Why Christians Attack Evolution

[Michael Schubert]

Any half-rational individual knows that Evolution is the back-bone of modern science. Differential Reproduction is the method by which medicines are developed, and natural selection explains why humans resemble their parents, grandparents, and their many other relatives. Without evolutionary science, we would essentially be returning to the dark ages when people blamed evil demons for terminal diseases. Advocates for faith-based healing still do.

Not surprisingly, many Christians adamantly oppose the theory of evolution, despite their rampant ignorance about it. Court cases concerning the teaching of creationism in public schools include the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial, 1981’s McLean vs. Arkansas, 1987’s Epperson vs. Arkansas, and the most recent 2005 case, Dover vs. Kitzmiller, in which Justice John Jones ruled creationism is in fact not at all science and does in fact promote religion (outlawed in the U.S. Constitution).

But why exactly is it that Christians oppose evolution? There are many reasons that come to mind, but it’s difficult to put my finger on it. Then I started reading Ruth Hermence Green’s book, The Born-Again Skeptic’s Guide to the Bible, and I figured it out. Listen to this:

Achievements in this world, even if they promote the welfare of humanity, are pointless, and honors and recognition for the advancement of human knowledge are meaningless in God’s massive bookkeeping system.
Spiritual life is the only measure of a person’s worth when heavenly rewards are bestowed: What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36.

Most Christians judge others by what they believe in. Not what they do. As the quote above indicates, it really does not matter how many good deeds you do in this life, as long as you trust in fictional Jesus Christ. If an Atheist jumped into a burning building and saved a whole bunch of helpless children, he or she would not get the endorsement of pretty much any local church. If an atheist discovered a cure for cancer or any other terminal illness, they would not get an endorsement from most any local church, either.

I also came across another argument in my research, and this one has to do with religion in general and not just Christianity. From C.M. Kragel’s The Grand Deception:

Christians, Muslims, and other religious people are just as capable of immoral and harmful actions as anybody else. Does the knowledge they contain of morality, God or Jesus save them? No, it simply supplants lessons into their minds of superior beings with supposedly higher morals, but this does not enable better individuals. It simply instills a form of arrogance that is derived by the belief of a people that their morality is in fact superior to all others since it is supposedly handed down by God.

C.M. Krager brings up an excellent point: sectarian religious people tend to think their own fictional God is better than another religion’s fictional God. This explains why a repulsive Christian woman I know refuses to vote for an Atheist for president, and why Christian televangelists slander Charles Darwin, atheists, Muslims and anyone else who contradicts their doctrinaire ideologies.

But of course, this natural feeling of superiority over dissenters is not confined to religion. This is true of any one who holds a political position, as well. Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and other rabid, hate-spewing right-wingers do nothing but slander “the left” with ludicrous aspersions, and self-identified liberals like Markos Moulitsas and the Daily Kos bloggers say more or less the same about conservatives. I am sad to say that Atheists like Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris have a pompous attitude towards people who don’t think like they do. Dawkins wants to racially profile Muslims, Christopher Hitchens was for the Iraq invasion because he wanted to stamp out religion in the name of secular fundamentalism, and Sam Harris is just another islamophobe.

And that is my two cents.

[The Valkyrie]

Any half-rational individual knows that Evolution is the back-bone of modern science. Differential Reproduction is the method by which medicines are developed, and natural selection explains why humans resemble their parents, grandparents, and their many other relatives. Without evolutionary science, we would essentially be returning to the dark ages when people blamed evil demons for terminal diseases. Advocates for faith-based healing still do.

Not surprisingly, many Christians adamantly oppose the theory of evolution, despite their rampant ignorance about it. Court cases concerning the teaching of creationism in public schools include the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial, 1981’s McLean vs. Arkansas, 1987’s Epperson vs. Arkansas, and the most recent 2005 case, Dover vs. Kitzmiller, in which Justice John Jones ruled creationism is in fact not at all science and does in fact promote religion (outlawed in the U.S. Constitution).

But why exactly is it that Christians oppose evolution? There are many reasons that come to mind, but it’s difficult to put my finger on it. Then I started reading Ruth Hermence Green’s book, The Born-Again Skeptic’s Guide to the Bible, and I figured it out. Listen to this:

Achievements in this world, even if they promote the welfare of humanity, are pointless, and honors and recognition for the advancement of human knowledge are meaningless in God’s massive bookkeeping system.
Spiritual life is the only measure of a person’s worth when heavenly rewards are bestowed: What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36.

Most Christians judge others by what they believe in. Not what they do. As the quote above indicates, it really does not matter how many good deeds you do in this life, as long as you trust in fictional Jesus Christ. If an Atheist jumped into a burning building and saved a whole bunch of helpless children, he or she would not get the endorsement of pretty much any local church. If an atheist discovered a cure for cancer or any other terminal illness, they would not get an endorsement from most any local church, either.

I also came across another argument in my research, and this one has to do with religion in general and not just Christianity. From C.M. Kragel’s The Grand Deception:

Christians, Muslims, and other religious people are just as capable of immoral and harmful actions as anybody else. Does the knowledge they contain of morality, God or Jesus save them? No, it simply supplants lessons into their minds of superior beings with supposedly higher morals, but this does not enable better individuals. It simply instills a form of arrogance that is derived by the belief of a people that their morality is in fact superior to all others since it is supposedly handed down by God.

C.M. Krager brings up an excellent point: sectarian religious people tend to think their own fictional God is better than another religion’s fictional God. This explains why a repulsive Christian woman I know refuses to vote for an Atheist for president, and why Christian televangelists slander Charles Darwin, atheists, Muslims and anyone else who contradicts their doctrinaire ideologies.

But of course, this natural feeling of superiority over dissenters is not confined to religion. This is true of any one who holds a political position, as well. Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and other rabid, hate-spewing right-wingers do nothing but slander “the left” with ludicrous aspersions, and self-identified liberals like Markos Moulitsas and the Daily Kos bloggers say more or less the same about conservatives. I am sad to say that Atheists like Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris have a pompous attitude towards people who don’t think like they do. Dawkins wants to racially profile Muslims, Christopher Hitchens was for the Iraq invasion because he wanted to stamp out religion in the name of secular fundamentalism, and Sam Harris is just another islamophobe.

And that is my two cents.

My friend, that was worth far more than two cents.

[*Deidre*]

Not all Christians disbelieve in evolution...usually, that's an opinion of Fundamentalist Christians. They tend to take Genesis more literally, than other Christians. But, then what does that say about the religion as a whole? Christians can't even agree on their own faith book?

Which just speaks to me, that it's all nonsense...just spun several different ways, in various denominations.

The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the basic premise of evolution is true, but then they get tripped up when they believe that God still gave humans a 'soul.' When did that happen exactly in the 'evolutionary process?''

Before Charles Darwin's theory took shape, Christians took Genesis, literally. Hmmm...then, Charles Darwin came along, and years later...the Catholic Church and other denoms were teaching that it's 'ok' to accept Genesis as metaphorical in nature. So, just like that...'god' changed his mind? He sent a cosmic message to all the 'church leaders' that...now, thou shalt believe in evolution? lol Oh please.

It's just too much nonsense for me, anymore.

Science is complex, yet simple. It's beautiful. It doesn't have all the answers, but that doesn't mean it never will. I trust science, because simply put, it doesn't lie. Religions lie.

[discipulus]

Any half-rational individual knows that Evolution is the back-bone of modern science. Differential Reproduction is the method by which medicines are developed, and natural selection explains why humans resemble their parents, grandparents, and their many other relatives. Without evolutionary science, we would essentially be returning to the dark ages when people blamed evil demons for terminal diseases. Advocates for faith-based healing still do.

Not surprisingly, many Christians adamantly oppose the theory of evolution, despite their rampant ignorance about it. Court cases concerning the teaching of creationism in public schools include the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial, 1981’s McLean vs. Arkansas, 1987’s Epperson vs. Arkansas, and the most recent 2005 case, Dover vs. Kitzmiller, in which Justice John Jones ruled creationism is in fact not at all science and does in fact promote religion (outlawed in the U.S. Constitution).

But why exactly is it that Christians oppose evolution? There are many reasons that come to mind, but it’s difficult to put my finger on it. Then I started reading Ruth Hermence Green’s book, The Born-Again Skeptic’s Guide to the Bible, and I figured it out. Listen to this:

Achievements in this world, even if they promote the welfare of humanity, are pointless, and honors and recognition for the advancement of human knowledge are meaningless in God’s massive bookkeeping system.
Spiritual life is the only measure of a person’s worth when heavenly rewards are bestowed: What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark 8:36.

Most Christians judge others by what they believe in. Not what they do. As the quote above indicates, it really does not matter how many good deeds you do in this life, as long as you trust in fictional Jesus Christ. If an Atheist jumped into a burning building and saved a whole bunch of helpless children, he or she would not get the endorsement of pretty much any local church. If an atheist discovered a cure for cancer or any other terminal illness, they would not get an endorsement from most any local church, either.

I also came across another argument in my research, and this one has to do with religion in general and not just Christianity. From C.M. Kragel’s The Grand Deception:

Christians, Muslims, and other religious people are just as capable of immoral and harmful actions as anybody else. Does the knowledge they contain of morality, God or Jesus save them? No, it simply supplants lessons into their minds of superior beings with supposedly higher morals, but this does not enable better individuals. It simply instills a form of arrogance that is derived by the belief of a people that their morality is in fact superior to all others since it is supposedly handed down by God.

C.M. Krager brings up an excellent point: sectarian religious people tend to think their own fictional God is better than another religion’s fictional God. This explains why a repulsive Christian woman I know refuses to vote for an Atheist for president, and why Christian televangelists slander Charles Darwin, atheists, Muslims and anyone else who contradicts their doctrinaire ideologies.

But of course, this natural feeling of superiority over dissenters is not confined to religion. This is true of any one who holds a political position, as well. Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and other rabid, hate-spewing right-wingers do nothing but slander “the left” with ludicrous aspersions, and self-identified liberals like Markos Moulitsas and the Daily Kos bloggers say more or less the same about conservatives. I am sad to say that Atheists like Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris have a pompous attitude towards people who don’t think like they do. Dawkins wants to racially profile Muslims, Christopher Hitchens was for the Iraq invasion because he wanted to stamp out religion in the name of secular fundamentalism, and Sam Harris is just another islamophobe.

And that is my two cents.

I do not attack it and I am a Christian. Nor do many other brilliant Christians in the academy attack it.

So where does that leave your post?

[Minimalist]

With some 40,000-odd different groups calling themselves some variant of xtian there are bound to be a few who are not quite as stupid as the rest.

The really stupid ones prefer fairy tales to reality.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Some (I disremember who, and would be glad is someone could source this) summed it rather succinctly:

'Science is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that must never be questioned.'

Boru

[Michael Schubert]

I do not attack it and I am a Christian. Nor do many other brilliant Christians in the academy attack it.

So where does that leave your post?

Do people in your church attack evolution?

[*Deidre*]

Some (I disremember who, and would be glad is someone could source this) summed it rather succinctly:

'Science is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that must never be questioned.'

Boru

I like that.

There's another ''old'' saying...''for those who believe, no explanation is necessary. for those who don't, no explanation will ever be enough.''

I guess so. lol

[discipulus]

I do not attack it and I am a Christian. Nor do many other brilliant Christians in the academy attack it.

So where does that leave your post?

Do people in your church attack evolution?

Not that I know of. We do not usually sit around and discuss it all that much. We usually talk about stuff like, you know, feeding and clothing those in the community who are homeless, donating money to certain relief efforts in third world countries, how to deny ourselves and live for others, you know, run of the mill Christian stuff.

We leave quibbling over theories to the theorists.

---

Some (I disremember who, and would be glad is someone could source this) summed it rather succinctly:

'Science is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that must never be questioned.'

Boru

I question much of what would be considered the "religious precepts of modernity".

[paulpablo]

I've missed seeing anything by Richard Dawkins that I would consider to be racially profiling Muslims. I've repeatedly seen him state that Islam is not a race, which is correct.

I've got bored of the whole dawkins vs muslims debate recently though so I could have missed something.

And I don't think Christopher Hitchens supported the war on Iraq because of his hatred of religion, from listening to him talk he seemed to have had personal experiences while traveling around the middle east that brought him to the conclusion that religion was bad and the war in iraq was good. But I think it's an oversimplification to think he hated Islam so he wanted to America to go to war with them.