How much have you read on creationism and evolution?

Question

Are your opinions based on instinct and beliefs as handed down by family or peers or did you actually study something? Generally people on this website come across as strongly opinionated. I would love to know where these opinions come from. Have you read the ENTIRE Bible/Koran/Torah? Have you conducted extensive study in the field of evolution?
Thank you.

Answer 1

I have read the entire Bible several times and have also read other text including but not limited to,Books published about the Dead Sea Scrolls, Evolution Theory books, Science manual, and have attended various debates on Creationism vs. Evolution. I have even attended discussions on how creationism is now beginning to be proven by science!

Answer 2

I've read the bible several times through and done specific in-depth studies of some books (like Job, Genesis, and Revelations, among others). I've covered the Apocrypha and looked at a few various translations. I've read the Torah as it is translated into the Christian 'Old Testiment' and bits and pieces of the Kabala. I've read a bit of the Book of Mormon, the Koran, some Buddhist philosophy, and am currently reading the Bhagavad-Gita. Some of my favorite literature is the 'Divine Comedy', Dante and 'Paradise Lost,' Milton. Most of my family and my wife's family are raving fundamentalist Christians. I have a B.S. in Biology with several hours Post Grad work. I have spent six years at an average of two hours a day studying the Creation-Evolution controversy. I followed that by writing over 700 pages on the subject. I've read most of the pop-sci books by Sagan and Gould and have covered several grad level Evolution/Biology Texts as well. On occasion I have had the opportunity to consult with noted working scientists such as Jane Goodall and Robert Hazen; 'Genesis: The Scientific Quest for Life's Origins.' Conclusion: Creationism/Intelligent Design are not science and most of religion is mythological mumbo jumbo. I plan to remove my 40 year church member ship in the near future.

Answer 3

I've probably read more than most people, because my mother was a Methodist Sunday school teacher, and I've had close friends who were knowledgeable about biology. An old boyfriend was a taxonomist, which means he was necessarily knowledgeable about evolution. I have also read the "head-to-head" sort of arguments here and elsewhere on the Web.

My own take is that fundamentalists are doing a major disservice to their children in creating the "creation science" myth. Because it clearly is NOT science. I have studied the web site of the Creation Museum, and I simply cannot understand how anyone could take it seriously.

I've provided a few links below.

Answer 4

I studied things here and there.

My conclusions come mostly from life's experiences.

It seems far more likely and normal that the Big Bang came much in the same manner as Oppenheimer's first atomic bomb tests.

A random universe that contracts, explodes and expands and then does it all again automatically is not very rational.

The US Patent office will not consider patents for "perpetual motion devices."

This does not mean the randomist approach isn't possible, it certanly can be given what we know about fusion and mass of the universe.

We are still left with questions like where did the mass come from, how are the rules of gravity and magnetism and electricity natural without cause and effect or design.

Of course on the other side we must ask where did the creator come from.

There are aspects to our nature that remain unexplained. How an "idiot savant" who can't dress themselves and never went to school adds columns of numbers prefectly. How Mozart was able to play perfect piano at age 4 with no lessons.

Answer 5

Read:
New Testament
King James Bible
Gideons' Bible (readers digest of bibles!!!!)
The Koran
The Tibetan Book of the Dead (it's been a while might be wrong title)
Looking for the Old Testament, as an important historical text of how people lived and thought at the time, it's invaluable. Stephen King has nothing on it.

also read
Dawkins Delusion
The God Delusion by Dawkins
Unintelligent Design (great book)
Open letter to the Christian Nation -- and it's various debunkers.
trying to read Darwin's work but not so interesting for me, I prefer the historical view point.
Whose Bible is it Anyway?
Atheist's Manifest
Jesus the Man by Barbara Theile(sp?)
many many many books on Jesus and early Christianity
Dead Sea Scrolls (many books on that as well, fascinating subject but that took me of on a tangent on Jesuit priests
Rescuing Jesus (or was that the Bible) from unbelievers.

Also read a fair few scientific books on the origin of the universe, string theory (man that was hard to wrap my head around)


hmm, I didn't realise my book shelf was so big....L space at work!

Answer 6

I was a science major until I changed, after finishing most of my science classes, to law. So I am pretty well read on the theory of evolution.

I have also read up on a numerous differing opinions on the concept of creation but there really isnt as much to read up on when it comes to creation. The concept is pretty vague in the bible.

Answer 7

I've read the entire Bible and an even greater volume of scientific research, experimental data, etc. My opinions come from understanding. I accept the theory of evolution.

Answer 8

Several years ago, I investigated the "controversy" as part of an essay assignment for an English class I took. I was curious why the Kansas Board of Ed wanted creationism taught, and why it wasn't being taught, if it was indeed a valid theory that explained our origins.
Holy crap, did I learn something!
I checked out both sides of the argument thoroughly, and realized there wasn't a shred of reliable evidence to support creationism. It is total nonsense.
That was the beginning of the end of my religious experience.

I'm a total atheist today.

Answer 9

As far as i know there isn't anything on creationism, cause it isn't even a theory(no test model). Most Id propaganda is the same old argument, too complex blah blah don't know how it works blah blah goddidit.

About evolution i actually read my highschool books of biology, i took two semesters of biology in college, have actually read the origin of species(more boring than expected i preferred my text books), and have several volumes of evolutionary theory among my books.

Answer 10

Entire Bible several times in my life. I have a personal library on Atheism, naturalism, and evolution, that I use constantly for reference. I try to steer clear of naturalists that are out to merely disprove God, and stick to those that admit that they are offering their best guess based on the facts that we can observe and abstaining from any presumptions that cannot be proved (for example, God).

It was actually these books on naturalist theory that convinced me that God exists. Most creation science texts tick me off, to be honest... too pretentious, and again more interested in discrediting naturalism than showing evidence for their own case.