Strollerderby

I was raised in an atheist household growing up and I just never understood why people didn't believe in evolution.  It was backed up by scientific and incontrovertible truths.  People were so touchy about it too.  I remember getting pushed backwards over a fence one day when I was five for explaining evolution to a group of 14-year-olds.  When I wouldn't recant  my beliefs and scientific statements, they quite literally shoved me, a little five year old girl who was half the size of them, over a fence.  While I accept that people have the right to believe whatever they want to, I don't believe in that type of persecution in the name of god.  Perhaps Locke puts it better than I: "That any man should think fit to cause another man, whose salvation he heartily desires, to expire in torments, and that even in an unconverted state, would, I confess, seem very strange to me, and, I think, to any other also.  But nobody, surely, will ever believe that such a carriage can proceed from charity, love, or goodwill."

mind-boggling. I had always assumed that it was a vocal minority who rejected natural selection/evolution/Darwinism. But really? more than half?! There's got to be something wrong with the survey, right?

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"A nation of idiots"?  Don't you think that's going a bit overboard, particularly in reference to apparently more than half of our country?  I'm all for you believing what you believe and me believing what I believe, but slinging insults seems a touch immature to me.  Just because someone has a different belief system/way of thinking than yours doesn't make them wrong.  Didn't we all learn that lesson in, oh, I don't know - FIRST GRADE?  Why is it so hard for you to understand and just tolerate the fact that many, many people actually choose to believe in a religious theory?  Even if you don't agree, you should be mature enough to state your disagreement without resorting to name-calling.  Better luck next time.  

Hi apparent idiot. Here's the thing: people who don't accept evolution are wrong. You can chalk it up to "belief systems" if you want, but that doesn't save ideas from testing against the facts of the world. Evolutionary theory withstands those tests very well. There's about 150 years of solid work from thousands of researchers that support it. So, many people chose to believe a religious theory. Okay. They can still be wrong. They've chosen ignorance, and it's not rude to point that out. This is the major problem with most religious critics of evolution: they think their opinions/feelings/intuitions matter in the discussion.

I would be interested to see the actual poll questions.  I think I have a hard time believing that only 42 percent "believe in" (how I hate that phrase in referring to the theory of evolution!) Darwinism.  I'd like to see the percentage of "don't know" answers, or of answers that said they were "somewhat likely" to believe rather than definitely likely, or whatever.

Then again, apparent idiot is one indicator that there really are people out there who can't figure out how to reconcile science and religion (hint: one is FACTS, the other is FAITH).  It boggles my mind.  Religion and science can coexist, if one is willing not to read the various texts literally.  It blows me away that there are (apparently) people who really can't or won't do that.

I find it interesting that the point of my post was totally ignored.  My point was you believe whatever you want, and give me that same courtesy WITHOUT resorting to name-calling and immature whining.  Why do you care if I believe something that's (in your opinion) "wrong"?  Does it affect your life, your family, your health, your income - your anything?  Nope, so why the need to adopt such a condescending tone when trying to make your point?  

Of course, science and religion coexist!  Most Christians, with the exception of the ones who do believe that the Bible is to be taken literally, believe that.  However, I also believe that science is how man figures out what God did when creating the Earth and the people and animals who live here.

With that said, I'm sure you disagree with me (shrugging my shoulders here).  At the end of the day, so what?  Is that going to change my mind?  Will it change yours?  Then why can't we leave it at that without being snarky?  And I'm not sure what brand of manners you've been taught, Bean's Dad, but saying someone is choosing ignorance actually is rude.  And it doesn't have to "blow you away" that there are people who *gasp* think differently from you, Dwtintx.  Live and let live is my point.  

AI: I'm happy enough to let religious people enjoy their myths when they keep it to themselves. When it becomes public policy, like when religious motivations spur conservatives to oppose teaching a well-supported scientific theory in public science classes, then it's time to talk plainly and clearly. Why does a certain brand of magical thinking deserve special protection from criticism?  I feel confident saying that the vast majority of the American public does not understand evolutionary biology, and yet so many are comfortable rejecting it. Why this one branch of science? If you don't want to call it ignorance, how about uninformed and, in many cases, unwilling to learn? You have not criticized the specifics of any part of evolutionary biology, but if you want to, go ahead. And if you have devastating scientific evidence that leads you away from supporting evolution, and I have never heard of it, why, you can call me ignorant of those facts. My feelings won't be hurt.

It's one thing to disagree with someone and think they are wrong.  It's another to call them an idiot.

I would be interested to see the poll questions too and I wonder if those polled were only given two choices.  Most people I know believe in a combination of evolution and creationism.

I studied evolutionary biology in college and almost went to grad school to study it further.  And yes, I am a person of faith.  

apparent idiot, I think I came across more snarkily than I intended.  I also am a person of faith, but I don't have any doubt that the theory of evolution describes a real process (have you ever watched a toddler move?  It is sometimes so monkey-like, it astounds me).  I guess I mean that, when I say I am "blown away"- I really am very surprised that some people do not see those facts.  Note I didn't say that I care, or that those beliefs impact me in any way.  So long as schools are not giving equal time to those kinds of ideas in a science class (go for it in religion, or philosophy, or whatever that isn't science), it doesn't impact me at all.  But it always surprises me.

I'm sorry for my tone.  I came across much more derogatorily than intended.

There's a conspiracy theory behind every corner.  Some people honestly think the government requires vaccines because they want kids to die and other people think AIDS is blown out of proportion so big companies can make money.  I'm not at all surprised that some people think the dinosaur bones in the Smithsonian are fake.

D, thanks for clearing that up.  I was definitely surprised to be met with the responses I was, and am glad to see that your's was only a misunderstanding.  Cyber-dialogue is tough b/c we aren't privy to all the nuances of conversation - facial expression, tone of voice, etc.  This type of open, honest and respectful discussion is fun and enlightening.  It's also critical to understanding and respecting other viewpoints, even if we don't agree.  Thanks!