Why Do So Many Have Trouble Believing In Evolution?

JonnyPistachio

"Not surprisingly, and rather unfortunately, religious belief interferes with people's understanding of what the theory of evolution says."

http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2012/01/1 ... s-20120122

What are your stances on evolution and your religious preferences?

eddiec

I believe in the missing link theory.

bigdvs

look up this guy for some answers

longtime Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan, “led a Fundamentalist crusade to banish Darwin’s theory of evolution from American classrooms”

satansbed

tbh it makes america look like a laughing stock

supposed world powers =\= allow teach creationisim in biology class

he still stands

evolution is a fact, not a theory.

when something is repeatedly confirmed by science, math and observation, through literally every study that has been done on the subject, it is accepted as true and is a fact. evolution is not imperfect or mere speculation as the creationists think the word "theory" implies. (they should have paid attention in junior high science class)

if you don't believe in evolution, you might as well just believe that the earth is bigger than the sun or in Santa Claus.

FiveB247x

Another god - evolution debate... something new around here eh? lol

eddiec

he still stands wrote:

evolution is a fact, not a theory.

when something is repeatedly confirmed by science, math and observation, through literally every study that has been done on the subject, it is accepted as true and is a fact. evolution is not imperfect or mere speculation as the creationists think the word "theory" implies. (they should have paid attention in junior high science class)

if you don't believe in evolution, you might as well just believe that the earth is bigger than the sun or in Santa Claus.

I don't know if I'd call it fact. Not even scientists can explain the huge jump in the evolutionary scale that went from Neanderthal to modern sapiens.

Edit: Evolution is clearly a fact, just not the jump to modern humans.

he still stands

FiveB247x wrote:

Another god - evolution debate... something new around here eh? lol

evolution debate doesn't need to include "god." It is scientifically provable, and it doesn't negate the creation myth necessarily.

he still stands

eddiec wrote:

he still stands wrote:

evolution is a fact, not a theory.

when something is repeatedly confirmed by science, math and observation, through literally every study that has been done on the subject, it is accepted as true and is a fact. evolution is not imperfect or mere speculation as the creationists think the word "theory" implies. (they should have paid attention in junior high science class)

if you don't believe in evolution, you might as well just believe that the earth is bigger than the sun or in Santa Claus.

I don't know if I'd call it fact. Not even scientists can explain the huge jump in the evolutionary scale that went from Neanderthal to modern sapiens.

Edit: Evolution is clearly a fact, just not the jump to modern humans.

the "missing link" is a bunch of bullshit because we have only found < 1% of species' fossils. It is just an imaginary argument because transitionary fossils are discovered on a frequent basis eliminating the "missing" links.

every argument against evolution can be disproven quickly and precisely, making it a FACT indeed.

edit: and to be clear, there obviously have been many species discovered between lower primates and man. Just because the entire picture isn't clear, that doesn't negate the entire transitional fossil record.

brianlux

Is there actually a debate about evolution still going on? Did I time warp back to 1954?

JonnyPistachio

he still stands wrote:

FiveB247x wrote:

Another god - evolution debate... something new around here eh? lol

evolution debate doesn't need to include "god." It is scientifically provable, and it doesn't negate the creation myth necessarily.

Thank you, that's why I brought it up.
I work with schools all over the country with science related visual materials. We have DVD compilations that are sent out for schools to use. They will often have 7 or 8 shows on these compilations with shows involving biology, chemistry, physics, etc... Well, we sent out a compilation all over the USA a few years back and it had one 12 minute segment on the theories surrounding the big bang. about a dozen schools sent it back saying they werent interested in it because of the evolution/big bang sections. Can you guess where these schools were? probably, yes. :? apparently they felt it might negate the creation myth, I suppose.

he still stands

brianlux wrote:

Is there actually a debate about evolution still going on? Did I time warp back to 1954?

the greeks knew about evolution 2500 years ago.

francis bacon outlined it in pretty good detail in the 16th century

darwin came up with the theory of natural selection, which further details how evolution happens, and showed immense proof through observation.

so, you'd have to time warp back several thousand years to not get it...

(i read "Darwin in 90 minutes" a few weeks ago... a great little read on the subject)

he still stands

JonnyPistachio wrote:

he still stands wrote:

FiveB247x wrote:

Another god - evolution debate... something new around here eh? lol

evolution debate doesn't need to include "god." It is scientifically provable, and it doesn't negate the creation myth necessarily.

Thank you, that's why I brought it up.
I work with schools all over the country with science related visual materials. We have DVD compilations that are sent out for schools to use. They will often have 7 or 8 shows on these compilations with shows involving biology, chemistry, physics, etc... Well, we sent out a compilation all over the USA a few years back and it had one 12 minute segment on the theories surrounding the big bang. about a dozen schools sent it back saying they werent interested in it because of the evolution/big bang sections. Can you guess where these schools were? probably, yes. :? apparently they felt it might negate the creation myth, I suppose.

interesting, because the big bang theory doesn't negate the creation myth either. it is about everything that has happened SINCE the "singularity," which is just a fancy word for "we don't know what the fuck happened at this point in time and space, but it was probably infinitely hot and dense"

mikepegg44

he still stands wrote:

brianlux wrote:

Is there actually a debate about evolution still going on? Did I time warp back to 1954?

the greeks knew about evolution 2500 years ago.

francis bacon outlined it in pretty good detail in the 16th century

darwin came up with the theory of natural selection, which further details how evolution happens, and showed immense proof through observation.

so, you'd have to time warp back several thousand years to not get it...

(i read "Darwin in 90 minutes" a few weeks ago... a great little read on the subject)

6000?

anyway, if people don't want to believe it that is their business, it is a fundamental change in what people who are religious have been told for thousands of years. It will probably take the same amount of time to change it...unfortunately...

JonnyPistachio

he still stands wrote:

JonnyPistachio wrote:

he still stands wrote:

evolution debate doesn't need to include "god." It is scientifically provable, and it doesn't negate the creation myth necessarily.

Thank you, that's why I brought it up.
I work with schools all over the country with science related visual materials. We have DVD compilations that are sent out for schools to use. They will often have 7 or 8 shows on these compilations with shows involving biology, chemistry, physics, etc... Well, we sent out a compilation all over the USA a few years back and it had one 12 minute segment on the theories surrounding the big bang. about a dozen schools sent it back saying they werent interested in it because of the evolution/big bang sections. Can you guess where these schools were? probably, yes. :? apparently they felt it might negate the creation myth, I suppose.

interesting, because the big bang theory doesn't negate the creation myth either. it is about everything that has happened SINCE the "singularity," which is just a fancy word for "we don't know what the fuck happened at this point in time and space, but it was probably infinitely hot and dense"

Agreed, and oddly enough, our programs are very neutral. I recall it was posed as a "theory of the earths origin", but some educators just wouldnt give it a chance, and in fact they shunned a whole series (FREE TOO!) based on other scientific facts just because of their personal religious beliefs.

mikepegg44

satansbed wrote:

tbh it makes america look like a laughing stock

supposed world powers =\= allow teach creationisim in biology class

it isn't just america

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/ ... reationism

Godfather.

nobody has proven evolution from ape to man have they ?
so really this topic has answered its self thru the few comments that have already been posted, and maybe someday someone might find the "missing link" some people are hoping for but personally I doubt it, there is no DNA match in the slightest between man and ape that I know of which would be huge in this debate to even start talking about evolution of this type.

Godfather.

antares434

Godfather. wrote:

nobody has proven evolution from ape to man have they ?
so really this topic has answered its self thru the few comments that have already been posted, and maybe someday someone might find the "missing link" some people are hoping for but personally I doubt it, there is no DNA match in the slightest between man and ape that I know of which would be huge in this debate to even start talking about evolution of this type.

Godfather.

humans are apes

he still stands

Godfather. wrote:

nobody has proven evolution from ape to man have they ?
so really this topic has answered its self thru the few comments that have already been posted, and maybe someday someone might find the "missing link" some people are hoping for but personally I doubt it, there is no DNA match in the slightest between man and ape that I know of which would be huge in this debate to even start talking about evolution of this type.

Godfather.

we aren't direct descendants of apes, monkeys, orangutans, etc. they are sort of our "cousins" as we have a common descendant, but we (humans) didn't used to be any of these species.

he still stands

antares434 wrote:

Godfather. wrote:

nobody has proven evolution from ape to man have they ?
so really this topic has answered its self thru the few comments that have already been posted, and maybe someday someone might find the "missing link" some people are hoping for but personally I doubt it, there is no DNA match in the slightest between man and ape that I know of which would be huge in this debate to even start talking about evolution of this type.

Godfather.

humans are apes

in a figurative sense???

antares434

he still stands wrote:

antares434 wrote:

Godfather. wrote:

nobody has proven evolution from ape to man have they ?
so really this topic has answered its self thru the few comments that have already been posted, and maybe someday someone might find the "missing link" some people are hoping for but personally I doubt it, there is no DNA match in the slightest between man and ape that I know of which would be huge in this debate to even start talking about evolution of this type.

Godfather.

humans are apes

in a figurative sense???

no ... humans are actually apes