General Question

bodyhead's avatar

Did you know the Church of England apologized (last month) to Charles Darwin for rejecting evolution?

Asked by bodyhead (5530points) October 4th, 2008

link to article here

Why would any church embrace evolution? Is this a slippery slope to letting occasional proven facts slip into church?

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47 Answers

eambos's avatar

It took the Catholic church until the 1980s to admit Galileo(sp) was right.

Magnus's avatar

Omg, this is awesome! I believe in God. I believe he created the big bang. I also believe that the bible should under no circumstances be interpreted literally, but that it’s good stories reflecting the will of God.

Lovelocke's avatar

Well well, that’s a thought. “Creatures on other planets could be free from original sin”. Maybe that’s why they haven’t made their appearance, or why we don’t actively find new life on other planets? They’re all in their respective Gardens of Eden not bothering anyone and living quite happily… heh.

JackAdams's avatar

I didn’t even know that Charles Darwin was still alive! Amazing!

He’s over 100 now, right?

bodyhead's avatar

200 actually. If anyone wants to apologize to me over 100 years after my death, forget it. Apology not accepted.

SuperMouse's avatar

Back in 1996 Pope John Paul II admitted that evolution is more than just a theory.

qualitycontrol's avatar

wasn’t Darwin’s finding later revealed to be completely false? apparently someone slipped in artifacts where he was digging that mislead him into thinking we derived from apes. Not saying evolution is false, but why would they celebrate him? I mean, he didn’t actually DO anything lol.

bodyhead's avatar

Sure super, but you’ve got to enjoy that this is in the Telegraph and not on a random person’s atheist website.

qualitycontrol, I’ve never heard that before. Can you cite your sources so we know that you’re not just making it up. This wiki page makes no mention of planted artifacts. He was a brilliant mind and he came up with several scientific theories which people still work off today. Saying he shouldn’t be celebrated is like saying that Nikola Tesla shouldn’t be celebrated.

jlm11f's avatar

@qualitycontrol – i would like to see some credible sources too please. And evolution isn’t false, it’s a proven fact. And he should be celebrated thanks to his ability to disagree with the then prevalent theories of spontaneous generation and acquired characteristics.

Skyrail's avatar

No. But I do now. As for what I think about it…erm…well, that’s what I think, who else needs to know?

damien's avatar

Nice of them to apologize in the end, though. No hard feelings and all. I’m sure he appreciates it.

missjena's avatar

its sad people dont have faith in God.

El_Cadejo's avatar

its sad people like you missjena think we need god

Trance24's avatar

Did Darwin not say that we share a common ancester with apes not that we were derived from apes?

augustlan's avatar

It’s about damn time, huh?

shrubbery's avatar

I do now, thanks for sharing, and I think it’s really great :)

loser's avatar

No, I did not know that.

missjena's avatar

über I said its sad people dont have faith in God. Everyone needs God. In fact people can go all their lives not believing in a higher power but when their ass is in trouble what do they do? ” please God help me ” they pray whether you have ever prayed before. They pray when they’re in trouble. Plus dont put words in my mouth

El_Cadejo's avatar

@missjena i didnt put words in your mouth, though you clearly just said “Everyone needs God” and im sick and tired of hearing that whole “theres no atheists in a fox hole” argument. I really don’t find that to be legitimate at all. People that ask for gods help in their dying moments or whatever are just begging for anything to save them, they dont nessacarly believe in god. In a way its just a form of pascals wager. And i am sure if they were told their whole life that the flying spaghetti monster could save them, in their dying moments they’d pray to him too.

missjena's avatar

well idk I guess you wouldn’t know either unless you spoke to them. U think people have a right to believe in whatever they want. All I’m saying is ive seen to many miracles that science can’t explain so let’s just agree to disagree. Ive taken archaeology and evolution classes and there are just to many unanswered questions for me to believe in that. You can’t say why they pray to God your not them but all I know is if you DONT believe in God u dont pray to him when your dieing. What would b the point if u dont believe. Just because you dont see him doesnt mean he’s not there. He’s jus like air. I have a friend whose a priest and he’s cured people who refused chemotherapy. There is def a higher power. But seriously I’m not getting into this anymore. I’m agreeing to disagree.

missjena's avatar

Typo. I meant to write I think everyone has a right to believe what they want.

El_Cadejo's avatar

HOLY TYPOS BATMAN!!!

Everyone needs God. In fact people can go all their lives not believing in a higher power but when their ass is in trouble what do they do? ” please God help me ” they pray whether you have ever prayed before.”

You can’t say why they pray to God your not them but all I know is if you DONT believe in God u dont pray to him when your dieing. What would b the point if u dont believe.”

kinda contradictory no?

i love how people argue with what you say in this big wall of text and then say “im not getting into this anymore”

Malakai's avatar

@ jena— Wow. What are you even talking about? Are you drunk?

missjena's avatar

no actually its not contradictory which part are you not understanding. You know why I’m not getting into this ? Because I dont feel like typing everything I have to say on a tiny key pad that will take days upon days. You probably dont know enough about religion anyway. I hate talking to people on here about politics or religion because your probably not even a legal age to vote! In case you dont understand what I am saying your probably 12 years old who knows nothing about God anyway so I’m leaving it at that. I dont have much time anyway to Argue like u do being a double major and always concentrating on my studies. But feel free to keep going on endlessly I’ll enjoy laughing at it either way

El_Cadejo's avatar

Lol the fact that your not actually backing anything up and resorting to personal attacks tells me that you have no clue what your talking about yourself. Seriously did you just follow this article word for word? BTW i really dont think age has anything to do with this argument ZOMGS I CANT VOTE so clearly i know nothing of religion. Oh wait im not a little 12 year old(20) and at least I can form a complete sentence and use full words. ;)

by the way i would LOVEEEEEEE for you to explain yourself to my small mind. Please help me understand. Your failure to reply to this will only prove my point that you have no clue wtf your talking about.

bodyhead's avatar

Personal attacks are the tools of the weak. Prove your argument. Don’t pity me because I don’t have an imaginary friend. Convince me.

Just so you know, I was raised Catholic and I went to a Catholic college. I took several religious classes for fun. I took a class called “Christian Faith” and one called “Humanities: religions of the world”. Some of my favorite teachers where Christian Brothers.

I’ve read through the bible several times and I don’t like to be spoke down too by those I could have fathered. I bet you’d be surprised by the ages in here.

On the whole, the atheists I have met have been far better versed in the bible then the Christians I’ve met. It really shouldn’t be shocking. For the most part atheists don’t believe what they’re told.

Malakai's avatar

I’m guessing that neither of those majors is English?

Just a guess.

damien's avatar

Have I missed something? Has this just turned into a free-for-all attack on anyone for anything?

bodyhead's avatar

It’s actually turned into a rambling pity party for nonbelievers. Me and my twelve year old compatriots here can’t seem to get an intelligent response between the three of us. Jena has got me on the ropes and her accusatory style of internet conversion has me just about believing in Jesus.

Response moderated
missjena's avatar

bodybuilder- pity party for nonbelievers? Well if thats how you feel. Basically every question you’ve asked on this website is about not believing in God. You even state that if there is a God your going to be pissed off. Its obvious why you would be. Living your entire life believing in nothing and knowing the entire time you werewrong! You just seem like the kind of person that thinks they are never wrong and know everything. All I wrote was bout people needing more faith. I’m tired of people over the Internet talking shit and being rude! I dont care what you believe in or in your case dont believe in. I dont care so you shouldnt care either. Stop caring about what I say. Seriously, let über give u some of his LSD and back up off me! Lmao losers

missjena's avatar

actually malakai English is one of my majors. In fact I published my first book at 21 years old and sold over a million copies. Is this a novel? Is this an essay? Is this a research paper? No this is a website called fluther for the iphone! Excuse me if I don’t feel like putting my comas and the correct grammar when I do that constantly from writing books and being in school. But believe what you want. Remember the personal attacks and aggression started with all 3 of you. I’ll let it finish that way. Write all you want but this time I assure you I won’t respond. Amen to that!

mike911's avatar

I agree ya’ll should have more faith.

eambos's avatar

Did you really just say that you have to be on drugs to not believe in god? That seems backwards.

Malakai's avatar

Hah!

Well as long as you’re not fired up over it…

Why do Christians tend to be so reactionary to people who disagree with their worldview? Wow.

“Why dont you go sit in your shower and do your drugs ? Seriously kill yourself slowly we all know God won’t save you. I can’t believe how much power you guys just gave me getting so aggravated and shit. Relax if the drugs dont kill you stress will.”

I mean that’s not nice at all.
What would the sweet baby jesus think about that?

I haven’t even taken drugs all day!
I was just pointing out that your responses are rambling and barely coherent.
No need to pop a blood vessel.
It’s just a “website called fluther for the iphone”.
Sheesh.

Anyway… I’ll leave you to your thinly veiled anger and frustration.
Good luck with that next novel Shakespeare!

bodyhead's avatar

I’m going to have to agree with Malakai. At least we stand by the tenements of our nonbelief.

I could be wrong, I’ve only read through the bible a few times, but I don’t really think telling someone to kill themselves is very Christian.

I thought that one of the foundations of Christianity was that everyone could be saved. I have obviously misread a huge portion of the bible.

Didn’t Jesus say that only he could judge others? There’s some small burb about judge not, lest thou be judged and that crazy little part about let he with no sin cast the first stone.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m shocked that you (Jena) think any of us are angry. Did we do something impulsive like respond four times in a row and then make a new account just so we can agree with ourselves by posting a fifth time?

If you list your book, I will buy it to support you. I suspect you won’t because I could come up with the actual sales numbers if you do.

El_Cadejo's avatar

BWAHHAHAH your one of those people lol. OH NOES HE DOES DRUGS HE DOESNT KNOW WTF HES TALKING ABOUT. lol, but you know what, say what you will about me, i really could give a shit. You know why? At the end of the day im still smarter than you and i dont believe in imaginary people in the sky :P Its so sad that you just go for the personal attacks instead of backing your shit up. Pathetic even. As bodyhead and malakai said above(and i think it bares repeating because its so asinine) you want me to go kill myself? And you believe in god? wtf? i mean seriously? You fail.

@bodyhead there is no book didnt you read that link i posted above about internet arguments “CLAIM YOU WORK IN WHATEVER FIELD YOU’RE ARGUING ABOUT”

Edit:i forgot to add my favorite line “Relax if the drugs dont kill you stress will.” funny how none of the drugs i do can lead to overdose and i would kinda come to the conclusion that these drugs have actually lead me to a more stress free life. But then again wtf do i know, evidently im addicted to LSD(a non addictive substance)

syz's avatar

“Ive taken archaeology and evolution classes and there are just to many unanswered questions for me to believe in that.” But you believe in God?!? Isn’t that entirely based on unanswered questions and unsubstantiated beliefs?

shrubbery's avatar

Ok, I just found this out today and thought it was pretty cool. I don’t give my little old hometown enough credit. Charles Darwin came to Hobart and dined in what is now my school’s boarding house. There’s a photo of him and everything. And apparently he wanted to come back and settle here. How awesome is that?! :P

dontperish's avatar

Science and Christianity truly are not, or should not, be at odds with each other. One strives to explain what already exists without considering God while the other explains how everything came to be through God.

“The Church of England in 1860 was already facing challenges to its former pre-eminence. Freethinking and non-conformist Christianity were confronting the power of the established church – and then came Darwin. These were nervous times for Anglicans, and when worldly power is thought of as God-given, threats to power are perceived as attacks on God.” [http://www.cofe.anglican.org/darwin/malcolmbrown.html]

Be Blessed.

eambos's avatar

One tries to exlpain based on evidence while the other tries to explain with fairy-tales.

dontperish's avatar

Both require a foundation of faith in order to accept the truth being presented. However, the fairy-tales of science fail me when I ask the question of origin. The tale always begins with “something” already existing merging or combining with “something else” and then BOOM. All the world began. And all else evolved from that point over millions of years.

Science is a constantly evolving practice given to internal and external inspiration. Darwin was not about godlessness and neither is science. Unfortunately, the "church" has made science out to be the enemy of Christianity. How very tragic because in do so the church excludes many from accepting Christ. http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/d/darwin.htm vs http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/andrewbrown/2008/nov/14/religion-darwinbicentenary

bodyhead's avatar

Nice answer dontperish. Welcome to the collective.

plethora's avatar

@dontperish Good answer…thanks

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