Heated debate on evolution with brother

[robvalue]

You could get pictures up of skulls for "transitional fossils" between apes and humans, then get him to say which is which.

This experiment has been run with creationists before, and they rarely agree where the cut-off point is.

Sadly, he has made it a competition between science and religion, and clearly his religion is too important for him to think rationally about the subject. Many theists "accept" evolution with no problem, and just weave it into their narrative somehow. Obviously creationists/literalists are much more hampered in this regard.

What does it matter to an atheist whether evolution is "true" or not? Well, to me, it doesn't matter at all. If it's "wrong", then we go seeking new explanations. We don't make up stories and call it a night.

[Alex K]

Among educated folks, again and again, engineers seem particularly susceptible to this. I wonder why that is...

[MyelinSheath]

I think his head is fucked up beyond repair. He's got it in his mind that evolution is an evil, made up concept. He is very hidebound and ignorant.

[robvalue]

It sounds like it. Ultimately, he has to want to learn about it, to make any progress. Otherwise he's just looking for more reasons to reject it, without properly understanding it.

Religion as a whole can make otherwise rational, intelligent people suddenly turn into gibbering idiots. The transformation is so startling, as you describe, that it almost looks like a human gave birth to a chimp. It's not the only subject that does this to people, but it's one of the most common.

[MyelinSheath]

It sounds like it. Ultimately, he has to want to learn about it, to make any progress. Otherwise he's just looking for more reasons to reject it, without properly understanding it.

Religion as a whole can make otherwise rational, intelligent people suddenly turn into gibbering idiots. The transformation is so startling, as you describe, that it almost looks like a human gave birth to a chimp. It's not the only subject that does this to people, but it's one of the most common.

I know. Its sad.

The way he talks its almost like he's talking down to evolution like its some kind of childish talk that is jusy a silly little fringe thing. He obviously doesn't know the first thing about it.

[Aoi Magi]

I think those who reject evolution altogether have more of a chance at understanding it, than those who somehow make it fit within their own religious narrative. At least with the former, you have a chance of cracking their denial and showing how silly their beliefs are, but for the latter, you literally have no way of getting past their mental acrobatics.

[ignoramus]

Ask him how the hell does the lack of proof of anything even remotely give more chance of his God existing...
It seems (like many theists) that he uses binary thought to justify the existence of his "precious". IE: evolution is false, therefore Goddidit!

Tell him to put the bible down and pickup a real book on evolution. (not one funded by his church!)

[brewer]

I think his head is fucked up beyond repair. He's got it in his mind that evolution is an evil, made up concept. He is very hidebound and ignorant.

Infect him with MRSA.

Or, let he be a happy delusional fucked up person. Reality makes some people very uncomfortable.

[MyelinSheath]

He considers all evidence to be bogus, made up, conspiratorial, etc. It doesn't seem to click with him that fossil and DNA evidence is about all you need to prove it as fact. He's simply not going to accept it. It's annoying.

[Brian37]

There is no debate in reality, there simply are gullible humans desperately clinging to the past.

I often tell Christians, because that is whom we run into the most, that their religion IS NOT the only religion, that when they cannot attack and debunk science, religion tries to co opt science to get it to point to their club.

I have been on line for 16 years and have debated not only Christians, but Muslims and Jews and Hindus and Buddhists.

Humans simply cannot stand the thought of being unimportant in cosmic time in relationship to the universe.

I wish my fellow humans would face that, because even though there is no cosmic magic safety net, if we could pull our heads out of our asses, we do have it within us to problem solve and reduce conflict and suffering. You cant rid the world of religion by force, to attempt to do so is to become a monster. But we cannot be afraid as a species to question the claims of the past. If our species never questioned social norms, our species never would have left the caves.