How many theists actually understand the fundamentals of evolution?

Question

I can't even begin to tell you how frustrating it is to try and debate with someone who has no idea what the counterpoint is about. I am just venting here more than anything, so please excuse my hostility. I am just so sick of the "Why are monkeys still here?" argument.

Julia: I spent the first half of my life studyung and believing Christianity. There is not a lot to undertand. Some are ignorant, yes; but not all.

Answer 1

The sad thing is, the only people who are going to say anything about evolution when you mention it are those who don't believe it. In that respect, it would be very difficult to judge how many people believe in evolutionism as opposed to creationism. I am a theist, Catholic in fact, but I agree -- those who tend to contradict science, especially in this aspect, tend to understand relatively little about the science to begin with. It is my personal belief that the world didn't start with Adam and Eve -- I think that it is a figurative, symbolic story meant to bring out a point -- not be literal.

Answer 2

I am a theist and not ashamed of it. Maybe if your point of view could be intelligently articulated, some of the doubts would go away... but instead, we get a story that keeps changing - the number of years since the "big bang" or whatever you are calling it now changes from millions to billions to whatever you want to cite on any given day. Has anyone offered proof of macro-evolution - we all know how species change and adapt to their surroundings, but has there ever been solid, quantifiable proof (the kind that you say should be used to prove or disprove the existence of God, which a believer does not require) - that one species has turned into another? What bird species do we have now that you can honestly, without hesitation or doubt - say was once a certain kind of insect, or whatever?

Can you give us the lineage of any current species? As in, first it was an amoeba, several hundred million years (choose your quantity here) later it was multi-celled pond scum, then another 850,000 millenia later it was the pre-cursor to a tad pole, and on and on until today we know it as a jellyfish? Can you do that for any species? What about horses and cows and camels and lions and tigers and bears, oh my - did they all crawl out of the pre-historic soupy swamps and become different - and how did that happen? It seems the evolutionists have some pretty big leaps of faith as well... and they talk about us?

I could give a rat's behind about the monkeys - where did the monkeys come from - what part of the evolutionary chain were their pre-cursors?

I'll excuse your hostility anytime, if you'll excuse my curiosity. I have done a lot of reading and research - and all I keep seeing is the number of hundreds of billions of years keeps going up and up, as if the great unwashed will just have to accept the fact that "stuff" happens over time, as long you keep adding to the amount of that time. "Trust us," you say - over those long, endless stretches of time, lots of things stewed and transmogrified from little nothings in the sea to the great collection of creatures that we see around us...

Yeah, that works - it makes a lot of sense. I'm sure in a hundred thousand gazillion light years, I'll understand it.

Answer 3

There are compelling arguements on both sides. But like most things the truth lies somewhere in the middle ground.

I am a Theist and I still think that man evolved from something, I am not sure about monkeys, apes, or chimpanzies as a source but I would consider any close genetic match to be the source being for the human evolution.

I think that once you look at the Bible as a Supreme Beings effort to impart galatic lessons and concepts to poop-flinging, simplitons, it becomes much more clear. Genesis is a perfect example of an allegorical tale of the creation of a universe. If you utilize what science say (Big Bang, "Let there be light...) along with creation story it becomes a much less rigid text open to interpretation and most importantly scientific fact.

Answer 4

*sigh* Not all of us theists are Christians. And not all of us try to debunk evolution. Surprisingly enough, I've met some Christians who agree with Evolution on different levels.

As far as the silly questions are concerned... what can you expect from people who don't read? Most people who ask questions like that, don't even read their own writings (Bible, Church writings, ancient lore, etc), let alone dig into something like Evolution. Most only rely on hearsay and propaganda, which is actually rather funny. Most of the propaganda they listen to and spread around was started by members of the Catholic Church during different times. The whole monkey thing has been around since Darwin and was started by a priest of the church. Yet, ask many of these people spreading the propaganda if they agree with the Catholic Church and they will tell you they don't. But in reality, they really do.

Answer 5

What exactly are you debating?

I can't imagine any theist having a problem with evolution. I thought evolution was pretty much a settled issue everywhere.

The problem arises when persons claiming belief in evolution attempt to extrapolate origin without understanding the insane leaps of logic required to support their conclusions -- which, in my experience, are generally punctuated by "You can't prove that God did it; therefore, evolution MUST account for it."

Cosmology has advanced our understanding of everything from astronomy to microbiology; however, there is not yet (and will not in the foreseeable future be) any scientific answer to the question of origins.

For now, all we have are pieces of a giant jigsaw puzzle -- a few "side pieces," MAYBE one corner, and a few pieces that go somewhere in the middle. We don't know how many pieces belong in the puzzle, we don't know what the puzzle is supposed to look like when it's finished. We do have some pieces that fit together so well that we're pretty certain they belong together, but that's ALL we have.

Science can't agree whether there are 10 or 11 dimensions -- and can't even produce a consensus regarding the properties of those dimensions commonly acknowledged!

Ignoring the problem of the origin of the multiverse (or the universe, if you happen to believe in it), the origin of man cannot scientifically be explained by the process of evolution alone. No offense intended, but if you can't appreciate that, you're not anywhere close to being as enlightened as you apparently imagine yourself and/or wish others to imagine.

The "there is no God" crowd points to their inability to explain things and exclaim in unison, "AHA! There is no God!" while the "God is real" crowd points to their inability to explain things and exclaim in unison, "AHA! There is a God!" Each pronouncement is equally asinine.

Personally, I like applying the common version of Ockham's razor to the problem: given the endless gaps and leaps of logic required to support any ostensibly-scientific current (a) cosmological model or (b) model describing the origin of modern species, the existence of an ominpotent (perhaps even extradimensional) superbeing is an infinitely less-complex solution.

If you believe everything evolved by chance from nothing, if you believe man arose from the lesser apes and ultimately from protozoa assembled by chance from random protiens formed in some primordial goo -- or if you believe that God is the answer to all those questions and more -- whatever position you take is ultimately reliant for its veracity on faith.

Recapping: there is not now, and will not in the foreseeable future be, any scientific answer to the question of origins.

Answer 6

Are you making the actuality that each and each and every person Scientist have self belief in evolution? reason there are a range of of that do no longer. no longer even ones that are Christian. as a remember of actuality, there became only a question on right here immediately through an atheist that requested why you've been immediately lumped right into a kind of believing in evolution and the tremendous bang concept, purely through pointing out you've been an atheist (they were no longer believers of both). that is ignorant to lump all scientists in a unmarried type, because their beliefs broadly variety. I had a professor in college (who turned right into a scientist), that all started out atheist, even if the more advantageous he studied, the more advantageous He couldn't deny the existance of a author. there's a range of of evidence of advent, yet none that you would possibly want to settle for, because you do not pick to have self belief it.

Answer 7

I would say NONE.
Because it's too difficult for them to understand. Easier to simply lie and say things like "there have been no transitional fossils found" which, as anyone with more than a spoonfull of brains knows, is an outright lie. THOUSANDS of transitional fossils, from invertebrate to vertebrate have been found.
Yet the christians wave thier hands and say "is not! is not!"
They really are pathetic.

Julia,
Why would anyone with a scientific background give two hoots for your mythology? It has NOTHING to do with the real world. And that is what Science is based in. Reality. Christianity on the other hand is based on fantasy. Nothing more.

Dries V,
Why would anyone want to talk to someone who so obviously knows nothing about the subject, but lies about "knowing all about it"?

Answer 8

I am sick to death of creationists who think they're using common sense when they drag out that retarded "If men evolved from monkeys, then why do monkeys still exist?" argument.

More proof that "common sense" is not enough to argue intelligently about subjects as complex as science. Sometimes some actual knowledge about the subject is necessary.

"But how can the sun be at the center of the solar system if it moves in circles around the Earth every day?" At least the creationists still accept heliocentrism as a valid scientific theory...for now.

Answer 9

My friend, first of all, evolution is a "theory" and not a fact. Darwin himself admitted that he was "wrong" before he went to stand before God. By the way, I love the monkeys--not the musicians. Science is a great thing, the best theologians in the world embrace it and devate it all the time. The first scientists were ALL God fearing people, not atheists. All of NASA's scientists consider the Bible to be a great reference source in the field of astrology and mathematics.
When it is all said and done, I, and you, will stand in the presence of God and give an account of our lives whether we believe it or not. Embreace science, but acknowledge its limitations. The Bible is fact, not fiction.
Respecfully,
Mr. M on the fund...of evolution.

Answer 10

Thiests understand evolution better than many of athiests.
But they also understand if they let it go there will be problems for their own religion. Its not an option for them. THey use moneky to give a false logic so no1 will even go to more options than Evolution or Creation.
THey say since you can't prove evolution therefore GOD exists. But there can be mroe than just 2 options.
WE could be created by alience who were created by GOD. We could be created by GOD and left for evolution. You name it. We can go on and on and on. And they know this. Dark ages did not come from nothing. They kenw it before athiest could even say it. They must bring down the education so ppl won't start asking on their agenda.
Vatican is one of the richest busness in the world. Churches are tax exempt . Lets sell for dummies ideas about a men who create everything and make money on it. Some fundamentalist are more smarter than average Christian . At least they study the bible so they can interconnect galaxies to bring you to false statment. Most Christians can't do even that.

GOD create Human from DUst, Female was Created from human rib, first child was from men and female , how's that not an evolution?
dust-->rib--->natural birth. :))
Therefore GOD and money exist.