What would you say if a religious person told you they didn't "believe" in cavemen? Without being rude?

Question

I just said "Oh" and dropped it. But it bothers me. They are a dear friend but I certainly didn't expect that. What's to "believe"?

Answer 1

The best question you can ask someone who is a strict "Creationist" (Those who believe that the world was created in 4004 BCE), is how come the oldest writing ever found, which was the Egyptian calendar, carved in stone, gives the precise astronomical date of it's creation, which is 4241 BCE?

This implies, that the first verifiable human-made calendar, is actually about 237 years older than the "Creation" of the earth itself (According to the Old Testament's strictest interpretation)...

Answer 2

I would say that I respect your opinion, but there is a lot of evidence to suggest that cavemen did in fact exist.  I would leave it at that if they argued.

Answer 3

I don't pursue those conversations either, unless the person I'm talking to wants to. It used to bother me  too, like you, that some religious people simply won't hear what I have to say. But I have since learned just how important a person's faith is to them. So I don't mess with it. I'm not religious, but if someone else is, and it works for them, then I leave it alone. There's plenty of other people I can talk to about ancient history. Even with a dear friend, there are some things that can't be discussed, in order to remain a dear friend.

Answer 4

Ultimately there is no point to arguing against their faith in the literal truth of the bible.  Don't even attempt it.  But your friend looks pretty darn foolish if she doesn't know the difference between indisputable facts and the points where people who know anything about it may disagree.  The most ardent supporters of the bible in the anti-evolution crusade would cringe with embarrassment if your friend said she didn't believe in "cave men."  Hundreds of Neandertal remains and other humalike species have been found in caves.  Your friend might argue that they weren't millions of years old, (and some creationists won't go that far either) but it's pretty ridiculous to say you don't believe they existed.  Some flks don't believe in dinosaurs, but they are equally as woefully ignorant.  

Case in point:  Creationists used to argue that nothing Darwin had to say had any merit.  Now, only the total hayseeds don't believe in natural selection.  It is easily demonstrable in nature and in the laboratory.  In the State of Kansas, when they tried to write evolution out of the curriculum a few years ago, even THEY included natural selection in their curriculum.  Otherwise it's like trying to argue that gravity doesn't exist.  Drop a rock on your head and see if it doesn't fall.  But the creationists balk at SPECIATION, the changing of one speceies into another as the RESULT of natural selection.

Your friend probably doesn't care about what she doesn't know or whether she comes off as a total ignoramous.  But you can gently say something like "YOU may not believe in cave men, but most biblical creationists who know anything about it DO.

Your poor friend will probably not do very well in college if she's that behind in her knowledge base, and I hope she can have a decent life working at the Mall or whatever, but if you want to be even middle class, you will need to get an education, and that means understanding the world they way intelligent people see it, not someone with the worldview of a medieval peasant.

Answer 5

What? He doesnt believe people lived in caves?

People live in caves to this day.

Its one thing being a believer and its another to be IGNORant.

Answer 6

I would agree with them.

Answer 7

Unfortunately...there's not much to be done...other than to stare at them in utter disbelief...I've run into them myself...these are the people that are so "into" god and the silly story book, that they will tell you with a completely straight face "The fossils are there to test our faith...God is "testing" us and if we believe that giant lizards walked the earth, we are obviously being unfaithful...After all if there were dinosaurs, then obviously, Noah would have mentioned them in the story book, and would have figured a way to put them on the ark.....duh!!!"

So...unless you want to get into a completely ridiculous argument (mainly about how can someone in this day and age be so ignorant...)  Keep in mind these same kooks believe that the earth is a mere 6000 years old...despite all known evidence...and that one day god sneezed and suddenly we were...

Answer 8

You probably said the right thing. Most times it is better to let people wallow in their ignorance,  than to start an argument with an irrational individual.

Answer 9

Unless he or she is your best friend or a friend you enjoy getting in friendly debates with, just respect their belief and drop it.

Answer 10

I like Kevin C's answer, I would probably do the same thing, just let them run with the belief. Look, the fact we have Scientologists running around, it shows you anything is possible! But if she/he is a good friend of yours, you can simply agree to disagree.

Answer 11

Your right, it is not about belief, but evidence. Sorry, I would be rude to such an ignoramus!

Answer 12

Actually, staying in a cave is mentioned in the Bible.  See Genesis 19:30. Lot flees from destruction and his wife looks back then turned to stone.  He goes and lives in a cave afterwards.

Edit: the creationist museum is in Petersburg, Ky.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/na...

I don't understand how they believe in dinosaurs which is knowledge from fossils and many say fossils are false.

Answer 13

I would say that we have proof that cavemen existed.Do you have proof that your god really existed?

Answer 14

i dont believe in cave mans

Answer 15

Smile. Pat them on the back and wish them a nice day.

Then, go find somebody to talk to.

Answer 16

No way to correct a rube without being rude.

Answer 17

I have no doubt that at a certain time and place, many of our human ancestors did live in caves. However, I always thought the term "caveman" denotes an outdated stereotype that perhaps even early humans would have found insulting. I'm sure they didn't all live in caves, and many probably also lived in intelligently-constructed huts and lean-to's, the evidence for which has probably simply rotted away long ago.