Believe in evolution?

[taily]

Well?

go go go!

Ps. Debate is ok (I think), but don't let it get too religous or flamey 'cause I think that's when these things get locked.

[Meggles]

What am I supposed to believe in? The whole "The G-Man created Earth in 6 days then watched football on Sunday"? That sounds likely.

[Holy Knight]

I don't need to believe in something that's hard fact. Evolution is a property of this world.

Also, this topic might verge into religious debate, so the mods might not allow it.

[taily]

Well Meggles that's fine but stay on AN this time instead of running off again for a third time :P

[goddessofanime]

Welcome back Meggles.

as for topic: I believe in science. Take that as you will...

[Gray]

I don't need to believe in something that's hard fact. Evolution is a property of this world.

Also, this topic might verge into religious debate, so the mods might not allow it.

Well since the theory of Evolution flat out contradicts certain religions I think thats kind of an obiouvs road we're heading down.

[Delta-Pheonix]

What am I supposed to believe in? The whole "The G-Man created Earth in 6 days then watched football on Sunday"? That sounds likely.

You know too much Mr. Freeman

[The Million Dollar Prons]

Hell no I don't believe in it.


I can't even swim, how the hell can you tell me I came from the damn ocen

[Meggles]

Well since the theory of Evolution flat out contradicts certain religions I think thats kind of an obiouvs road we're heading down.

Yup. Now that I've said what I wanted to say I'll sit back and wait while two people get into an argument about this and debate for a page or two before the thread is locked. :P

[Leader Desslock]

I don't need to believe in something that's hard fact. Evolution is a property of this world.
Ditto.

As I recall, even the Roman Catholic Church has endorsed the theory of evolution. So there's really no "either/or" to be debated here. The theory of evolution is not incompatible with most major theologies.

[taily]

Hell no I don't believe in it.


I can't even swim, how the hell can you tell me I came from the damn ocen

ahaha

*Picks up Bible and a Mace* Have at you Darwin!

At least my signigture isn't >6 lines of standard text :P.

[Sendo Takeshi]

I believe this opened thread will evolve into a locked one.

[Hara!]

Damn. I should have voted no.

[Scandiadream]

If everybody is civil, I do not see why this thread should be locked.

Anyhow, I voted for the "yes- with a religious standpoint" option. I am a theistic evolutionist. I believe that evolution was the mechanism by which the Higher Power created the world gradually in stages.

Religion explains why. Science explains how.

[Leader Desslock]

If everybody is civil, I do not see why this thread should be locked.
You've just explained it, right there. Or perhaps the word I should use is "predicted".

Mind you, the many times this thread was made back in the heady days of AN when Men were Men, Women were Women, and Trolls were Everywhere With Matches, this thread erupted into flamewars within the first page. The fact that we've remained largely civil all the way to Page 2 indicates just how much more enlightened we all are these days.

And how dull. :(

I do have to give taily credit for creating poll choices which aren't inherently flammable, like "Who Doesn't?" vs "No, I'm living in the middle ages", or "Yes, I'm a godless heathen" vs "No rational person could". Those are just examples, but anyone around back then knows what I mean.

[Delta-Pheonix]

If everybody is civil, I do not see why this thread should be locked.

Anyhow, I voted for the "yes- with a religious standpoint" option. I am a theistic evolutionist. I believe that evolution was the mechanism by which the Higher Power created the world gradually in stages.

Religion explains why. Science explains how.

*Claps* the jury's been out for me but your words ring true to me. As my dad once said "What is seven days for God could be anything to us".

This thread just got interesting for me ^_^

[Chidori Raikiri]

I don't "believe in it." It's more like, I know of it's existence.

It's a fact.

[Rain]

Yes, but from a religious standpoint. However, I find the theory of evolution exceptionally interesting... so interesting that I even took a course in evolutionary biology as an elective.

[goddessofanime]

If everybody is civil, I do not see why this thread should be locked.

Anyhow, I voted for the "yes- with a religious standpoint" option. I am a theistic evolutionist. I believe that evolution was the mechanism by which the Higher Power created the world gradually in stages.

Religion explains why. Science explains how.



This is exactly how I feel, but couldn't explain it properly.

[Sushikins]

I believe in it far more than creationism, but as far as I care, how we got here is irrelevant so it makes little difference to me.

[old hat]

Evolution is by the far the best theory available to explain a huge body of observations about the natural world. Until another explanation that fits better comes along, it's the leading theory by a huge margin. The body of observation is large enough and fits well enough that the odds of evolution being entirely overthrown by some future theory is vanishingly unlikely. The opposite is likely. The more we find out, the stronger the support for evolution gets.

No, evolutionary theory is not a fact. It's a theory. That doesn't mean it is weakly supported.

theory
noun: a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena

It's a very well substantiated and successful theory.

The debate isn't over. In science, the debate is never over. However, if someone wants to overturn something with the huge amount of supporting evidence that evolutionary theory has, you have to come up with something better. So far, no one has even come close. I don't expect anyone will.

[Midoriko87]

Hell Yeah, I do! But, I also enjoy myself the occasional swig of Jesus Juice (sans the NyQuil).

One thing that pisses me off, though... "Well, it's just a theory." Not that I mind people who don't believe in Evolution, but, I dunno, it's kinda embarrassing. *Shrugs* It's like, borrowing a line from Uncle Ruckus, here, "using words [you] don't really know."

[Rain]

Evolution is by the far the best theory available to explain a huge body of observations about the natural world. Until another explanation that fits better comes along, it's the leading theory by a huge margin. The body of observation is large enough and fits well enough that the odds of evolution being entirely overthrown by some future theory is vanishingly unlikely. The opposite is likely. The more we find out, the stronger the support for evolution gets.

No, evolutionary theory is not a fact. It's a theory. That doesn't mean it is weakly supported.

theory
noun: a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena

It's a very well substantiated and successful theory.

The debate isn't over. In science, the debate is never over. However, if someone wants to overturn something with the huge amount of supporting evidence that evolutionary theory has, you have to come up with something better. So far, no one has even come close. I don't expect anyone will.

Hey, do all pseudointellectuals have Dictionary.com as their homepage?

Thank you kindly for the definition, though, Mr. Dictionary.

[Jon]

Uh.....yeah. I do believe!

[tofuman]

Evolution for the win.

[iwakura]

Evolution is an interesting theory with a ton of experimental evidence to back it up. For a nice narrative story on this, read My Inner Fish. The same basic patterns are in all vertebrates. http://www.amazon.com/Your-Inner-Fish-Journey-3-5-Billion-Year/dp/0375424474/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200713263&sr=8-1

I don't understand the problem with the Bible. Genesis is thousands of years old, written in a context where science did not exist yet. Its a wonderful metaphor illustrating the relationship between God and man.

People who insist on using Genesis as a science text book seem to be misguided. It does make a good leverage point for politics though. But how is it written in the good book on how Jesus responds to politically motivated individuals? (i.e. versus on the Pharisees versus the Sagisees) :)

Linking something manipulatively out-of-context to a God of truth? Isn't that blaspheming the spirit?

[Etchd]

Geez, evolution isn't religion to have faith in, is it?

[Sora N]

Yes, I do believe in evolution… I personally believe in science not in religion.

[iwakura]

Geez, evolution isn't religion to have faith in, is it?

It's a faith of sorts, but it's not limited to just subject of evolution. The faith is in the assumption that careful analysis of the physical world will reveal further truths about the physical world and that this is more accurate than just trying to find truth about the physical world from an arbitrary holy book.

[Etchd]

It's a faith of sorts, but it's not limited to just subject of evolution. The faith is in the assumption that careful analysis of the physical world will reveal further truths about the physical world and that this is more accurate than just trying to find truth about the physical world from an arbitrary holy book.

Well, if you put it that way, I'd have to agree. Evolution doesn't have any religious grounds to be become something like a religion. Those who reject evolution think the theory is of religious grounds, when in fact, it isn't.

[Haruhi]

Sorry to say, but these things always go out of hand. Let's just end it on a good note.