Evolution and Nursing

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Apr 4, 2014

My belief in science and my religion are completely separate entities.

elkpark · Apr 4, 2014

zieglarf said:
Biblical creation and evolution are opposites and exclusive of each other. They cannot work together. The people that believe they do usually know little about one or the other. Or haven't given it genuine thought.

Not true. Evoluation and the fundamentalist Christian belief that every word in the Bible must be taken literally (e.g., that God created the world in 6 24-hour days) are mutually exclusive, but that is not the only possible belief about creation. There are lots of Christians who don't interpret the Bible so concretely and literally, who believe that God created the world by setting evolution in motion, that the "days" referred to in Genesis refers to long periods of time, not 24 hours.

The issue is how one interprets the Bible, and there are many (equally legitimate, since no one really knows) ways of doing that.

GrumpyRN, NP · Apr 8, 2014

I'm sorry but no! You do not get to interpret the bible the way that fits your particular belief.

The bible is either the word of god or it is a bronze age fairy story.

You do not get to say well....... it maybe meant this, or it maybe meant that.

It means what it means.

[h=1]“Properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived.” Isaac Asimov.[/h]

AspiringToRN2 · Apr 9, 2014

Regarding the time it took to create the earth, the Bible says "But remember this one thing, dear friends: with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." 2Peter3:8 NIV.

Science is very important but it does not answer or explain everything. Some things cannot be explained by science or even at all.

1 Corinthians 1:27-30 says this; "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him. It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God..."

GrumpyRN, NP · Apr 9, 2014

AspiringToRN2 said:
Science is very important but it does not answer or explain everything. Some things cannot be explained by science or even at all.

I can do no better than to quote comedian Dara O'Briain "Science knows it doesn't know everything, otherwise it would stop. Just because we do not know how or why something happens, you do not get to just say "God did it".

You can find it at

at about 1:50 into the video.

I should also add that I too can quote bible verses but the last time I did it my posts were deleted because people do not like to be reminded of how misogynistic, racist and just plain genocidal the bible is.

tokebi · Apr 10, 2014

BrandonLPN said:
Asking whether you "believe" in evolution is like asking if you believe in gravity.

Thank you!

From the first day I saw this thread, I couldn't help but notice how odd "believing in evolution" sounded, as if the theory of evolution was a religious entity. I've been wondering if I was the only one feeling that way.

I am just so sad at our present reality where one of the most ingenious feat in the field of biology ended up in a religious debate.

AspiringToRN2 · Apr 10, 2014

GrumpyRN said:
I'm curious, what "facts" are in the bible?
You would rather 'believe' some bronze age desert nomad writings than modern science.

I believe the Bible and all it stands for. So, yes, I would rather 'believe' some bronze age nomad writings than science. My faith is more than just casual interest.

BrandonLPN, LPN · Apr 10, 2014

AspiringToRN2 said:
I believe the Bible and all it stands for. So, yes, I would rather 'believe' some bronze age nomad writings than science. My faith is more than just casual interest.

That's all well and good (and I mean that sincerely , not sarcastically) but I hope that doesn't mean you think creationsim should be taught in school next to evolution. Or next to the scientific presentation of the carbon record and of how the earth/solar system/universe were formed.

There is a place for God and Adam and Eve and Allah and all that in schools. Their place is in classes about the history of our cultural heritage. Because that's what religion is, an aspect of human culture. A very, very important aspect of our shared culture, but just that. In no way is it a biological or geological sicence.

Evolution is a scientific aspect of biology. An essential aspect. It is literally impossible to teach biology with out teaching evolution. No one's pushing evolution on anyone else, you just simply cannot obtain a general education without it.

So, basically, there is a place for the idea of creationism in school. It should just be nowhwere near evolution.

elkpark · Apr 10, 2014

GrumpyRN said:
I'm sorry but no! You do not get to interpret the bible the way that fits your particular belief.
The bible is either the word of god or it is a bronze age fairy story.
You do not get to say well....... it maybe meant this, or it maybe meant that.
It means what it means.
"Properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived." Isaac Asimov.

Actually, you do get to say "well....... it maybe meant this, or it maybe meant that ..." One can believe that the Bible is the word of God without believing that every word in it must be interpreted literally and concretely and that is the only possible interpretation. There have been many translations from the original texts, and translations of translations, some good and some bad. There are many ways of thinking about and interpreting scripture, and there is no one "right" interpretation.

I've always thought of it as the ultimate tabula rasa -- people see in it what they want and expect to see in it; if you look long and hard enough, you can find support for whatever your pre-existing position on any topic is. (I once read a sermon, written by a Southern preacher in the 1950s, quoting the Bible to show that God didn't want the races mixing, and, therefore, integration was sinful and it was every Christian's duty to resist it.)

Look at all the arguments over how to interpret the US Constitution, and that is a much smaller, simpler, and more recent document that hasn't been through umpteen translations over millenia ...

GrumpyRN, NP · Apr 11, 2014

AspiringToRN2 said:
I believe the Bible and all it stands for. So, yes, I would rather 'believe' some bronze age nomad writings than science. My faith is more than just casual interest.

I'm sorry, I cannot argue or discuss anything with this level of dogma, you really need to read some books by people like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens or Daniel Dennett.

Science says evolution is fact and as Brandon has stated:-

BrandonLPN said:
Asking whether you "believe" in evolution is like asking if you believe in gravity. There is no debate in scientific circles that current life evolved from earlier life - none whatsoever. The only debate is in political and religious circles.

elkpark said:
Actually, you do get to say "well....... it maybe meant this, or it maybe meant that ..." One can believe that the Bible is the word of God without believing that every word in it must be interpreted literally and concretely and that is the only possible interpretation. There have been many translations from the original texts, and translations of translations, some good and some bad. There are many ways of thinking about and interpreting scripture, and there is no one "right" interpretation.
I've always thought of it as the ultimate tabula rasa -- people see in it what they want and expect to see in it; if you look long and hard enough, you can find support for whatever your pre-existing position on any topic is. (I once read a sermon, written by a Southern preacher in the 1950s, quoting the Bible to show that God didn't want the races mixing, and, therefore, integration was sinful and it was every Christian's duty to resist it.)
Look at all the arguments over how to interpret the US Constitution, and that is a much smaller, simpler, and more recent document that hasn't been through umpteen translations over millenia ...

The bible says it is OK to keep slaves (Ephesians 6:5), it says that women should be seen and not heard and should do whatever I as a male tell them to do, (1 Timothy 2:11-12, 1 Corinthians 14:34-35). This is the stuff you think is right?

I am British and have no idea what is in the US constitution so can't discuss it.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Apr 11, 2014

But the bible does say all men are created equal.

While the bible doesn't support evolution....there are people who believe that God created all things. Science and religion are separate subjects and we need to be respectful of each others beliefs.

While some people read and believe Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens or Daniel Dennett. Others read the bible.

I am ok with that.

elkpark · Apr 11, 2014

GrumpyRN said:
The bible says it is OK to keep slaves (Ephesians 6:5), it says that women should be seen and not heard and should do whatever I as a male tell them to do, (1 Timothy 2:11-12, 1 Corinthians 14:34-35). This is the stuff you think is right?

I didn't say I thought any of those things were "right," and, in fact, you're making my point for me. ?