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Author Topic: Father George Coyne Interview  (Read 15210 times)
Captain Bible
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« on: June 16, 2011, 06:55:18 am »


This is a simply wonderful interview with Father George Coyne on evolution and faith, enjoy Smiley

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po0ZMfkSNxc&NR=1
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"When you divide the land by lot as an inheritance, you must set aside a donation to the Lord, a holy portion of the land, eight and one-third miles long and six and two-thirds miles wide. This entire tract of land will be holy." Ezekiel 45: 1
Linda
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« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2011, 07:55:21 am »

That was interesting. I disagree with Father George Coyne, but it's always a good thing to know what others think and why. He explained his view thoughtfully, and in words that were understandable. (Although when he said, "...neo-Darwinian evolution and I think we all know what we mean by that", I had a flashback to "A Mighty Wind" where Terry Bohner says, "Our beliefs are fairly commonplace and simple to understand. Humankind is simply materialized color operating on the 49th vibration. You would make that conclusion walking down the street or going to the store." Coyne did go on to explain what he meant by neo-Darwinian evolution, but, at first, when he said it, I had a flashback to the 49th vibration comment, but I digress.)

Not sure I want to get into this debate, it's been going on a long time and pretty much everything has been said. The theory that I think it would be the hardest to support as a "orthodox" Christian is Theistic Evolution. You have all sorts of problems there, theologically speaking. Death before sin. For starters.

Also, the concept of survival of the fittest, is cruel. If we are just "evolved" creatures, aren't we interfering with the evolutionary process by not letting the weakest among us die? Don't we want to remove them from the gene pool so only the "best" survive and breed? Aren't we interfering with the evolutionary process when we help the weak?

Just some thoughts.

« Last Edit: June 16, 2011, 12:10:33 pm by Linda » Logged

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EverAStudent
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« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2011, 03:03:22 pm »

Linda, yet again I find myself in agreement with you.  Theistic evolution would mean that the "perfect garden" was actually planted atop a graveyard that was already millions of years old.  In fact, Adam and Eve's parents would have been buried there, or maybe some meat-eating animal digested them?  There is no way that the threat of death for eating the fruit would have seemed significant to them since death would have been a part of their every day life.  If we accept CS Lewis' version of theistic evolution, Adam and Eve were merely highly evolved apes who became "God aware" as part of God's experiment of which He could not foresee the outcome.  In fact, Lewis states that God experimented with the human race via evolution until He got it right with Adam and Eve.  sigh........  a fallible God who cannot see the future and has to experiment to get it right???  sigh....

Yes, I know the biblical version of creation is increasingly ridiculed by secular scientists.  That would bother me to no end if I had not read several books by various working and academic scientists in wide raning fields (from geology to human genetics) who hold to "creationism" because it best matches the data they deal with on a daily basis. 

Now I will also state that for those who are curious, most "creationists" have abandoned the 4000 year old earth theory after several noted theologians demonstrated that the geneologies were far from comprehensive.  The geneologies could have as much as 60,000 years of absent generations, give or take some thousands of years.

Yes, I am an old timer and take my personal belief directly from Genesis.  And no, it does not boether me in the least if other Christians are evolutionsists who view Genesis as a an allegory or a parable.  Of course, the same problem stands for them as for theistic evolutionists...when did death enter the world?
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G_Prince
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« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2011, 07:25:50 pm »

Sounds like an interesting listen. I've got some dishes to do so I think I'll throw it on.

I'm an evolutionist, but personally I don't think the present changes much no matter how you think the world began. We are all here now, and the most inportant thing is how we treat each other. If someone believes that God or Allah...etc created the world in six days I have no problem with that.

My only concern is that creationism or ID or what have you, stay out of the science classroom. I think it is a fascinating account of the world that needs to be tought in school but not as scientific discipline. Creationsism as science is a completely anachronistic interpretation of scripture that bankrupts much of its meaning and power.

All right now, fire away!  Wink 
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Captain Bible
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« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2011, 09:06:15 pm »

I think what has hit me listening to Father George was along the same vain of what Agatha said in Breaking stereotypes: Christianity is Huge, simply HUGE. The faith he has is so different from what I was raised with. In our GC Christianity we had all the answers, as Pat Sokoll would say, we have read the book(The Bible) we know how the story ends.

All this heated talk on the forum has me in a different frame of mind right now. I don't want to convert anyone here to the way I think, after all I don't feel like I have the answers to anything anymore. My family would say that I am adrift. It is true in a way, but there is no way I will ever get back into that small box I lived in back there in GC land. I don't need to get in creation evolution debates, I don't think there is anything to debate, But go ahead Prince, knock yourself out Wink
« Last Edit: June 16, 2011, 09:07:52 pm by Captain Bible » Logged

"When you divide the land by lot as an inheritance, you must set aside a donation to the Lord, a holy portion of the land, eight and one-third miles long and six and two-thirds miles wide. This entire tract of land will be holy." Ezekiel 45: 1
ISU Alumna
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« Reply #5 on: June 16, 2011, 09:48:47 pm »

Ahoy, Captain Bible!

As long as we're officially in the "Off Topic" realm, I'd just like to know: Where did you get that awesomely cool photo?

 Grin
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Linda
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« Reply #6 on: June 17, 2011, 05:32:17 am »

I remember when I was studying evolution in my Biology class at the U of MN, I had no problem with it. I was always putting everything in boxes. This was the Biology box, so I just memorized the information from the book and the lectures to I could get a good grade. The odd thing was, at the same time I was memorizing and believing the evolution thing, I also believed in the literal creation story. It never occurred to me that I couldn't believe both were true. I guess I've had cognitive dissonance issues for a long time!

Terry was mentioning the other day, that one thing that is disappointing is that when you are flipping channels, on occasion you run into people on Christian channels who are giving creation talks and take pot shots at evolutionists by making snide remarks. I wish they wouldn't do that. I think questioning the "holes" in the evolution theory is great, but it never helps your view to mock the person who holds an opposing view.

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Captain Bible
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« Reply #7 on: December 15, 2011, 02:46:46 am »

Ahoy, Captain Bible!

As long as we're officially in the "Off Topic" realm, I'd just like to know: Where did you get that awesomely cool photo?

 Grin

You know I stumbled upon it searching the web for the meaning of life and everything...
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"When you divide the land by lot as an inheritance, you must set aside a donation to the Lord, a holy portion of the land, eight and one-third miles long and six and two-thirds miles wide. This entire tract of land will be holy." Ezekiel 45: 1
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