When evidence contradicts faith, should I 'Keep the Faith'?

Question

Back when Popes were infallible, Galileo brought evidence that the earth is not flat, but round, and orbits the sun. He was convicted for his crimes by the inquisition under (infallible) Pope Urban VIII. Should I still believe in a flat earth?

In the 18th century, Christian clergy preached that lightening is an expression of God's wrath. Ben Franklin demonstrated that lightening is electricity, and invented the lightening rod to mitigate God's wrath. Wouldn't that make God even angrier?

Now that the human genome sequence is known, we find that it is littered with fossil genes (see Scientific American, Aug '06, "The Real Life of Pseudogenes"). Mutated remnants of genes for making vitamin C and for olfaction (smell sense) are but two examples. Should I still believe in a one-day creation of homo sapiens?

Answer 1

U.S. Lags World in Grasp of Genetics and Acceptance of Evolution

Ker Than
LiveScience Staff Writer
LiveScience.comThu Aug 10, 5:45 PM ET

A comparison of peoples' views in 34 countries finds that the United States ranks near the bottom when it comes to public acceptance of evolution. Only Turkey ranked lower.

Among the factors contributing to America's low score are poor understanding of biology, especially genetics, the politicization of science and the literal interpretation of the Bible by a small but vocal group of American Christians, the researchers say.

“American Protestantism is more fundamentalist than anybody except perhaps the Islamic fundamentalist, which is why Turkey and we are so close,” said study co-author Jon Miller of Michigan State University.

The researchers combined data from public surveys on evolution collected from 32 European countries, the United States and Japan between 1985 and 2005. Adults in each country were asked whether they thought the statement “Human beings, as we know them, developed from earlier species of animals,” was true, false, or if they were unsure.

The study found that over the past 20 years:
The percentage of U.S. adults who accept evolution declined from 45 to 40 percent. The percentage overtly rejecting evolution declined from 48 to 39 percent, however. And the percentage of adults who were unsure increased, from 7 to 21 percent.

Of the other countries surveyed, only Turkey ranked lower, with about 25 percent of the population accepting evolution and 75 percent rejecting it. In Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and France, 80 percent or more of adults accepted evolution; in Japan, 78 percent of adults did.

The findings are detailed in the Aug. 11 issue of the journal Science.

Religion belief and evolution

The researchers also compared 10 independent variables­including religious belief, political ideology and understanding of concepts from genetics, or “genetic literacy”­between adults in America and nine European countries to determine whether these factors could predict attitudes toward evolution.

The analysis found that Americans with fundamentalist religious beliefs­defined as belief in substantial divine control and frequent prayer­were more likely to reject evolution than Europeans with similar beliefs. The researchers attribute the discrepancy to differences in how American Christian fundamentalist and other forms of Christianity interpret the Bible.

While American fundamentalists tend to interpret the Bible literally and to view Genesis as a true and accurate account of creation, mainstream Protestants in both the United States and Europe instead treat Genesis as metaphorical, the researchers say.

“Whether it’s the Bible or the Koran, there are some people who think it’s everything you need to know,” Miller said. “Other people say these are very interesting metaphorical stories in that they give us guidance, but they’re not science books.”

This latter view is also shared by the Catholic Church.

Politics and the Flat Earth

Politics is also contributing to America's widespread confusion about evolution, the researchers say. Major political parties in the United States are more willing to make opposition to evolution a prominent part of their campaigns to garner conservative votes­something that does not happen in Europe or Japan.

Miller says that it makes about as much sense for politicians to oppose evolution in their campaigns as it is for them to advocate that the Earth is flat and promise to pass legislation saying so if elected to office.

"You can pass any law you want but it won't change the shape of the Earth," Miller told LiveScience.

Paul Meyers, a biologist at the University of Minnesota who was not involved in the study, says that what politicians should be doing is saying, 'We ought to defer these questions to qualified authorities and we should have committees of scientists and engineers who we will approach for the right answers."

The researchers also single out the poor grasp of biological concepts, especially genetics, by American adults as an important contributor to the country's low confidence in evolution.

“The more you understand about genetics, the more you understand about the unity of life and the relationship humans have to other forms of life,” Miller said.

The current study also analyzed the results from a 10-country survey in which adults were tested with 10 true or false statements about basic concepts from genetics. One of the statements was "All plants and animals have DNA." Americans had a median score of 4. (The correct answer is "yes.")

Science alone is not enough

But the problem is more than one of education­it goes deeper, and is a function of our country's culture and history, said study co-author Eugenie Scott, director of the National Center for Science Education in California.

“The rejection of evolution is not something that will be solved by throwing science at it,” Scott said in a telephone interview.

Myers expressed a similar sentiment. About the recent trial in Dover, Pennsylvania which ruled against intelligent design, Myers said "it was a great victory for our side and it’s done a lot to help ensure that we keep religion out of the classroom for a while longer, but it doesn’t address the root causes. The creationists are still creationists­they're not going to change because of a court decision."

Scott says one thing that will help is to have Catholics and mainstream Protestants speak up about their theologies' acceptance of evolution.

"There needs to be more addressing of creationism from these more moderate theological perspectives," Scott said. “The professional clergy and theologians whom I know tend to be very reluctant to engage in that type of ‘my theology versus your theology’ discussion, but it matters because it’s having a negative effect on American scientific literacy."

The latest packaging of creationism is intelligent design, or ID, a conjecture which claims that certain features of the natural world are so complex that they could only be the work of a Supreme Being. ID proponents say they do not deny that evolution is true, only that scientists should not rule out the possibility of supernatural intervention.

But scientists do not share doubts over evolution. They argue it is one of the most well tested theories around, supported by countless tests done in many different scientific fields. Scott says promoting uncertainty about evolution is just as bad as denying it outright and that ID and traditional creationism both spread the same message.

“Both are saying that evolution is bad science, that evolution is weak and inadequate science, and that it can’t do the job so therefore God did it,” she said.

Another view

Bruce Chapman, the president of the Discovery Institute, the primary backer of ID, has a different view of the study.

"A better explanation for the high percentage of doubters of Darwinism in America may be that this country's citizens are famously independent and are not given to being rolled by an ideological elite in any field," Chapman said. "In particular, the growing doubts about Darwinism undoubtedly reflect growing doubts among scientists about Darwinian theory. Over 640 have now signed a public dissent and the number keeps growing."

Nick Matzke of the National Center for Science Education in California points out, however, that most of the scientists Chapman refers to do not do research in the field of evolution.

"If you look at the list, you can't find anybody who's really a significant contributor to the field or anyone who's done recognizable work on evolution," Matzke said.

Scott says the news is not all bad. The number of American adults unsure about the validity of evolution has increased in recent years, from 7 to 21 percent, but growth in this demographic comes at the expense of the other two groups. The percentage of Americans accepting evolution has declined, but so has the percentage of those who overtly reject it.

"I was very surprised to see that. To me that means the glass is half full,” Scott said. “That 21 percent we can educate."

Answer 2

You have a brain, and, if you are a person of faith you believe that brain is a gift from God. Wouldn't it upset Him if you refused to use a gift He gave you. When Scientific evidence and the Bible don't see eye to eye, it is up to each of us as individuals to reconcile the discrepancy in our own hearts and minds. Some people poke their heads in the sand and refuse to believe the science, no matter how much sense it makes. At the other extreme, some people give up their faith entirely (I fall into this group); I envy the people who can believe the science and still hold on to their faith in some capacity.

Answer 3

Popes were made infallible by Emperor Constantine (who elected himself as the first Pope) in the fourth century. False religion has tormented humankind for several thousand years with lies to frighten their flocks. A burning fiery Hell, an immortal soul, a three-faced trinity God, rapture, purgatory, not to mention the fact that there was no "cross" in Christianity until Constantine decided there should be one. It's all part of Satan's efforts to corrupt and mislead before he runs out of time. Ever since he was pitched out of heaven and confined to the Earth, it has been a horrible mess. The good news is that his time is about up and Almighty God (Jehovah, Psalms 83:18) will dispose of him and return mankind to his original perfect state on a perfect Earth.

Answer 4

I wouldn't. I would rather study, find the truth of the matter (at least for myself... I am not offering proof) and keep what is true. Never quite understood why people have such a hard time with the evolution thing. It's like they were asleep all thru science class... or was too busy thumping the bible at the teacher.

Answer 5

Evidences and proofs are based on scientific and mathematical hypothesis. Faith is NOT.

The very nature of Faith, precludes the need for evidence. If you have evidence, by definition, what you are dealing with is not Faith.

If you have Faith, you don't go looking for evidence. It is that simple. This is why those with the simple mind of a child will enter the doors of heaven easily while it easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle than a wise, logic-based, evidence-seeking man to enter heaven.

A simple test for the scientific minded:

If what you see outside your body, through your eyes is based on what your brain cells are telling you (leaving aside all the intermediate details), then isn't what you see as 'outside' actually only a result of an inner reality inside you? If so, then is your body inside or outside of this consciousness? What then is space, if not something perceived inside your logic-driven brain, since without this brain you would not be perceiving the difference between inside and outside?

Push this argument a little further and you have no choice but end with the subject of 'faith'...

Answer 6

All of the answers to questions reguarding to stories in the Bible will be answered . In the Bible it states that all the proof will be revealed when the time is right. If your faith was ever strong, you would not have questioned it. Understand that you are reading man written literature stating these scientific theories. How do you know that they are true or false. How do you know the Bible is True or false. That is where Faith comes in. Keep up your faith in God. The truth will reveal itself.

God Bless You

Answer 7

Romans 1

20 For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse.

21 Because, knowing God, they didn't glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23 and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things.

24 Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves,

25 who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

And from Job 38


16 "Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Or have you walked in the recesses of the deep?

17 Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?

18 Have you comprehended the earth in its breadth? Declare, if you know it all.

Answer 8

Faith is believing without evidence, even against the evidence. So nothing can contradict faith. If a faith person wants to believe that he can walk on water and he tries to do, and drowns and while drowning still believes he can walk in water and dies with that faith in his mind, who are we to contradict his faith? But I will sure try to rescue him from the irrationality of his faith.

Answer 9

No you shouldn't. Knowledge and logic have the upper hand, if faith and logic contradict then logic wins. People invented religions and gods to help them understand or explain things that were vague or inexplicable to them. Now that we have science and enough tools to examine and explain almost everything around us, that concept is not needed anymore....

Answer 10

Bob, Christians are a very easy target. Faith and logic are not compatible.

Answer 11

You are talking about the dark ages of man . Wake up and believe in the gospel . Praise Jesus ! Believe in Him .