Atheists: If you were given a dollar ... ?

Question

For everytime you've typed "The theory of evolution does not suggest we evolved from apes" on R&S, what could you afford to buy?

Okay, I'm Still Here. I'll extend this question to anyone who is constantly reminding the misguided of this fact about evolution.

Not that particular sentence. Just that basic idea in general.

Okay. You guys got me ... I basically meant correcting the premise that humans directly descended from any species of ape that currently exist on this planet.

You guys know what I meant ... you just felt like arguing semantics! *lol*

Answer 1

I could probably buy one of those $50 Dior eyeshadows.

Expensive, aren't they?!

Answer 2

But you're actually wrong about that.

We DID evolve from apes - yes, apes. Look at the ape family tree.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Hominidae.PNG

Note that humans split off from Pan only about five million years ago, well after the time that Orangs and Gorillas split off. Since Orangs and Gorillas are fully members of the Hominidae family, that means the common ancestor of Pan and Homo was already a member of the ape family. The last common ancestor of chimps and humans played no role in Orang and Gorilla evolution, so this being HAD to be an ape, necessarily.

It may have been a now _exctinct_ ape we evolved from. But make no mistake - it was an ape.

Answer 3

The theory of evolution doesnt really suggest anything about specific species, its the fossil evidence that does!

And our fossil evidence suggests that apes and humans had a common ancestor that we evolved from, not that humans came from apes.

I saw a guy wearing a tshirt that says "I did not evolve from a monkey!" and then had the standard ape to human evolution animation thing. I really really wanted to tell him that apes arent monkeys, but then I realized that you cant teach stupid people anything.

btw, the theory of evolution and all of the current fossil evidence available doesn't give any clues about whether or not there is a God, so you didn't need to pose this question only to us Atheists! :)

Answer 4

Uh, I'd never say that because clearly we did.

We ARE apes.

I do see a lot of people saying that, though, and it puzzles me.

It makes sense to say we didn't evolve from monkeys (which a lot of people say), and point out that we evolved from earlier apes.

I think a lot of people get this idea confused, and so, when a "believer" says something about our being evolved from apes, they use that line.

But we ARE apes. There's no sensible explication of that category that both includes all other apes, and leaves us out.

Answer 5

Let's see. I think I could offer Alex Rodriguez a contract to play on my softball team. Or a Lambourgini. Or maybe I would just buy Idaho.

I have the feeling I would be set for life. That will come up again, oh, at least one or two times.
(One or two times 3 million!)

Answer 6

I gave up after the first few times. When folks make up their minds based on propaganda and spin, they are not receptive to "The emperor has no clothes" arguments. The truth is that no one claims that humans are descended from apes or monkeys. But admitting that would invalidate some arguments and threaten useful and potent, though erroneous, propaganda.

Answer 7

Erm, I believe the oppropriate quote would be "The theory of evolution does not suggest we evolved from monkeys".

While evolution doesn't say we "evolved from monkeys", as by the scientific definition of apes we are currently apes, evolution DOES suggest we evolved from apes... Your mother was an ape, her mother was an ape, everybody of species homo sapien sapien, all of genus homo, all of family Hominidae, and all of superfamily Hominoidea are apes.

Answer 8

I could probably get a 6 inch sub from subway. I have not studied evolution to the point where I would consider myself knowledgeable enough to try and explain it to someone else. Instead, I let people who are very familiar with it explain its finer points to those who wish, or need, to know.

Answer 9

Since I have never typed that I would be able to buy anything.

The TOH does suggest we evolved from ape like beings. I doesn't not suggest we are evolved from primates that are now living.

Answer 10

All the wool in the world. Then I could sit and knit happily without a care in the world.

I would have more yarn if I had a dollar for every time I typed "humans ARE apes."

Answer 11

Atheists aren't the only ones on R & S smart enough to know that the theory of evolution doesn't say that we came from apes. ; )