However, the idea that Christianity and modern science conflict is only true if one sees those two things as many new atheists and fundamentalist Christians do: that one must choose between believing in God or accepting science. But, before I go further, I should probably clarify what I mean when I say “new atheists” and “fundamentalist Christians”. 

Many “new atheists” are people who grew up in fundamentalist Christian communities and came to loudly reject it for a number of very valid reasons. After all, many fundamentalist Christians believe that Scripture is the literal, inherent word of God, and all of it must be taken completely literally in order for Christianity to be true. This includes everything from the creation story in Genesis, to the apocalypse discussed in Revelation. But, Scripture is a collection of 66 books of various genres, written over the course of 4,000 years or so by many imperfect human authors. Sure, some books and chapters document things that literally happened, and can be trusted as historical sources. But many books and chapters of Scripture are allegories and fictional stories meant to illustrate spiritual and moral truths, not literal truths. 

Therefore, when people are taught that Adam and Eve were literally the first humans on earth, handmade by God who formed Adam from spit and dirt, and Eve from Adam’s rib roughly 6,000 years ago (which was calculated by tracking the lineage of Adam to Jesus, as though it was meant to literal genealogy, which it wasn’t), then learn about the scientific fact of evolution and the age of the universe, of course those people will have a crisis of faith! If they’re shaken up enough by the fact of evolution, then they’ll probably ditch Christianity as a whole, even though that’s not necessary!