What's with the evolution vs religion debate?

Question

Clearly, theories of evolution are not in direct conflict with biblical beliefs. In fact, it can easily be understood as evolution being the medium of creation, if one wants to subscribe to such beliefs. One can even read into climate change in Africa turning from forest to dessert and thus the beginings of human evolution as the story of the Garden of Eden; a change from unconcious animal to concious man. So what's the debate about exactly? Why is this debate occuring?

I know it's not about science because debates about whether or not there is evolution should be done without a religious or mythological element between scientists.

This evolution vs religion thing is very much a debate of the public. More often then not creationists who dispute evolution are ignorant to evolutionary theory and supporting evidence, which is unfortunate because these very people are the ones who are against such basic knowledge being taught in schools! What gives?

grafted, you didn't even begin to answer my question! I don't even think you read my question.

Answer 1

I only know of two possibilities about why we are here: 1. We were created by something intelligent or 2. we were created un-intelligently. Please enlighten me to the un-intelligent creation story?

Consider it the other way: Have you been taught any the challenges to being created un-intelligently?

The earth has cooled from being a ball of lava to just having a lava core, how can we argue that the earth is warming? From this inhabitable beginning came a time when the environment was so fertile that life popped out spontaneously and obviously flourished. So why aren’t scientists suggesting we attempt to duplicate the environment during the time when life first occurred?

It should NOT be assumed that a cell coming to life randomly would also "know" how to change light into food or "know" how to reproduce. (definition of random) Please give some intelligent explanation why this single cell changed genetically given the average life of one cell bacteria is about a week with no chance of evolution to modify it over time.... (If this first cell dies, the belief in evolution dies too.)

For something to occur randomly, the conditions had to be right for life to occur millions of times. So why is it thought to only happen once? Or what changed so that we don't find life popping out spontaneously and flourishing through out history?

And then, since we "know" that life does pop out spontaneously when the conditions are right, explain why we can't get the DNA found in the living to randomly form in a lab using "never alive" materials? Put another way, "How can the un-intelligent creation be more intelligent than the scientific understanding of creation?” And on what basis can this world view be touted as "only intelligent world view" and "all other views are moronic?"

Today, when I add bacteria to a pond, I get a pond overgrown with bacteria. I don't see animals evolving that eat bacteria so that the pond balances itself. If the balance of nature is a natural phenomenon, then why we are NOT looking to nature to maintain this balance or balance us again today? If the balance of nature isn’t a natural phenomenon, how did balance occur in the first place?

Isn’t it naïve to think the balance of nature is something that happens with out thought/randomly? If not, why do all the “intellectuals” call for us to “save the planet” which would take thought and coordinated action? It is illogical to say nature balanced itself millions of years ago but somehow “forgot” how so now we must pick up the slack.

If life randomly occurred, then it is ridiculous to say life has a purpose or meaning since only the creator of life can give purpose or meaning to the living. Without a purpose, there is nothing on which to base right or wrong.

Therefore, you can NOT say people who would love you intensely are “right” and those who would rape you while others systematically cut you to pieces physically and psychologically till you died are “wrong”. And if you called your torturers “wrong”, those with your views would tell you that you can’t be judgmental. They would say that you need to be open minded and tolerant of those who have a different world view. They would fight for the rights of your torturers to terrorize you and you would NOT have one unselfish reason why you shouldn’t be in anguish.

I would imagine you are depressed and looking for something to help you make it to the next day. But why bother? Never alive will continue to be dead with no hope unless there is something outside of the "known" that can change something in you. This is the real issue. Everything else is secondary.

anothe

You said "More often then not creationists who dispute evolution are ignorant to evolutionary theory and supporting evidence"

As you call the creationist position "ignorant", shouldn't you equally examine what makes the evolutionists beliefs ignorant???

Because you are intollerant and not open to people who hold a different world view, does not mean that I didn't answer your question. I just didn't answer your question the way you tried to force the answer. Because it is taught in school doesn't change a belief to be a fact. That is what gives.

Answer 2

Try these: Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction by Eugenie C. Scott and Niles Eldredge Science, Evolution, and Creationism by National Academy of Sciences and Institute of Medicin The Counter-Creationism Handbook by Mark Isaak Evolution and the Myth of Creationism: A Basic Guide to the Facts in the Evolution Debate by Tim Berra Not quite on what you're asking, but still good are: Dawkins, Richard, 1986, The Blind Watchmaker, W. W. Norton & Company. Dawkins, Richard, 1989, The Selfish Gene (2nd ed.), Oxford Univ. Press. Dawkins, Richard, 1995, River Out of Eden, Basic Books Dawkins, Richard, 2005, The Ancestor's Tale, Mariner Books Gould, Stephen, 1980, The Panda's Thumb, W. W. Norton & Company

Answer 3

In fact, it isn't the creation myths per se that trigger this issue, particularly with fundamentalist Christianity and in a different way with fundamentalist Islam.

There are two creation narratives in Genesis and another is buried in psalms. They do not even agree with one another, but that is fine.

The problem comes with the Garden of Eden and original sin. Because of the Protestant belief of sola scriptura, they lack recourse to older concepts of sin held by the Catholics or Orthodox. This sets the debate in motion. The bible clearly says death is a direct result of Adam's sin. The bible says there was no death prior to Adam. Dinosaurs therefore must not have died prior to the Fall. If they did, then sin did not cause death. If sin did not cause death then Jesus' sacrifice is completely unnecessary. Further, it would imply he either was not omniscient OR he was a fool to die as an atonement for something which did not occur.

In either case, it means Christianity, in either the historic Protestant or the Fundamentalist Protestant view is strictly false.

It worsens with the Noah story. Even though one could easily show that the Noah story is a physical impossibility as that volume of water would completely dissolve the continents permanently, raise atmospheric pressure to crushing levels and the water has no where to go, so where is it. However, the Noah story has God gathering up all the animals as in Evan Almighty. Man could not eat animals prior to Noah. The Noahidic covenant grants man the ability to eat animal flesh. Man's metabolism would have to be totally different to go from an herbivore to an omnivore instantly. It wouldn't just be a trivial reprogramming, it would be full scale genetic engineering with outward visible effects on the body.

If you really take Protestant theology seriously, and I mean completely seriously, then evolution is the strict counter example that shows the entire movement is a false movement.

Orthodox and Catholics lack the problem because they do not use the bible the same way Protestants do and so are somewhat immunized from the debate.

If you follow the history of religion, then this is really a debate about the philosophical sufficiency of sola scriptura and the impact of a career change on a minister who practices a false religion. This is economics meets philosophy. If there is a risk of being fired, truth loses.

Answer 4

"Clearly, theories of evolution are not in direct conflict with biblical beliefs."

Care to prove it? How can you back this statement up when the starting points for both are so radically different?

1Graftedin hit the nail on the head ...if you actually wanted your question:

"What's with the evolution vs religion debate?"

answered.

We are either created intelligently or un-intelligently and this is the heart of the debate. And if we are intelligently made, we would look for the Creator's had in every part of creation and every moment of time. There would be a reason for everything and therefore a purpose.

If we are un-intelligently made, there is a chain reaction without a reason to begin. If there was a reason to begin, we would not be un-intelligently made. We can't have a purpose and there can not be right or wrong since there LITERALLY is no reason for us being here.

Clearly you think we are un-intelligently made and have not thought through how intelligent your basic premise actually is.

In the "more often than not" statement, you need to pay attention to those who dispute evolution who are not ignorant to evolutionary beliefs....not fact. I am tired of closed minded and intolerant evolutionist pretending to be enlightened and preaching their beliefs as if they where the only ones able to grasp truth.

OPM forgets that the Creator is not the creation so he falsely assumes his being all-knowing, knows his Creator and why he was made. Of course, if OPM doesn't know why on earth he is here, then he fails the most basic question a person must answer.

Answer 5

people who be live in religion and creationism believe that humans are the smartest on the planet,
they believe that humans are the best and god created them to rule earth,
they don't like to think that they are not the reason why earth exists,
they don't like the idea that there is no reason for them to be here
they like the idea that there is someone looking after them that created a world for them to rule over
they want their children to be taught the same thing
the idea that there is a god was created to explain why things happened
like death, heaven and hell were created to explain what happens to you when you die
they have believed this for so long they won't except the idea that we are not the reason why earth was created
they don't like the idea that they may never know why earth was created, and there might not be a reason
they don't like not knowing
they like the idea of knowing and they have made them selves afraid to except anything else, because if they do they are afraid of what will happen to them in the after life

i don't know all the answers, i know barley any of the answers,
but i say look for the actual evidence and put religion aside unless one finds actual proof to back it up
life is confusing and no one really knows all the answers, although some believe they do

Answer 6

The main problem is that people are taught that their creation myths are 100% factual. We're talking people who are so "into" their faith that they'd take anything and everything their peers tell them on face value alone. You can't even argue with these people without them getting extremely defensive and acting irrationally, let alone educated them on the simple facts of the theory they oppose.

Fortunately, in areas where people receive decent educations and are at least taught the concept of critical thinking this problem is pretty contained.

But yeah, basically it's a public debate, there is no conflict within the scientific community over evolution.

Answer 7

Evolution is not a science. It’s a hypothesis that has never been proved.

Evolution claims, random change & natural selection make simple things spontaneously transform into more complex things without recourse to intelligent design. Chance and random changes simply do not produce higher levels of organization & complexity.

Answer 8

From my stance, if you believe in the evolutionary theory you are completely tossing the religion out the window. In the first chapter of the Bible, it clearly tells you where man and woman come from. God created them after his image. I don't remember the Bible ever mentioning that God once looked like a monkey and evolved into a man figure. Evolutionary theorist believe the modern man evolved from animals, see the problem?

Answer 9

I am Christian, and I believe in Evolution, but I believe God started evolution, and gave it it's spark to start the process of evolution, I love God for he has created everything, and he has inspired many scientist's

Answer 10

Dieheart creationists believe the Earth is 6,000 years old.

Evolution states animals evolve over MILLIONS of years.

They cant support evolution because they believe the time wasnt there.

Ignorant, yes.