Evolution gives no hope? Christians?

Question

Today I read a Christian on R&S state he didn;t like evolution because it 'gives no hope' and that it is 'just a theory' (sic).

I wonder, do any other Christians here discount scientific theory (such as gravity) because they feel that science doesn't have enough 'hope'?

Do you think evolutionary science (such as the development of vaccines) gives no hope? or should these scientists cease their vanity and pray instead?

Charles, I asked if you thought evolutionary science (as in vaccines etc) gives no hope, or should we pray instead? You just preaching dude...

Does the theory of gravity not have enough 'hope' in it either?

Answer 1

Evolution definitely gives hope, more than the dogma of many Christians. If nothing was known of or learned from evolution this is one Christian, who if not dead, would be in pretty poor shape since I depend on insulin produced from recombinant DNA throughout the day. Before that was available I depended on basic genetic similarity between humans and cows and pigs. God is indeed marvellous in revealing to us the complexities of evolutionary science, genius which takes us far beyond the limits of biblical understanding. In that rather than dead letter of scripture there is hope.

[DR THEO I don't know where your "Dr." Comes from, but it's certainly neither any reputable school which teaches Biblical hermeneutics or science. Your "Watchmaker" falls far short of the God found in the Bible, and is equally poor at showing understanding cellular complexity and genetic inter-relationships. Your tertiary resource on Darwin is nothing but a polemic hoax. Did you do your undergraduate studies from the National Enquirer? Have you ever heard of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle? Nearly everything in the known universe deviates from the "laws" we hold governing it, man, scripture, and the limits of our frail knowledge are anything but absolute. For an exact pattern evolution has led to innumerable dead ends. What does that say of intelligent design? It's all a process of learning ever changing patterns. Even the Bible evolved. Dum spiro, Spero. With Life God gives hope, but it's a messy business. Science doesn't work on faith, but on demonstrable results. It doesn't worry about beginnings, but develops things for tomorrow. I would call that "Hope". It's not theory, it's practice.]

[Charles, Darwin's work was with living specimens of finches and iguanas in the Galapagos Islands. He had set out to DISPROVE evolution. His doctorate was in theology. It was the evidence which compelled him, not any disbelief. We see evolution at work constantly. It is not, and never was dependent on any fossil record, although those show interesting and consistent developments. The human genome study is a work in progress with definite results. One doesn't have to say one is false, the other true unless one is entirely incapable of examining both texts and research results critically and systematically. You're not even comparing apples and oranges, but mock-ups of fruits.]

[I am old enough to remember whole hospitals with children in iron lungs. My wife and I were among the first to receive Dr. Salk's vaccine in 1953. She received hers from Jonas himself because her father was one of his research assistants. I was in an orphanage at the time, part of a test population. We were both fortunate, We have friends who weren't. If vaccines don't work, what happened to small pox? My mother had scars from the disease she contracted as a child. No one I knew came down with it. I have the characteristic vaccination scar on my upper left arm. It was still a passport requirement in the sixties.]

[Polio is still around, and there are periodic outbreaks due to the stupid irresponsibility of people who refuse vaccination. Small pox is still around, although rare, due to the malicious intentions of governments like ours who have not only maintained but developed super strains in their stocks for use in biological warfare. Fortunately to date these stocks have been maintained under the strictest security and isolation. The ethical thing would be to destroy them.]

Answer 2

Hope is an attribution, not a fact. (Some people's hopes are other people's fears, so there's no real or absolute "hope", just as there's no absolute "good" or "evil"). Therefore it's not science's business to provide hope. It should, surely, be religion's business to provide hope - this idea of a positive future.

Nevertheless, surely evolution can be said to carry some hope with it - the changing of things to meet environmental or developmental challenges must surely be a hopeful thing if you happen to be a member of an evolving species, as we are. Also of course as you and other rightly point out, evolutionary science has saved an identifiable, quantifiable number of lives. Whereas hope manifested through prayer...well, it may have saved lives too, but it's a very sketchy area exactly how many people beat disease by harnessing prayer energy. So I think science wins in the hope stakes.

Answer 3

I understand what you're saying but wouldn't call them dumb. I think i might respect the fundie almost more. They have conviction and if it says a great fish swallowed him up for three days then gollyshucks it is literally true. Seeing science fill the gaps, those that accept it and then make up new justifications to fit actually seem smarter but they don't sound convicted to the infallible god inspired word. I think it is just the evolution of the religion and the watering down that is taking effect. Eventually it wont make any sense and will go away with other myths. ...except for the fundies. Then they will stick out to everyone and be seen as the cult they started out as

Answer 4

In my Opinion, Science in General Offers a Hell of a lot More Real Hope for the Future, than Anyone's Belief In Magic does, or Ever Will.

BTW, Vaccination Works, Period.


Ditto, Fr. Al.

Answer 5

The Theory of Relativity seems a bit hopeless lately. No matter how knowledgeable and intelligent we are the creationists still seem rather ignorant. The relativity isn't nearly the same unfortunately. Maybe it's working for them tho... being around us makes them FEEL more knowledgeable and intelligent.

Answer 6

It is not the business of science to give "hope". Just answers.

Unlike the severe mischaracterization by the first poster, science is not out to "disprove" any god. Gods are by definition supernatural and hence outside the realm of science.

What science has done is demonstrate that a Biblically literal version of human history is not the reality. This has nothing to do with the existence of a deity at all. It only demonstrates that the stories of the Biblke are not literal history...a notion that non-Creationist Christians have no problem with.

You want hope? Work. Ask questions. Most important of all: LEARN. Not memorize Creationist talking points...actually LEARN about the world instead of relying on a bunch of Bronze Age fairy tales.

Answer 7

My elderly father could tell you stories of a time when newspapers kept track of polio* statistics on their front pages, rather like baseball stats:

- number of children dead
- number of children crippled
- number of children placed in iron lungs*
- number of new cases

A scientist named Jonas Salk provided more than hope.

Then again, I've noticed that when believers sigh about hope, they're don't mean hope for a better or longer or healthier life for themselves or their posterity. No, they're hoping for Paradise -- a place which sounds like a perfect hell for real human beings. So they're absolutely right to whine that science gives no hope of that kind, because it doesn't.

Answer 8

Well, evolution isn't supposed to provide hope. Its supposed to provide answers to how the human race came into being.

Technically, the concept of creation doesn't offer much hope ALONE. Being made out of clay doesn't provide any more hope than evolving does.

Its religion in entirety that is supposed to offer us hope and peace, not just the part about our origins.

Answer 9

What does what happened 2 billion years ago have to do with hope?

Why does evolution threaten God? It makes no sense.

LaCK of education and/or willful ignorance.

Genesis disproves Genesis. Cain found a wife in nod.

Answer 10

Ow, did you have to bring up gravity... I feel so down now.. gravity never lets up, and there's no hope because it always brings you down...

So sad... I hope with enough praying it goes away....