I want to be a biological antropologist one day, but will my beliefs get in the way?

Question

I don't believe in evolution, but I don't hold anything against you if you do. I would love to study biological antropology one day, but alot of topics in this feild seem to be about evolution. Would biological anthropology not be a good thing to get into because I don't believe in evolution?

Answer 1

In my experience, people who tell me that they don't "believe" in evolution, most of the time haven't had the opportunity to study it significantly.  So if you have an interest in bio-anthro, I would suggest you give evolution a chance.  The truth is that many people find evolution to be compatible with their religious beliefs.  You may find the same once you've had a chance to get into the subject a bit.

I'm listing a book below that you might consider reading.  Joan Roughgarden is an evolutionary biologist and a devout Christian, so her approach might help you with your current questions.

Good luck!  Physical/Biological anthro is really fascinating.  Don't let anything hold you back from exploring things that  you think are interesting in life.

Answer 2

From the day you were ovulated you began to evolve.  You are evolving at this very moment.  By not "believing" in your own real activity is, perhaps, a bit stifling in that you deny yourself and keep yourself in the dark.  God may have put us here.  If so he had our evolution in mind.  To say that he was ignorant of the conditions here and was not aware of the evolving reality of material phenomenon is to say that you don't have much belief in Him either.  So evolve with the help of some anthropology and perhaps it will clear a few things up for you.

Answer 3

Funny thing is I believe in evolution, but there is definatly a counter argument that has some basis of truth to it that the "scientists" never acknowledge. My HS chemistry teacher said that science improved his faith, because the more he learned, the more he thought there was a higher power. I think it would be a great field for you to go into, as long as you have an open mind.

You might want to keep your beliefs to yourself for a while though, lest you become an outcast.

Answer 4

I'm beginning to get a little tired of answering questions like this one. Religious people need to realize that there is NO CONFLICT between science and belief in a supreme being. The existence or absence of a god is not a question that science can even address, let alone answer. There IS  a conflict between evolutionary theory and a LITERAL interpretation of the book of Genesis, but if you are willing to interpret that book as allegory rather than as history, you should have no problem with your chosen profession. Let me add that there are many, many believers working in the biological sciences who have no problem reconciling the two, as well as many, many clergy men who accept the overwhelming evidence for evolution, including the pope.

Here's a link for you to investigate for yourself:

http://www.butler.edu/clergyproject/reli...

and another:

http://www.talkorigins.org

Answer 5

That would be a horrible thing to get into unless you are open to the idea of evolution.  If you are really dead-set against evolution, then any scientific field is probably wrong for you as it sounds like the scientifc method doesn't hold much sway for you.

Perhaps you could do a technical job in the sciences and not a theoretical one?

Answer 6

Do you believe that we develop gills and rudimentary tails during the gestation process?  Do you believe in fossils?  Evolution is a fact.  The way in which evolution occurs may still be in question - but evolution itself is for sure.  Does everyone in the world look exactly the same?  The average height of man has changed dramatically even in the last 100 years.  

So if you are afraid of the truth - no.  Don't become a Biological anthropologist.  And if you don't believe man will ever be able to fly - don't become a pilot.

Answer 7

Biological anthropology is heavily steeped in evolution and seeing the connections from the past to the present.  You can choose not to believe in evolution, but if you choose to study this field, you will have to face facts that you are currently ignoring...and you will be forced to choose to accept the evidence or go against the very science you study.

Answer 8

Perhaps the education would be good for you, since your beliefs have no basis in fact; however, if you feel your beliefs are too weak to withstand knowledge; then I would avoid that field.  One wonders why you would even feel drawn to it.

Answer 9

I wonder how intellectually honest it would be.  Evolution is the defining idea in biology.  There is no doubt to scientists that it exists; all debate is just on the process by which it works.  No matter what your personal beliefs are, you will have to, at work, act as if you accept that.  At school, you will have to write papers that may critique aspects of evolutionary theory, but will have as their underlying basis the acceptance of the existence of evolution itself.

And even if you find a field that doesn't deal directly in evolutionary theory, you may still have to perform duties that imply your acceptance of evolution.  For instance, I'm an archaeologist.  In my day-to-day work, it doesn't really matter about evolution; I'm still digging up people stuff.  However, we use carbon-14 dating and we use geology to determine where sites might be.  I personally can't see how I can use those things for my work while denying what they say about the age of the Earth or the proof they give about evolution.

It's a moral question you're going to have to figure out for yourself.  In your personal life, it doesn't matter whether or not you accept that evolution exists.  In this particular field, you can't deny it.  It would be like a physicist denying gravity, or a physician denying the existence of bacteria.  If you can handle that kind of duplicity, then go for it, although I would personally question that choice.  Maybe you should try taking some basic biology courses that focus on evolutionary theory, just to see how you can deal with it.

Answer 10

Well like someone said, it would be a good class to take, since your beliefs have no scientific evidence or fact at all too them. You need the alternative view. Open your mind, dont say No, this didnt happen just because of the way I was raised. Look at all the facts before you make a conclusion. There is only evidence for evolution and not intelligent design. So, go in there, study, and open your mind.

Answer 11

Hey mate, it's very obviouse that your beliefs will get in the way of your studies, there is nothing wrong with religion (I am assuming that's what it is), it can be a good thing. For some reasons it may not be a good idea to study biological anthropology because it will conflict with your beliefs in the way the world came about. On the other hand it's great to learn new things and be educated. Anthropology is a very interesting subject, but you may find your self changing your beliefs... do your family very strong feelings about yours and their religion? This could be something very important to speak to them about.

Answer 12

You better be prepared to have your beliefs shattered because there is a mountain of evidence that will convince you that your current belief is ignorant.  Take my word for it. It is true.  If I weren't so devoted to the truth, I wouldn't state this to you so bluntly.  I am still a deeply religious person but my belief in God is based on personal experience and not erroneous teaching.  You may not want to have your faith tested in this manner.

Evolution is the life's blood of anthropology.  You will find that contrary to propaganda, it is a fact as much as the world is not flat.  You can try to pretend that humans are separate, for no scientific reason whatsoever. You would still have to conclude that we are physically related to all other life on this Earth.  There may be a soul and it may meet God one day but it doesn't discount the fact that all life evolved from bacteria to upright walking apes to man.

Answer 13

Only if you let them.  I'm a biologist/physical anthropologist and I'm also a faithful Catholic but I have no problem with the two.  I do believe in evolution, it is a scientific fact and therefore true in my mind.  Evolution is defined as the change in allele frequencies in a given population of a species over time.  That can't be denied, there is irrefutable evidence of change in populations.  For example, look at height of humans.  Our average height in certain populations has gotten significantly taller over time, that's technically evolution.  

I would recommend that you stay with biological anthropology, it's an awesome and very interesting field to be in.  Just don't go into researching ancient hominids or anything like that, stick with modern humans and osteology.

Answer 14

My suggestion to you would be for you to take a class in this subject or check out some library books to see if you really would like to become a biological anthropologist. If what you hear directly disagrees with your faith, it would probably be better for you to choose a different career than for you to turn your back on what you believe in for 'science'. If, however, you find that you can be a biological anthropologist without challenging your faith, go for it!

Answer 15

yes

Answer 16

better yet, be very,very good in your field and CHALLENGE  the theory of evolution. wa-hey, what could be better?!

all the best to you.

Answer 17

During your studies you will have to study evolution, if that bothers you than it probably isn't the field for you.  But, if you don't mind learning about it even if you disagree, there are many other areas of biological anthropology that have nothing to do with evolution.

Answer 18

You can't very well practice in a scientific field these days if you don't accept the scientific method of inquiry. If you did you wouldn't be asking this question.

Learning how to spell would be a good skill to acquire as well.