Atheists Only--To what extent is it our responsibility to educated the general public regarding evolution?

Question

It is incredible to me how many people absolutely discount it...or say, "its 'only' a theory"..in public school texts books it is glossed over...if you read peoples answers regarding evolution, they just dont grasp the main points of it....really, I taught HS Biology for 15 years...do we just ignore the religious zealots who try to introduce intelligent design or creation science into public schools....also...it seems that many people say they grasp its salient points on this website, but most people I know are very religious and believe in creation....I think it is important that people learn biology....any ideas as to how to educate the masses or is it not our responsibility or are they hopeless??

Answer 1

I am an atheist. As were my parents, so I was never indoctrinated into any religious beliefs.

I find it interesting, a couple of the responses you have had so far, are so muddled. We can be religious and scientific at the same time they say.

I totally disagree with that. Science is about looking at evidence and facts, not "believing" anything without some kind of proof.

What can be done? Maybe we need to get out of the mindset of needing to "respect" the beliefs of religious screwballs. When those of us who are not religious are confronted with these belief systems, maybe we need to stand up and say, "I totally disagree with you, and here's why." The other side has no problem telling us about their beliefs as if they were the one TRUTH.

Over my lifetime, I have actively gotten involved in some pretty public controvercies. Like as head of the local United Way denying funding to the Boy Scouts because they won't allow atheists to be members. I am out in the open and public about my lack of beliefs. I have written many letters to the editor about a lot of things religious.

I am a member of The Freedom of Religion Foundation (ffrf.org) in Madison Wisconsin. I have read most of Richard Dawkins books and am making many of my friends read his latest: The God Delusion. I also donate books like his to our local library hoping someone will read them and learn something.

I completely agree with everything you say in your question, but don't know the answer. Perhaps by connecting on forums like this we can all encourage others to "come out of the closet" and say out loud what we really think. You are totally right that most of the questions about evolution that I have seen here reveal a big misunderstanding about evolutionary process.

Unfortunately, the polls show over 50% of Americans literally believe in biblical creation and we aren't likely to convert many of them. But, if we can get one here and there to really think, maybe we can each make a difference.

By the way, I am not a biologist or educated beyond 2 years of college, just a regular woman making her thoughts known to anyone who will listen!

Answer 2

Nairbgnik, you said atheists only, so you can completely ignore this if you want because I'm a devout Christian, but here goes. I think just don't make it such an issue. It's funny that probably a third of the questions in the religion section are about evolution!!! What does science have to do with faith? I don't get it.
I don't have as much experience as you but I taught freshman biology in college for two years at a religious university. It was incredible to me too, how many people discounted it. I would say probably two-thirds of students there took the "Earth is only ten-thousand or less years old" view of creation. Another smaller group discounted that man evolved from so-called lower life forms but accepted evolution for everything else. Frankly, I thought the first group was much more rational at least than the second.
I have no problem whatsoever in believing we have prokaryotes in our family tree. But for some reason, in America, (and America only) it's either a very strange interpretation of Genesis chp. 1, or evolution and atheism. I don't understand why a middle ground is automatically excluded. Why wouldn't an all-wise creator have forseen the potentialities of evolution and allowed things to follow their course, with perhaps a tweak here and there?
But I digress. I think to answer your question, let's stop treating it as the death-knell of God and just start focusing on the science of it. That was the approach that I used in my classes and I got several students to come to my way of looking at it.
As for the Intelligent design stuff, well, I think in time people will realize that it is not science and stop teaching it. Because you're absolutely right, it is religious, not scientific. But I also don't think that a true scientist can exclude the possibility of a God. That's just not what pure science is about. So maybe if we stop stepping on each others' toes, so to speak, we might get people to understand that there is an overwhelming amount of evidence that evolution is a well-supported principle, and that there are mounds of evidence that we evolved from another animal. On the flip-side, we might just practice a little more tolerance for those who see more meaning in life than just random mutations.
That's my hope anyway.

Answer 3

I will answer this question not as an atheist, because I am not, but as a conscientious scientist. There has actually been a browing interest on the part of scientists to question their own role in the bitter science vs religion debate. I personally agree that education is the only way to get people, especially children, learning to apply critical thinking skills in evaluating the world around them. Regarding the atheist-Creation question, there is a very false application of logic that I would like to dispel.

1) Being religious does not mean a person believes in Creation, nor disbelieves in evolution
2) Being an atheist does not mean you believe in evolution
3) Believing in evolution does not make a person an atheist
4) Not believing in a strict, literal translation of any religious text does not make you less religious than another person in your faith
5) Absolutists are those who would prescribe what you believe, reather than provide you the tools to make that decision part of yuor life's work. They do not care about you, they want to control you. The same is true for people for fanatics on both sides.
6) Most importantly, science is not a thing to be distrusted. It is not above the head of the average person to understand the principles and concepts. It is not even a definable "thing"- It is a way of looking at the world; and only one of many. The scientific method is a valuable way to explore and evaluate truth in all of its forms. A strong faith, not based on unhealthy dogma, would allow for a questioning/ questing perspective.

I would argue that every master of a skill, from all disciplines of science, to all disciplines of faith, have a moral obligation to provide the tenets of wisdom to the rest of the world. The facts about evolution would be a great starting place if that is what moves you. It is imperative to the future of science that we all do so.

Answer 4

Nowadays, even the pope believes in evolution. It is no longer considered a theory, but a scientific fact that most educated religions no longer dispute.
However, many individual theists still dispute the idea, simply because they are ignorant and refuse to question their God and learn about their world.
Answer - there's nothing we can do other than allow them to wallow in their ignorance.
Just like the fact that the world is round and we revolve around the sun, these things take time. There will be disbelievers for a long time, but they'll come around at their own pace.