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Author Topic:   Evolution: Natural selection vs. Godly guidance
Stephen Push
Member (Idle past 4886 days)
Posts: 140
From: Virginia, USA
Joined: 10-08-2010


Message 103 of 154 (589153)
10-30-2010 8:44 PM
Reply to: Message 3 by shadow71
10-27-2010 12:13 PM


Did a Benevolent God Design Evolution?
quote:
My theory is that evolution has and will occur in life. That this process is designed by God, for me the Roman Catholic God.
Shadow 71,
You are in good company. One of the most prominent evolutionary biologists, Francisco Ayala, is a former Dominican priest.
I assume that you believe God is omniscient, omnipotent, and benevolent.
Evolution causes a lot of pain and suffering in humans and other animals. Often far more offspring are generated than can survive to reproduce. Many, especially the youngest and oldest, succumb to starvation, disease, and predation. Many of these deaths appear to be slow and excruciating. This was the case for most of human evolution and is still the case to some extent today, especially in developing countries.
How do you reconcile the suffering caused by the evolutionary process with your belief in an omniscient, omnipotent, benevolent God who designed this process?
Steve
Edited by Stephen Push, : No reason given.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 3 by shadow71, posted 10-27-2010 12:13 PM shadow71 has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 106 by NoNukes, posted 10-31-2010 3:23 AM Stephen Push has not replied
 Message 107 by Dr Adequate, posted 10-31-2010 3:51 AM Stephen Push has replied

  
Stephen Push
Member (Idle past 4886 days)
Posts: 140
From: Virginia, USA
Joined: 10-08-2010


Message 109 of 154 (589175)
10-31-2010 4:48 AM
Reply to: Message 107 by Dr Adequate
10-31-2010 3:51 AM


Re: Did a Benevolent God Design Evolution?
But of course that would all be true even if starvation, disease, and predation were not agencies of natural selection. There'd still be the same amount of suffering, it would just be completely pointless. It doesn't offer more of a challenge to a theist to suppose that it results in evolution as well, because that's not the morally problematic aspect of it.
In the Biblical creation story, God's original creation was good and evil was introduced through a human failing. Attributing the design of evolution to God gives God a direct role in the infliction of suffering and situates the start of the suffering before human sin could have played any part in initiating it.
Personally, I don't think there is a convincing answer to either challenge. But I would be interested in hearing Shadow 71's response, given his particular beliefs about God and evolution.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 107 by Dr Adequate, posted 10-31-2010 3:51 AM Dr Adequate has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 111 by jar, posted 10-31-2010 10:44 AM Stephen Push has not replied

  
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