Question about Evolution

For you to debate.

Does it matter? Does it really matter in most of our daily lives whether or not we humans were created by God or evolved from monkeys.

Does it change who you are? Does it change how you live? Does it affect whether or not you can get a job or be educated?

Alot of people get hung up about it, because it's not good science, not provable (Edit: Took out personal bias, want to stick to the discussion), but at the end of the day... does it really matter whether or not you believe in evolution or not?

hey! I'm part gypsie and I don't appreciate you dissing my heritage!! ;)

Original Post by kathygator:

hey! I'm part gypsie and I don't appreciate you dissing my heritage!! ;)

 *Chasing Kathy*

Don't fear me gypsie, I just want your tears!

/sigh

nobody gets the reference do they?

"Who says you can't have both? I believe humans are both rational and emotionally based in their thinking. So while we need science and our rational mind provides it with all it's wonders, the spiritual also fullfills needs on the emotional level. As for evolution, I believe in it, but I don't think that means there are no Dieties."

+1 !!!

The two are not necessarily mutually exclusive (depending on how literal your religious point of view is).  I'm not religious at all but I went to a catholic high school and they taught us how evolution could possibly go side by side with the bible (the handout had a timeline and everything).

And evolution is NOT humans coming from monkeys.  The theory of evolution suggests that we share mutual ancestors.  If you have a problem with that then that's fine, you have every right to believe anything you wish, but please refrain from suggesting that humans evolved from monkeys.  Different branches of the tree.

I think a large part of the clashing is due to people not fully understanding what the theory evolution postulates and not understanding the scientific method and community.  But that's just my 2 cents.

@24

I'm pretty sure HK evolved from a monkey, just sayin'

Just some background info on me: I was raised in the catholic church and was deeply religious until about 3 years ago when I became an atheist.

 

It doesn't really affect peoples daily lives,  it does kind of in a way define a part of you. If you believe in creationism  you're a religius person.

It shouldn't affect whether you get a job but in some cases (unfortunately) it does. For an example an atheist running for any government position. No way would the atheist win (atheists are the least trusted group).

It affects your education nowadays because people are fighting to add the creationists argument to science classes. I am against this because I don't believe a science classroom is an appropiate place to teach religion. Also there should always be a seperation of church and state.

 

Just my .02

 

 

You know.. I was thinking about this on the way home... teaching evolution..

OK, so I take it back, it's relevant to the conversation.

Should evolution be taught in school? Yes, I think it should. It's a scientific theory. I think, to be fair, we should acknowledge that it is a THEORY, not a law, and that there's still work to be done, but that, as a theory, it's stood the test of time and has yet to be disproved (cause, scientifically, you don't prove anything, you just disprove theories.)

As far as Creationism... I think it could be taught, but in a religion class. Not a science class. There's no scientific proof that creationism is true. There can't be, since we can't prove God, forget whether or not God did or did not create us. I think Science class should teach science.
Should religion be taught in public schools? Well... that's a trickier question. As someone who believes that the founding fathers believed in separation of Church and State, and since public school is state-based education, it seems the answer should be no. However, in a faith-based school or home-school situation, why not?

So... those are my thoughts, and I apologize for trying to squash discussion.

Original Post by ignayshus:

@24

I'm pretty sure HK evolved from a monkey, just sayin'

Actually, I was evolved from a superintelligent shade of blue.

indubitably

Should religion be taught in public schools? Well... that's a trickier question. As someone who believes that the founding fathers believed in separation of Church and State, and since public school is state-based education, it seems the answer should be no. However, in a faith-based school or home-school situation, why not?

I have absolutely no problem with a faith-based school teaching religion. I do not want to see religious schools get public funding at all. Period.

Home-schoolers? A little different. If the state where the home-schoolers live are required to learn about evolution and it is on the standard science portion of the test, then yes, they should be taught evolution. They can also be taught the religion of their parents, it just won't get them very far in later academia unless they go to seminary school.

I also have no problem with public colleges refusing to give credit to home-schoolers for their religion classes.

The reason Evolution is important is because it provides a map for biological development. Because of evolution we can study the neurobiology of advanced organisms to give us a glimpse into how our social patterns and biological necessities developed. We can determine things like how emotions developed, concious thought and advanced intelligence. Studying evolution is a deeper study to inside of us, where we came from and why we think the way we do. This is a key part of developing advanced sciences that may help cure all kinds of genetic diseases because it sheds light on our genetic code, and evolution is a huge part of the human genome project. So yes, it does matter and it makes a world of difference and is probably connected to many things we take for granted today.

I was thinking along the same lines. How could someone not study evolution and understand it and then go into any medical field? Or really any other scientific field? If someone decides to negate the science of evolution just because it conflicts with the biblical teachings of creation, then what other scientific facts are they going to dismiss?

evolution is so interwoven with all forms of knowledge now, it's impossible to have a complete understanding of virtually any science (soft or hard) or the humanities without a basic understanding of evolution.  the idea (post #10) that you can remove your children from the evolution portion of the curriculum is analagous to removing your kid from the reading portion and expecting them to do well in social studies, math, and science.

How can you teach one and not teach the other because neither can be without question.

I was taught that we evolved but there were those in class who via religious beliefs believed that we were created but we weren't taught that that was even a possibility. Which meant that the time spent in class for those who believed in creation was totally wasted.

I think that unless you specifically want to go into the scientific fields then it's all pointless as I said before who cares how we got here, I don't for one.

ceilingcat fins yer lack uv faith disturbin

If I may interject with a big ol' pet peeve of mine... the stress of the word theory in relation to evolution is based on a misunderstanding of the scientific definition of the word.  It doesn't mean that evolution is just an idea, that is a scientific hypothesis, which is the first step in the scientific method. A theory is at the end of the method.   I'm stealing this from Wikipedia, but I would like to quote:

According to the United States National Academy of Sciences,

Some scientific explanations are so well established that no new evidence is likely to alter them. The explanation becomes a scientific theory. In everyday language a theory means a hunch or speculation. Not so in science. In science, the word theory refers to a comprehensive explanation of an important feature of nature that is supported by many facts gathered over time. Theories also allow scientists to make predictions about as yet unobserved phenomena.[1]

The rest of the entry can be found here.

Original Post by artytim:

It depends if you want to be told how to run your life based on a bunch of myths and legends - common to every world religion, by the way, or if you want to have confidence in the accumulated knowledge and understanding of humanity. I can tell you from my experience, when you are lying on the operating table, having key hole surgery to save your life you will be glad of knowledge and understanding of science, rather than magic talismans and chants, however well intentioned.

This sums it up very nicely I think. Good work artytim.

To several posters in general -- I'd also like to point out that the theory of evolution doesn't require belief.

To the opening post-- I wish it didn't matter. I wish if I so desired I could run for office as an atheist and a humanist and didn't need to profess in something that doesn't make any sense to me. I wish people wouldn't assume I was without morals because I don't derive them from a fear of some supernatural being sending me to the wrong place. I wish I didn't constantly get people knocking on my door, denying my children membership in the Boyscouts, being treated differently at work, etc... all because I don't subscribe to the popular and traditional mythology in my particular community.  I wish I didn't need to worry about laws being changed to favor a religious belief, my tax dollars supporting religion, and science courses (which do not require belief) being removed or sharply curtailed in my public school system. These things affect my daily life. So, yes it does matter.

 

 

 

In all honesty, it doesn't matter one iota to me whether people choose to believe in evolution or whether people choose to be wrong.

 

Split

Oh Split, that was funny.

Agreed that not teaching evolution cripples the career trajectory of any kids that want to go into health or biological sciences. Haven't we crippled our kids chances enough, with our crappy educational system? Must we deliberately leave out core tenets of science to satisfy a religious group?  And HEY! PEOPLE! We're not all Christian!  Keep your beliefs the heck away from me and my theoretical offspring. When/if I want them to know about religion, I'll sign them up for a comparitive theology class.