I wasn't sure where to put this post on this thread, so I replied to my own post in it.
Basically there were/is a group of scientific researchers doing studding the genetic effects of muscular dystrophy when they came across a gene in humans that was "turned off". Through further study, they found this gene was present in apes and when turned on in humans, gave them the huge jawbones and smaller craniums. Through DNA testing, they determined that humans did descend from apes and that a strange mutation happened to apes around 2.4 million years ago (they can determine how old a gene is, or in this case how long it was turned off, through DNA mapping). So as I understand it, they have proven we descended from apes, however we also did not evolve, as they would have us believe. We mutated from them (an extremely rare event I understand).
Here is the only link I could find for the story, but the one I read in my local paper was much more detailed, esp. regarding the ape to human thing:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4593822
Funny thing is, my uncle insists that aliens exist and gave me this book on them to read. I've been casually glossing over it with a grain of salt, but there was mention that aliens altered our DNA from apes so that we came into being. I found that interesting in light of the new DNA evidence presented above, since this book was ten years old. I still am not sure I'm willing to even consider it as a possibility.
Anyways, as it relates to religion, my mother (who is a devote Christian) and I got into a lengthy discussion boarding on argumentative about our descending from apes. I told her mutations of this magnitude were almost improbable and that if there is a god, he obviously created us from apes so it does not contradict anything in the bible. She at first was very insistent that it did contradict the bible, but later recanted and accepted the possibility that we did descend from apes, albeit reluctantly.
My question is for those of you devoutly religious to Christianity, how does this new DNA information make you feel about your faith? Do you think it contradicts the bible, supports it, or in no way affects it one way or the other?
NOTE: Have to go shopping immediately; no time to check the syntax or spelling errors in this post.
Basically there were/is a group of scientific researchers doing studding the genetic effects of muscular dystrophy when they came across a gene in humans that was "turned off". Through further study, they found this gene was present in apes and when turned on in humans, gave them the huge jawbones and smaller craniums. Through DNA testing, they determined that humans did descend from apes and that a strange mutation happened to apes around 2.4 million years ago (they can determine how old a gene is, or in this case how long it was turned off, through DNA mapping). So as I understand it, they have proven we descended from apes, however we also did not evolve, as they would have us believe. We mutated from them (an extremely rare event I understand).
Here is the only link I could find for the story, but the one I read in my local paper was much more detailed, esp. regarding the ape to human thing:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4593822
Funny thing is, my uncle insists that aliens exist and gave me this book on them to read. I've been casually glossing over it with a grain of salt, but there was mention that aliens altered our DNA from apes so that we came into being. I found that interesting in light of the new DNA evidence presented above, since this book was ten years old. I still am not sure I'm willing to even consider it as a possibility.
Anyways, as it relates to religion, my mother (who is a devote Christian) and I got into a lengthy discussion boarding on argumentative about our descending from apes. I told her mutations of this magnitude were almost improbable and that if there is a god, he obviously created us from apes so it does not contradict anything in the bible. She at first was very insistent that it did contradict the bible, but later recanted and accepted the possibility that we did descend from apes, albeit reluctantly.
My question is for those of you devoutly religious to Christianity, how does this new DNA information make you feel about your faith? Do you think it contradicts the bible, supports it, or in no way affects it one way or the other?
NOTE: Have to go shopping immediately; no time to check the syntax or spelling errors in this post.
"The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which he has attained liberation from the self." -Albert Einsetin