Is evolution really something to "believe in"...?

Question

Or is a better question: do you UNDERSTAND evolution?

On the micro level it is no less than fact. With a little understanding in Mendelian genetics and some logic anyone can understand the basic mechanisms of evolution - mutations occur (fact), and make up the diversity in an organism Natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow are not hard to comprehend.

When two or more groups are isolated from each other (most likely for geographical reasons), the small differences will accumulate and eventually speciation will occur. You do not need a PhD to understand this.

Some people say evolution is only a theory, and that it has no evidence. Well... theories need a mass of evidence, and evolution provides that. Whoever told them otherwise was flatout lying, or ignorant.

So, I propose that if you do not "believe in" evolution, that you either say

1. "I do not understand evolution"

or

2. "I do not want to believe in evolution"

What are your thoughts?

Answer 1

I don't believe in evolution as the scientists say it happened. i know that God created the heavens and the earth as recorded in Genisis 1:1 in the Bible. so since i believe that God created everything, i also believe that God created all of the animal in their true form and then created man and woman (in that order). i do believe, however, that animals have had to adapt to their evironments in order to survive, just like we have to adapt to our environments in order to survive.

Answer 2

I think there's still an awful lot of holes in the evolution theory. Granted, I lean more towards it than a religious stand point, but I think it's dumb to be either fully on one side of the argument, or the other. Nothing is ever black & white...there's always shades of grey. I think there's room for both sides to accept. Why couldn't one say that evolution got it's kick start from a spiritual intervention?

To paraphrase what Newton once said, You can not believe in science without believing in a divine presence. You can't have Science without God. And it's funny to me, because I truly do not believe in a god or any type of religious doctrine, but the more science I learn, the more I tend to see how perfect and amazing the universe is...not to have had some awesome divinity's foresight behind it. Or maybe it's just too d**n complex for my tiny human brain to handle, due to a lack of evolution.

Answer 3

Interspecies evolution is a theory.

Adaptive evolution is pretty much proven.

It's funny that you think you're all-knowing if you don't believe in God.

Concept of God=all-knowing, and in your mind--> You=all-knowing... therefore,  You=God(in your mind).

hmmm? haha.

And that's a fact, in my opinion.

Answer 4

Your underlying assumption here is that the processes of evolution are logically irrefutable.

This is the point on which many people disagree. Lots of people get evolution, they just don't buy into it. Just like I understand that Leprechauns are supposed to be at the ends of rainbows with pots of gold, but don't expect them to actually be there.

These people aren't saying, "I don't believe your logical, well supported theory. I'm going to plug my ears! La la la la!"

They are saying, "There are flaws in the logic of your theory," or, "Your processes are valid but you take them too far," or, "You lack evidence for your theory," or, "This other theory better explains biological diversity and the history of life on Earth." Not that I agree or disagree with them, but I'm aware of quite a few intelligent, reasoning people who don't accept Evolution as a valid theory on what they see as logical grounds. Belief doesn't come into play as much as you'd think.

But then there are people who just don't get it, or don't want to get it. There are lots of those people, too.

Answer 5

You only "scratched" the surface with your 2 answers.  I've asked more questions than that while I was taking a whiz. There's always the people that believe in the immaculate conception and people just appeared on earth no matter how much proof you offer to the contrary. Keep trying though.

Answer 6

read the bible............

Answer 7

(Maybe not, but) I think we might have the same beliefs.

I took Anthropology in college and was astounded because people who were Christian would refuse to take it.  Personally, I believe in God and Evolution.  You cannot deny the existence of Evolution.  The belief in God is a personal belief.

Answer 8

Well, I wouldn't call it EASY to understand; I find it quite the brain-breaker and I'm pretty friggin' smart (if I do say so myself, and I believe I just did) -- and I've accepted it as long as I can remember, though much of that time without understanding it well.

The times involved are beyond what we naturally can cope with.

And it's complex and subtle.

I've read a fair amount, and thought (and written on here), and there's a lot I still don't get.

But all that aside, which is a quibble in your overall point, or question.

I find myself avoiding talking about "belief in" evolution, and say "accept" evolution.

I mean you can accept the truth, or not accept it.

I shy away from the word 'believe' because that sounds arbitrary to me.

"I believe in this god, or those gods" or whatever makes sense to me, as it's mere belief.

It seems wrong to put science on that level.

I don't believe in evolution because I WANT to (though I LIKE it in the sense of finding it really interesting and cool), but because all the best reason and evidence points to its truth.

So, yes, I, too, reject the idea of saying I BELIEVE IN evolution.

Though those who don't, well, it may be so, but they just don't believe it.

So I would use the word for the converse situation.

Believers in the literal truth of the Bible as science don't believe evolution (though, notice, I don't say "believe IN").

Maybe it's that they believe in god in a way that's beyond thinking the empirical claim is true; they also believe in god the way you believed in your parents when you were little -- put faith and trust in; expect things of, etc.

If someone says they believe in you, they aren't talking about accepting the fact of your existence.

So the 'belief' lingo, when it pertains to religion, brings that sense with it, too.

WHEW! Much more than I had to say when I click Answer This Question, but that's what makes this site so fun!

Hope you don't mind my rambly thinking "aloud" as it were.

BTW, going back to my first point, about understanding it, I found my way in, really, was looking at it backwards.

Everything alive now descended from successful procreators.

Cause if they hadn't successfully reproduced, well, they wouldn't have successfully reproduced.

The ones who did it died without leaving puppies, so to speak.

To me, that's really the heart of it.

The mechanisms are important, but that basic logic is the core.

Answer 9

Belief and science have no symbiotic relationship. Having said that I find that faith does have a place in science. I have faith, for example, that the math of relativity bears out the assumption of Einstein. I have faith that light does travel at about 300,000 Ks a second. I have to accept this on faith because I can’t do the math. My standard for having faith in something I can’t prove requires that many other that can do the math have agreed with the assumptions and therefore empirical evidence exists.

It matters not whether someone “believes” that evolution is sound theory. When people use terms like believe and evolution in the same sentence, they probably have no idea what a theory is.

I liked the answer by “khard”.

It explained in soft terms that whether we accept evolution or not does not alter the validity of sound theory or fact, in this case.

Christians don’t generally like the theory and fundies hate it. They both would like to find something, anything, in the bible that can be supported in logic. Evolution really pings the creation story and they fear it with good reason.

I also liked tehabwa’s answer. Both were spot on in my view.

Jim D

Answer 10

evolution. The "perfect" answer to everything in the world. It explains everything quite clearly.

I believe the one, undeniable way to prove or disprove it is to live long enough to see the changes before your very eyes.

Evidence can be deceiving. The knife can fall into an unsuspecting hand. Only a unbiased, unscrutinizing security camera can ever put a murder case to bed. Even if the jury has decided.

I don't know if i answered your question, but I'm happy to offer anything  to forward this enlightening conversation.

Now that i think about it, the same COULD be said about religion... but that's another question altogether.

Answer 11

Is gravity?