Jesus is wanted for leading a death cult and creating zombie worship followers who spread a vile and evil disease.

"I thought he was ok until I saw that." - goddess1prevail

Eh? Huh? Preterist-Perverted is not ok, he's messed up in the head.

"To know someone will burn in eternity with such certainty for denying Jesus is just plain dumb." - goddess1prevail

I deny the holy spirit. I deny the power of the holy spirit. I deny jesus and god even if they are proven to be true. I would never bow down to them as I am a Freeman and a Free Thinking Living Being who does not submit to evil powers of gods - real or fake.

Hell is a myth. jesus is a myth. god is a myth. They do not exist except in your little brain.

"I guess I also missed him denying the holocaust, what post was it?" - goddess1prevail

The holocaust happened. Six million jews and others were killed by the evil vile Nazi's in Germany in world war II. Does that look like a denial? You people are amazing in how you attempt to smear people. You just pretend to ask questions with horrific and slanderous content in it. How dare you say that bitch goddess1prevail! Please appologize now!

I simply quoted some materials that raise the question as to whether or not jesus actually existed or not and you faith freaks freak out. It's a valid question and one that I - as a scientist - do not know the answer to thus I say I don't know. But not knowing isn't good enough for your faith freaks as you like to jump to conclusions like your conclusion that god exists without having any proof other than your wish that it be so. Wishes are not good enough for many of us, we need actual proof.

So go crawl back under your rocks Dinesh cult groupie slime and munch on some of those flakes of sweet zombie jesus.

Peter at 7:02PM on Jun 13th 2008

349. "you faith freaks freak out"

ironic on multiple levels

bigTuna at 7:12PM on Jun 13th 2008

350. Conceptually sucking up to the mythical evil overlord named god in the mythical heaven is just as much the mythical hell as the mythical hell is reputed to be.

"The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction; jealous and proud of it; petty, unjust, unforgiving, control freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty, ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevent bully.", says Richard Dawkins in The God Delusion p51. He goes on to say, "Those of us schooled from infancy in his ways can become desensitized to their horror".

I would never want to meet such an unsavory character except to exact the death penalty upon him for the genocidal crimes he has inflicted upon humanity through the ages. He has killed untold numbers of living beings and committed many more to the mythical hell simply because they don't believe in them. God is guilty as charged, the sentence is death in the interest of our own self preservation as free living beings.

Peter at 7:16PM on Jun 13th 2008

351. "...I wonder what DD's gets? Any suggestions so we can all wish him a good one too? (keep it clean; it's fathers day)." fanman

Fanman,
I walk in the door and my youngest son couldn't wait until Sunday to give me his gift!
A big assortment of gourmet spicy popcorn from Dale and Thomas. With a complimentary 3-fer custom bowl.
That teamed up with a good movie and some Kirin beer sounds like a nice, relaxing evening with my wife and kids!

So, that's the first suggestion for a Happy Father's Day for DoubleD.

Michael at 7:20PM on Jun 13th 2008

352.
Goddess,
I apologize for the ignorant words that were posted to you from Peter.
No lady should be spoken to like that.
Ever.

Michael at 7:27PM on Jun 13th 2008

353. Dinesh is living proof of Evolution!
2 inert cells by themselves sperm & egg combine
and evolve into an egotistical insane maniac

Chandler Yergin at 7:31PM on Jun 13th 2008

354. Michael, your nice goddess1prevail accused me of denying the Holocaust when I would never do such a thing AS THE HOLOCAUST DID HAPPEN. She is attempting to use smear tactics against me. I was being polite to her considering the slander she spit at me with venom. She is no lady as a result of her transgression into the land of slander.

Peter at 7:32PM on Jun 13th 2008

355. Besides Michael you can't apologize for me, only I can do that and only she can apologize for her slander.

Peter at 7:33PM on Jun 13th 2008

356. So it is evil to tell the truth? Yes, I believe you will die and go to a devil's hell for denying Jesus as your Saviour. You deny Him and He will deny you before God the Father. Pretty plain, and pretty simle even for you morons. (Peter, WH, CH, etc...etc...) Sorry guys and gals, but you have the opportunity to miss it, and you wish to dive in head first. You chose the wrong path, you can get off of that path, but you won't. So yes you will burn eternally in a devil's hell.

Man_in_Wilderness at 7:40PM on Jun 13th 2008

357. Peter those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. Talking about transgression in the land of slander.

Man_in_Wilderness at 7:42PM on Jun 13th 2008

358. 331 "I believe Preter got mad at Peter and condemned him to hell for not believing or blaspheming Jesus. I thought he was ok until I saw that. To know someone will burn in eternity with such certainty for denying Jesus is just plain dumb. I guess I also missed him denying the holocaust, what post was it?"

Um, I read Goddess' post that she had missed Preter's post (Pretervist, PV) where he had denied the holocaust. I don't think she was talking about you, Peter.

Lloyd the Lurker at 7:45PM on Jun 13th 2008

359. "goddess1prevail accused me of denying the Holocaust"

at least things are starting to add up.

Peter, get a friend to read goddess's post for you and explain to you what she was saying. It doesn't have to be anyone particularly smart, just able to comprehend english.

bigTuna at 7:46PM on Jun 13th 2008

360. Loyd maybe you missed it? If you have the opportunity to accept Jesus as your personal Saviour, and you do not do that, then you have chosen a devil's hell for all of eternity.

Why would anyone choose to go to hell? Yet day in and day out people do it everyday. That is our freewill, but we are accountable for our decisions.

Man_in_Wilderness at 7:54PM on Jun 13th 2008

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Mo Rocca appears on a bunch of shows, including CBS News Sunday Morning (with the indescribably wonderful Charles Osgood), The Tonight Show on NBC, and NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! He's a sometime judge on Iron Chef and was featured on Telemundo's Amore Descarado. Last year he starred on Broadway in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. His expose "All the President's Pets" was published by Crown in 2004.