Re: Christians religious leaders endorse evolution
Reply #4 - February 26, 2010, 02:11 PM
Acceptance of evolution amongst Christians and Muslims is related to levels of literalism. The evangelical whacko Christians are literalists who have a very Quranic attitude to the Bible. Those Christians who treat the Bible less strictly, who accept it figuratively, who can take a metaphorical conception of its precepts, are able to create space for an acceptance of evolution because of this.
Whilst amongst Muslims, especially educated Muslims living in the West, this is also true, that they can accept evolution to a greater or lesser degree because they are able to conceive of Islam and the Quran in such a way to allow so (or convince themselves that it can be interpreted thus), it doesn't translate into mainstream or even higher echelon proponents, because Islam is (relatively) more mired in literalism, not only at the fringe, but at the centre, and in the mainstream.
As such, these tensions and differences are something of a microcosm of the tensions within Islam and between Muslims, of those who believe that Islam should be viewed figuratively and metaphorically, and the majority opinion, that Islam is literal, and the Quran the unadorned facts of dvine revelation and unchallengable truth.
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