Are there REALLY people that don't think that Transitional Fossils exist?

Question

I read someone's answer to an earlier question about evolution and this person honestly seemed to believe that there were no Transitional Fossils. Is that right? Are there really people this willfully ignorant in the world?
I mean the evidence is irrefutable. There are literally THOUSANDS of transitional fossils. Here is just a small example;
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-transitional.html
Now this is highly condensed and the author has tried to simplify it to the point that someone with an average education can understand it.
Here is another one but this one is highly technical;
http://www.asa3.org/asa/resources/Miller.html

So you see that not only are there literally thousands of transitional fossils, they each give us a great deal of information about the fossil record and the lines of descent they took part in.
Anyone who denies the existence of transitionals is either; willfully ignorant, or brainwashed to the extreme.
Either way, they have my pity.

Octal,
Indeed. And the brainless morons that think that the "crocoduck" is actually an argument for their side. *rolls eyes*

Thenewking,
So, what you're saying is that it's better to simply follow a bronze age myth, than think for yourself and try and understand science?
Honestly, you have my pity...

SteveB,
I want to thank you for being a perfect example of the "willfully ignorant" person I was talking about.
Did you even READ the links I provided?No, probably not. It's so much easier to wallow in ignorance than to read and get educated huh?
Honestly, your pity is misplaced. Pity yourself for your inability or unwillingness to look at facts.

Answer 1

Creationists read books and articles by other creationists.

They pass around these stories that have not a shred of evidence to support it.

Answer 2

And you have my pity. There is not a single fossil that has been proven to be "transitional." Even the researchers that study these things do not claim that.

It takes more faith to believe in the "voodoo" science of natural selection then it takes to believe in God.

And so then, my question is why does the theory constantly change?

It was stated as fact by many people that there was a "mammal" explosion after the dinosaurs died out. "New" findings show that, that did not happen.

The Neanderthals were, again, stated as a fact by many, thought to have integrated with other human types and the "new" findings state they may have simply died out.

Finally, enter common sense into the theory. If we came from a common ancestor and evolved though a system of "natural selection", then why, oh, why, are the apes and monkeys far more physically adapted then we are? If a common ancestor was present and true, then humans or whatever species evolved would have all the capabilities

Answer 3

Sadly, there are people who believe no transitional fossils have ever been found. There are people who claim "science" selling books to the gullible to *prove* the Genesis account of creation is true.

Sadly, it is possible for a person to spend a great deal of time *learning* about the origins of life on earth and still come away completely uneducated. People read the materials that agree with their own bias, and then learn nothing. It is sad that people are not taught how to critically evaluate their sources.

I worked as a college English professor. I had student who wanted to write her research paper on Creation Science. I warned her to make 100% certain that the sources she cited were good primary sources without any bias. She cited 20 works, and NOT ONE was a creditable scientific journal. NOT ONE was a legitimates text in biology. Every source was a biased Christian publication. I felt awful failing her first draft because she had worked so hard on it. However, half the grade for the first draft was for evaluation of research.

Answer 4

You're entirely right, of course, but I fear your words will mean nothing to many of the people you're specifically addressing.

Such anti-evolutionists erect a fantasy caricature of what they believe evolution is, and then jeer at science for not having evidence of this, THEIR distorted picture.

For them, a 'transitional fossil' must be something like the wretched Crocoduck - an animal that could not possible exists because the lines connecting reptiles and birds never passed through these animals.

But show them a Hoatzin and they will insist it's 'just a bird'.

Invincible Ignorance will not respond to reason, facts or logic.

CD

Answer 5

Every time a transitional fossil between two species is discovered, creationists rejoice, because there are now TWO new transitional fossils that don't exist.

Creationists will never be satisfied until every line of descent in the fossil record is complete and detailed step by step -- then they will have to clutch at some other anti-evolutionary "evidence"

Answer 6

Of course, there are people who still insist transitional fossils don't exist...or who, upon hearing of one, demand to see the transitional fossils between that species and the ones before it and after. We should be amazed that they believe the earth is a planet which orbits the sun, or that they believe in the germ theory and the utility of vaccination. After all, these go against their book and its emphasis upon "god's will."

Answer 7

If the bible had in it somewhere that the moon was in fact made of cheese, Christians would have been avoiding/worshiping/fearing cheese right up until we landed on the moon.

Even then they would probably say it was a hard cheese like Parmesan.

It is only luck that allows them to believe more realistic things like the earth is a few thousand years old, and human kids used to have dinosaur pets... *sigh*

Answer 8

There are people who think that. There are also people who believe we didn't ever land on the moon, the Holocaust is a lie organized by the Jews, and George W. Bush was the mastermind behind 9/11. Some people will just always willfully choose ignorance.

Answer 9

There will always be people in this world that disagree for the sake of disagreeing. To refute something as physically evident as transitional fossils is absurd.

Answer 10

I have no opinion on this matter.
Many Transitional fossils have been found, but no fossils that show a truely convincing direct mutation between the species. Besides, evolution has really been proved not to work that way. Once again with no opinion on the matter, if Evolution is true its in an undarwinian sort of spasmic mutations driving us towards the next stage. Under this, there would be very few transitional fossils.

Answer 11

Agreed. But what can you do? Some people are very insistant in their desire to remain uneducated. LOL
I'm sure alot of fossils have been lost on the ocean floor due to the earth's natural recycling of rock too.