Isn't it possible that Evolution is compatible with Creationism?

Evolution is absolutely compatible with Creationism. Evolution claims absolutely nothing about the creation of life. I'll say that again, because so many people (not you, necessarily) seem to have trouble understanding it: evolution has nothing to do with the beginnings of life.

But people who reject evolution usually don't bother to actually learn what it is, so many people will go on claiming that there is a conflict when there is not.

Note that I'm not saying that evolution is compatible with Christianity, or with Christian Creationism — it isn't, not if you read the Bible literally — but there is no inherent conflict between evolution and the basic idea of a supernatural being creating the universe.

Yes.

"The Catholic Church is united with these Christians in opposing evolution AS A PHILOSOPHY. With the Protestants, the Church insists that God created the world and that man has an immortal soul. The Church, however, does not oppose evolution AS A SCIENTIFIC THEORY. The reason is that she does not hold for an absolutely literal interpretation of those chapters of Genesis. Thus the Church sees no necessary conflict between the belief that God created the world from nothing and the scientific hypothesis that the world has evolved over millions of years. Again, the Church sees no necessary conflict between the belief that God created directly the souls of Adam and Eve and the scientific hypothesis that Adam and Eve descended from non-human ancestors. Thus even if can be proven scientifically beyond a reasonable doubt that man has descended from some lower animal like the ape, the Church will not have to change its position. Thus the Church is content to let the scientists go about their business and will only react when some step beyond the limits of science in making the claim that the theory of evolution has made Christianity obsolete."

http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/evolution_as_ph...

There are many Christian who believe in Theistic Evolution; that God did create the world...and used evolution as a means for making it as it is.

Some believe that animals were all evolved, but humans were created by God from the dust.

The problem often encountered is the reality of Adam and Eve. If you accept and believe in a literal Adam and Eve, then when - in the evolutionary time-line - did Adam and Eve actually exist? Is Genesis simply an abstraction...or symbolism?

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What is also funny is that evolution purely deals with the development of life...and contains no teaching on abiogenesis...or of the origin of life or the universe itself. So this raging debate of "creationism" vs. "evolution" is a false contrast. They aren't even opposites. However, "evolutionism" is often taught with an underlying atheistic assumption. In fact, in the past 50 years, science has transitioned from an agnostic view on God to an atheistic view of God. In other words, science simply use to be the "how" of the universe...with only discovery of things based on observable data. It neither assumed the existance of God nor assumed the non-existance of God. But today, science has transitioned to an atheistic stance and assumption...and has even become hostile towards theistic point of views.

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Another "problem" is the issue of microevolution vs. macroevolution. We know and understand how genetics and the combination of genes can influence the shape, form, and look of a species...and this is called microevolution. This form of evolution is a fact and truth.

But, the question is...is macroevolution a fact? And this has not been proven. In fact, it may be an unfalsifiable position.

But many scientific atheists get mad because they know that microevolution is fact and act as if Creationists do not believe in microevolution.

There are YECs - young earth creationists out there...who believe in a literal 7 day creation and a universe that is less than 10,000 years old. The evolutionistic atheists of the world put all Christians into this category, but that is a false generalization.

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Personally, I currently have no definitive stance on this issue. I use to be an atheist and sat down to read the Bible to prove it wrong. God revealed Himself to me, and I am now a Christian. I know that Christianity is true and that God created the universe and mankind. I also know that God became man and died on the cross for our sins, so that through faith in Jesus Christ we may be forgiven of our sins and freely receive eternal life by grace.

I don't have all the answers, but I know Who does...and that is more important.

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Grace and peace in Christ be with you.

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"What part of the theory of evolution DISCOUNTS the possibility of a supernatural creator starting things off?"

To answer your question I have to point out that people have different opinions about what the term "theory of evolution" actually encompasses. For instance, does it include the idea that life started when inanimate matter was organized by chance and it came alive through naturalistic means or is abiogenesis a separate theory that has to be left out of the discussion.

Is the theory limited to natural selection causing gradual changes over time that resulted in life forms arising that were quite different from their predecessors or does it include the idea that a fish like creature became a frog like creature that became a mammal that became an ape like creature that became a human being?

Genesis chapter 1 can be interpreted in a variety of ways http://www.christianity.co.nz/science7.htm but it's clear that God created humanity in His image from the materials that were present in the soil of the earth. So it's rather difficult to reconcile humanity coming from ape like ancestors with what the Bible teaches.

I think they are totally compatible - and the Bible got a lot closer to scientific truth than "we all live on a giant turtle!"

God made man from "clay", clay is earth and water, exactly what science says formed the first amino acids.

The bible doesn't say how God made the animals, or that he didn't use evolution.

The Earth is about 6 billion years old! Couldn't that be God's "6 days"?

Plus the "in the begining was light" sounds an awful lot like the Big Bang doesnt it? Cheers.

It depends on how you're using "creationism" here. If by it you mean simply that something began things, which seems to be what you're implying, then yes it's possible. Its called "theistic evolution".

If by Creationism, you mean the far more common definition - of the earth being only 6k years old and created as is by God in six literal days, then no, they are not compatible.

According to the Vedas, the bodies evolve, but not the soul. The soul takes one body or another, according to the state of mind he has developed. The body is simply matter, and the soul animates that matter. So, yes, creationism and evolution can be reconciled, simply by accepting that there are two distinct activities going on. One is the soul, acting on and within the body, and the other is the body, which is adapting to environmental circumstances dictated by the soul.

No not a chance. Evolution is science - ie verifying theories and proving, adapting and/or disproving them using cold logic, reason and research. Creationism starts with a single "fact" and then bends everything else to try and fit it.

People have come up with this solution already.

Creationists tend to not accept it on the whole. Some do. Most don't.

It never works. Good job for trying, though.

This concept is called theistic evolution.

Amazingly, there are some Christians who accept this. As you rightly pointed out, this is a paradox, not an oxymoron. Anyone who accepts Christ cannot be both a theist and an evolutionist. Christ accepted the first 11 chapters of Genesis as literal.

I cannot speak for other religions.