Re: Apologetic Islamic take on Evolution … Or unkind dismissal?
Dumb, is your choice of wording not mine. I should assume that people living almost 2000 years ago would require a LOT of explaining. To enlighten them on the nature of their Universe to such an extent would require a miracle on the part of God himself. If you haven’t yet noticed, miracles aren’t very common. So while God could have instilled this knowledge into them, I don’t think he would have, nor do I think he needed too. Also it defeats the purpose of telling us to seek out knowledge ourselves.
LOL.. Yes, i have a little red phone in my room where God calls every now and then, and we gossip for hours. You should come over some time! I guess you don’t pray hard enough?!?!?!
What YOU believe you know is against established science and evidence. I acknowledge that there is a minuscule chance that what you BELIEVE, is actually reality, but in all likelihood, your absolutely wrong. Yet you clutch at whatever straws you can hang on to trying to defend your world view. I mean come on… DUST? Your an elegant writer, so I assume you have an intellectual mind, so there must be some logical part of your mind that you have suppressed thats sitting there thinking, do I really believe this nonsense!!!
I don’t have to prove anything. We don’t know how the Universe is created. I mean its really so beyond us that we can’t even venture to guess. I mean, assuming God created the space and time, to understand this notion would require us to contemplate a place where there is no Space or Time! Can you do that? Its akin to trying to visualize “nothingness.”
However, we are all speaking within the context of the assumption that God is real and that he created us, SOMEHOW. How he created MAN on this planet, is what we are debating. While we might have to assume “Magical thinking” to understand how the Universe was created, although its better to admit we don’t know in that case, we certainly do not require magical thinking to understand how humanity was born on this planet. Its through evolution, and we have evidence to demonstrate its accuracy.
I to simply believe God created the Universe. But this is an assumption. I acknowledge its not based on any evidence. But where we DONT know, we can assume. But where we DO KNOW, we should not. We do know of and understand evolution, so assuming we were created as we are is no longer justified.
You cannot harmonize Islam with evolution if you read everything to be literal. If you don’t want to do that, then by all means, go ahead. But don’t tell me i have to choose between faith and reality.
We can interpret the passage you are quoting in all sorts of ways. Has it occurred to you perhaps that God is referring to Adam’s Spirit, and not his body? And the dust is perhaps the divine Spark? Maybe a molecule? But to assume its literal in the face of so much evidence to the contrary is intellectually dishonest. Now its up to YOU to harmonize your reality with your faith. My point is simply that it is possible. For me, evolution reality. We are descended of ape like creatures, this is our reality.
I don’t see why this is mental gymnastics. I think my line of reasoning is pretty concise and rational. Its requires far more calories to defend the negative here, then it does to defend the understanding that Islam and evolution are compatible, because to do so requires you to negate evolution itself, which is backed by over a century of research and evidence. To believe the Koran is literal on the creation of man, and not have to negate evolution to prove it, means you are intellectually dishonest and have no grounds to argue.