Is Evolution denied solely because it conflicts with the Creation story?

Answer 1

For the most part, yes. The evolution-denial movement has pretty much been laughed out of science and continues to exist only by the patronage of the religious community who see evolution as a threat. As the answer above explains, Catholocism has largely made peace with science. Empiricism has its place and spirituality has its place and the two don't need to conflict. It seems to be mostly protestant evangelical types that are carrying this anti-scientific crusade because they don't understand what the pope figured out. Maybe they're just doing it out of spite because they don't want to be like the pope ;)

Answer 2

I am going to go off on a tangent or two here. In some ways it is simply easier to believe in creation and deny evolution. We can simply say "God did it" to explain anything we do not understand.

I went to a Catholic (Jesuit) university and still receive the alumni newsletter. In a recent article there was a bit of a debate between a professor of theology, a professor of anthropology and a professor of philosophy about creation and evolution. To back up a bit, official Catholic doctrine accepts evolution and does see a conflict between science and religion, times have changed since Galileo. Believe it or not, the theology professor made the most sense. His point was that using God to explain the unexplainable is intellectually weak and just not the right way to think about God. As modern science has come to better understand the rising and setting of the sun, plant and animal reproduction, earthquakes etc. science has begun to put God out of business for some. This is not the way we should think of God. God is not some sort of stop leak to plug gaps in our understanding.

God is more concerned with good and evil, the afterlife, and our eternal souls than the actual dimensions of Noah's ark or the numbering system of the Ten Commandments.

Answer 3

No. There just too many scientist who can not support this theory. The last poll I saw, by NYT in 1998, only found 55% of scientist (polled) believed in evolution. This does not mean that the other 45% believed in creation-they do not. But thousands do believe in creation, and from every science discipline. These scientist do not merely just believe in creation blindly. They interpret the same data that evolutionist do, but come to differing conclusions. There is a very large group of scientist who believe in neither creation or evolution. Creationist are the smaller group. One thing is for sure-either evolution is true or creation is true. They both can not be true. If we could just focus on the facts here, and not speculate too far-we could all be on the same path. All those scientist who take neither side in this issue just do not have enough convincing evidence to make a choice. The other two groups each have pre-suppositions that skew their thinking.

Answer 4

Evolution is denied not only because of confliction, but also because millions of people feel strongly about God that they fear what the outcome would be if they ever found out that for all of their life, the thing they believed in most of all, never existed in the first place. It would be as though all of their life were a lie, and so a lot of people cling to the hope that a God exists, by which they deny evolution.

Could you imagine living your entire life that same way, believing in something that it is the focus of your life's work, only to find out at age 80, it was all for nothing? Seems a little depressive, if you ask me.

Answer 5

I think that it is, despite what people are saying here. I dont think you can practice good science if you enter investigation with pre-determined beliefs that disallow you from examining the evidence with no prejudices. I will say that there can be the same problem with people who have preconcieved ideas on evolution. Its very difficult to have a totally objective point of view.

Answer 6

Believers appear to have a psychological block which prevents them from accepting that what they believe may be wrong. It has nothing to do with faith but rather their own egos that can't accept the concept "I made a mistake." Many people that do accept evolution and the scientific explanation of the Universe started out as believers but were able to overcome the internal closed minded egotism. The ego is very fragile and to change core beliefs is a threat to that ego which thinks, "If I am wrong, then I am not really in charge of my life." This threat is what keeps some people from coming to grips with the reality that science presents.

Answer 7

Absolutely. It is one of the greatest discoveries of mankind yet dismissed SOLELY because of it's refutation of a bible story. It is the result of literally a couple of thousand years of observation and Darwin was not the 1st. Darwin was the 1st to have a consistent, detailed explanation of evolution.

Answer 8

Yep, that's the only reason. The rest of us can see that it's plausible, but not 100% concrete because no one has observed 100 million years of it.

Answer 9

it is only denied by christians but people who live in the real world no evolution is science fact and creation is a fairy tale

Answer 10

No.

EVOLUTION

The introduction to Genesis and to the whole Bible ascribes everything to the living God, creating, making, acting, moving, and speaking. There is no room for evolution without a flat denial of Divine revelation. One must be true the other false. All of God’s works are good, great, wondrous, and perfect.

Man starts from nothing. He begins in helplessness, ignorance, and inexperience. All his works, therefore, proceed on the principle of evolution. This principle is only seen in human affairs: from the hut to the palace; from the canoe to the ocean liner; from the spade to the plowshare to machines. But the birds build their nests today as at the beginning. There is growth and development within man, but no passing, change, or evolution out from one into another.

For this theory or fallacy of evolution to be true there would be evident stages of evolution today. You would be able to find species in many stages of evolution in nature right now. For this theory or fallacy of evolution to be true there would be no God. And that’s exactly what evolutionists believe and are trying prove. The evolutionist bases his or her conclusions on human assumptions and reasoning, instead of on the documentary evidence of the manuscripts.