Evolution and an Orthodox Patristic understanding of Genesis

[ChristosVoskrese]

By the way, you talk about the "Big Bang" theory. Do you honestly believe that billions of years ago, nothing exploded and formed everything? Don't you see how ridiculous this sounds?

[stumbler]

You don't believe that there was nothingness followed by somethingness?

Then you are against the scriptures.

[ChristosVoskrese]

You don't believe that there was nothingness followed by somethingness?

Then you are against the scriptures.

I believe that God has always existed, and that He formed this world out of nothing. God exists outside of time, space and matter.

What you are saying, by believing in evolution, is that with no divine help, nothing exploded and formed something.

Think about what you're saying for a minute. The basic evolution teaching is something like this:

20 billion years ago, nothing exploded and formed everything in the Big Bang. Then about 4.6 billion years ago, the earth cooled down, then it rained on the rocks for millions of years, turned them into soup, and the soup came alive, 3 billion years ago.

Doesn't this sound ridiculous? And it's complete fantasy - no-one was there to see it and there is no way of knowing that it took place.

I believe that God created the world in six days, just like the Bible says.

[joasia]

St. Seraphim of Sarov's Conversation With Nicholas Motovilov

"Many explain that when it says in the Bible: 'God breathed the breath of life into the face of Adam the first-created, who was created by Him from the dust of the ground,' it must mean that until then there was neither human soul nor spirit in Adam, but only the flesh created from the dust of the ground. This interpretation is wrong, for the Lord God created Adam from the dust of the ground with the constitution which our dear little Father, the holy Apostle Paul describes: May your spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (I Thess. 5:23). And all these three parts of our nature were created from the dust of the ground, and Adam was not created dead, but an active living being like all the other animate creatures of God living on earth. The point is that if the Lord God had not breathed afterwards into his face this breath of life (that is, the grace of our Lord God the Holy Spirit Who proceeds from the Father and rests in the Son and is sent into the world for the Son's sake), Adam would have remained without having within him the Holy Spirit Who raises him to Godlike dignity. However perfect he had been created and superior to all the other creatures of God, as the crown of creation on earth, he would have been just like all the other creatures which, though they have a body, soul and spirit each according to its kind, yet have not the Holy Spirit within them. But when the Lord God breathed into Adam's face the breath of life, then, according to Moses' word, Adam became a living soul (Gen. 2:7), that is, completely and in every way like God, and, like Him, for ever immortal. Adam was immune to the action of the elements to such a degree that water could not drown him, fire could not burn him, the earth could not swallow him in its abysses, and the air could not harm him by any kind of action whatever. Everything was subject to him as the beloved of God, as the king and lord of creation, and everything looked up to him, as the perfect crown of God's creatures. Adam was made so wise by this breath of life which was breathed into his face from the creative lips of God, the Creator and Ruler of all, that there never has been a man on earth wiser or more intelligent than he, and it is hardly likely that there ever will be. When the Lord commanded him to give names to all the creatures, he gave every creature a name which completely expressed all the qualities, powers and properties given to it by God at its creation.
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Christian Evolutionists claim that mankind developed over billions of years and at one point God created the soul. The holy fathers specify that the soul, spirit and body were created at once. If there was a development of the body of mankind for billions of years and the soul created later, then this falls far outside the scope of truth that God teaches in the Holy Scriptures. As Christians, they would have to believe the writings of the Holy Bible and as evolutionists, where can there be room to believe about evolution. A person is either a Christian or an evolutionist, but you can't combine the two. It's like mixing water and oil...and I do have scientific proof that water and oil don't mix.

[stumbler]

Huh?

You know what I believe all of a sudden?

I am an evolutionist because I don't hurl epithets at people who present the best evidence science has to offer and instead accept and evaluate them on their own terms?

Because I am willing to accept what the best science can offer as the best science can offer?

Wake up and grow up, and spend your time on your own salvation rather than Protestant debates.

Should a geology professor, who is Russian Orthodox, submit his/her papers to Alexey II for review? If s/he does, should the papers be changed based on his opinion?

Listen to yourself.

People needn't ignore scientific things in order to be Orthodox.

You sound like tha Taliban more than the Orthodox.

Planning a jihad any time soon? I'd like to be clear of the neighbourhood before it starts.

[stumbler]

So Joasia - God created Adam from dust? Like dust that forms from a rock? That kind of chemical composition that "evolutionists" (there is no such thing - just people who heed what is the best of science at the moment and those who ignore it and fail to give it any credence despite it coming from observation of God's creation) theorize was the beginning of life?

Seems like evolution and Orthodoxy have more in common than your protestant videotapes would have you believe.
Give my best to Benny Hinn (why is his hair white on the outside and black on the inside?) and give the Revrend Graham my condolences on the passing of his wife.

[joasia]

Stumbler,

Evolutionists claim that man was formed over billions of years from other species. The Holy Bible does not express that.

Stick to the subject. You just sound like you're babbling.

And I'm quoting from a Russian saint. Do you know who St. Seraphim is?

When did I mention protestant views in my last post? Stop labelling speculation as science.