1. I've never fully understood why theists are so afraid of evolution. Does it in some way conflict with any particular religion? I thought the 'intelligent design' argument was supposed to link God with science -- why are people still banging on about evolution?
People look at this in several ways. Many theists have no truck with evolution and view their creationist brethren to be hopelesly ill-informed. I feel that the people who deny evolution (the fact as well as the theory) are threatened by it. Taking evolution to it s natural conclusion, they believe that human beings lose their "specialness", and if we are, as evolution suggests to them, just another species (albeit a fascinating one) then gods are irrelevant and this is something they cannot accept. And whatever psychological barriers they can erect to shield them and their offspring from it, the better off they feel they are. Look at how many logical fallacies are involved in the typical evolution v. creation debate.
2. What was everyone taught at school? I had no idea that evolution was open to debate until I decided to learn more about it on Wikipedia and saw that there was a big furror about it. Wasn't everyone just taught "evolution is a fact and this is the scientific theory about why it happens, now on to Mitosis"?
I learned a bit about it, but it wasn t until about 8 months ago, when a friend told me he had just spoken to a girl that went to the Creation "Museum" and loved it, that I decided to become truly informed. (By the way, I think one of the most embarrasing moments of my life was the day that bastion of ignorance and lies was opened in my state). I always accepted evolution but really didn t understand it. Then, I started reading and watching videos. I learned about biochemistry (including ERVs and mitochondrial DNA), phylogenies/cladistics, biogeography, stratigraphy and that there actually WAS a controversy. (Not among scientists, but among the educated and the uninformed).
3. When you were first taught about evolution (whether it be by parent, teacher etc.) didn't you just think "yup, that makes perfect sense -- bloomin' 'eck scientists are clever"?
I thought it was fascinating. Although I really didn t get a very good understanding of it, I never really questioned the veracity of it and didn t know there were many people who did. (And I was attending a Southern Baptist church at the time). I remember when I was a senior in HS (many years later) being shocked when a friend of mine told me she didn t "believe in" evolution and my stepmother told me the same thing shortly thereafter. I thought they must be the only weirdoes out there. It really wasn t until recently that I learned of the extent to which willful ignorance pervades the American landscape. [/i]
People look at this in several ways. Many theists have no truck with evolution and view their creationist brethren to be hopelesly ill-informed. I feel that the people who deny evolution (the fact as well as the theory) are threatened by it. Taking evolution to it s natural conclusion, they believe that human beings lose their "specialness", and if we are, as evolution suggests to them, just another species (albeit a fascinating one) then gods are irrelevant and this is something they cannot accept. And whatever psychological barriers they can erect to shield them and their offspring from it, the better off they feel they are. Look at how many logical fallacies are involved in the typical evolution v. creation debate.
2. What was everyone taught at school? I had no idea that evolution was open to debate until I decided to learn more about it on Wikipedia and saw that there was a big furror about it. Wasn't everyone just taught "evolution is a fact and this is the scientific theory about why it happens, now on to Mitosis"?
I learned a bit about it, but it wasn t until about 8 months ago, when a friend told me he had just spoken to a girl that went to the Creation "Museum" and loved it, that I decided to become truly informed. (By the way, I think one of the most embarrasing moments of my life was the day that bastion of ignorance and lies was opened in my state). I always accepted evolution but really didn t understand it. Then, I started reading and watching videos. I learned about biochemistry (including ERVs and mitochondrial DNA), phylogenies/cladistics, biogeography, stratigraphy and that there actually WAS a controversy. (Not among scientists, but among the educated and the uninformed).
3. When you were first taught about evolution (whether it be by parent, teacher etc.) didn't you just think "yup, that makes perfect sense -- bloomin' 'eck scientists are clever"?
I thought it was fascinating. Although I really didn t get a very good understanding of it, I never really questioned the veracity of it and didn t know there were many people who did. (And I was attending a Southern Baptist church at the time). I remember when I was a senior in HS (many years later) being shocked when a friend of mine told me she didn t "believe in" evolution and my stepmother told me the same thing shortly thereafter. I thought they must be the only weirdoes out there. It really wasn t until recently that I learned of the extent to which willful ignorance pervades the American landscape. [/i]
Calvin founded a little theocracy, modeled after the Old Testament, and succeeded in erecting the most detestable government that ever existed, except the one from which it was copied.
"Heretics and Heresies",Ingersoll's Works, Vol. 1, p. 226
"Heretics and Heresies",Ingersoll's Works, Vol. 1, p. 226
