Question for Christians or other religious people who believe in evolution

by Amha·’aret 22 Replies latest jw friends

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  Amha·’aret

  Before I begin, I want to say that I really don't want to start yet another creation vs evolution debate so please don't go down that road with this thread. That debate has been done many times aleady!

  I know there are many Christians and other religious people on here who believe in God or gods and yet do accept evolution as the way we all came about. So my question is at what point did the soul/spirit* evolve? Or do we have one? At what point did we seperate from being just another form of animals?

  *What I mean by soul or spirit is the bit that has the chance of living on whether that be going to heaven or whatever.

  Am
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  BurnTheShips

  So my question is at what point did the soul/spirit* evolve?

  My belief is that the soul/spirit is a special creation. It did not evolve. I believe that our physical bodies did evolve, but that our soul/spirit comes directly from God.

  BTS
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  Amha·’aret

  So God intervened at some point to create the soul? Roughly how long ago do you think that happened?

  And was this a sudden change? By that I mean, one generation of human's ancestors did not have a soul and therefore was not worthy/able to live on imoratally but the next generation was? Persumably it was a sudden change if it was created and didn't evolve.

  Not being sarky, just wondering if that's how it is for you.
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  BurnTheShips

  I don't know how long ago AmHaaret. The way I think it is, is that essentially, at some point in the past, we came to be in the image and likeness of God in recieving a spiritual component to our natures.

  BTS
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  drwtsn32

  My wife is Roman Catholic and believes the soul was a special creation.

  Personally I'm not sure how that would work. If humans had been evolving prior to that, there certainly would have been more than just two (Adam/Eve) at the point where the soul was created. I hope God sterilized all the soulless humans at that time, or we'd certainly have some sort of mix going on.
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  StAnn

  Not sure. Souls are a special creation, created by God at the moment of conception, not evolved. Does it really matter?

  I don't know if we'll find homo erectus in heaven or just homo sapiens and neanderthals. Interesting question.

  St. Ann
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  MissingLink

  Were the first humans with a soul embarassed of their soulless monkey parents?
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  Amha·’aret

  So, St Ann, are you saying that God intervenes at each and every person's conception? That there's a couple of undifferentiated cells looking for a uterus to attach to yet it has a soul? Does that mean that the huge number of embroyos that don't make it to birth have souls that go on and exist afterwards?

  I think this question matters hugely. It's one of the blocks I have to believing in God so I guess that potentially my everlasting salvation is at stake!
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  StAnn

  Amha-'aret, Yes. That's what I'm saying. Life (and souls) begin at the very moment of conception, not at live birth. A person's a person, no matter how small.

  St. Ann
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  Amha·’aret

  Ok.

  But when did God begin to do that? Why doesn't he do it in animals? insects? etc since we all came from the same origins