Clip 1: How do you reconcile Christianity and evolution? (Templeton Foundation)

An evening of conversation between Karl W. Giberson, author of "Saving Darwin: How to be Christian and Believe in Evolution" (HarperOne) and Michael Shermer, Skeptic magazine. For more information about Templeton Book Forum events, please visit http://www.templeton.org/events/book_forums/

Raised a fundamentalist, Giberson firmly believed in creationism during his college years. But while working on his Ph.D. in physics, he began to doubt that science could have gotten everything as thoroughly wrong as the creationists suggested. In "Saving Darwin: How to be Christian and Believe in Evolution," he paints a clear picture of the creation/evolution controversy and explores its intricate history, from Darwin to the current culture wars, carefully showing why — and how — it is possible to believe at the same time in both God and modern evolutionary science.

About the Speakers:

Karl W. Giberson is professor of physics at Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, Massachusetts. A leading scholar in the field of science and religion, he was the founding editor of Science & Theology News and has served as editor-in-chief of Science & Spirit magazine. He is the author of, among other books, Worlds Apart: The Unholy War between Science and Religion and Species of Origin: America's Search for a Creation Story (with Don Yerxa).

Michael Shermer is the founding publisher of Skeptic magazine (www.skeptic.com), a monthly columnist for Scientific American, and a professor at Claremont Graduate University. His many books include How We Believe: Science, Skepticism, and the Search for God and Why Darwin Matters: The Case Against Intelligent Design.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• karl giberson
• michael shermer
• templeton
• templeton foundation
• Saving Darwin
• skeptic magazine
• creation
• evolution
• darwin

[Pacisdiligo]

I see no "incompatibility" between Christianity and the theory of evolution. Evolution is simply a process by which life has diversified over time. It speaks in no way to any particular theological aspect of fundamental Christian theology. The 'problem' many Christians (or religious) seem to have with the theory is based more on ignorance and 'straw men' than anything else. It isn't anymore the property of atheists than it is Hindus or Buddhists.

[quemacha]

The virgin birth, Jesus changing water into wine, the feeding of the 500, and the Resurrection are not supported by modern evolutionary science, either. There is a branch of Christianity that embraces the New Testament but hates the Torah, or at least downplays its accounts to the level of allegory.

[Politicimo]

@Politicimo As a matter of fact, you really don't even need evolution in the picture, if you don't want. The story goes that God created a world with people - who were obviously given to their own proclivities and human nature. No one escapes this. Everyone "falls short". And if we don't plead the very person who (supposedly) threw us in the water to begin with, then we drown.

[Politicimo]

@Politicimo In Sum: the Bible claims that humanity is "fallen," and both Jesus and Paul referred to Adam and fall (not really mentioning them as "figurative") - but in contrast, pointing to that seed of sin as the very REASON we need the human sacrifice and blood of Jesus.

But if God created a world where evolution could take place - and that's what made us - then we were ALREADY "made sick, and commanded to be well".

And that's what I consider sick if someone thinks they're compatible.

[Politicimo]

I understand that people can be Christians and accept evolution, but this man (that Shermer's interviewing) I think has downplayed how much the two interact, or how much they should interact.

To be clearer: my question is, "if evolution is true, then why do we need salvation?" If God created a world from which we emerged (from other animals) - with all their temperaments and "animalistic" nature to lust, hate, fear (in addition to the "good" emotions), then how is it we need salvation?

[Pacisdiligo]

@KevinLounsberry: Ibid

[KevinLounsberry]

@Pacisdiligo It would depend on which parts of the bible you take literally. it's like a choose your own adventure history book, huh?

[raoskaos]

You don't have to be a genius to see that they aren't compatible.

[amairaja]

Why Americans in particular, and not Europeans? Lol.

... or Asians or Africans or Latin Americans?