Comments on: The Wrong Way to Approach the Evolution-Creationism Debate https://gregladen.com/blog/2010/09/17/the-wrong-way-to-approach-the-1/ Thu, 29 Nov 2018 00:39:18 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.8 By: Neil Laing https://gregladen.com/blog/2010/09/17/the-wrong-way-to-approach-the-1/#comment-523322 Tue, 29 Mar 2011 20:41:50 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2010/09/17/the-wrong-way-to-approach-the-1/#comment-523322 Greetings from the UK, where creationism/evolution is still argued but not as emotionally as in the States. I am a science teacher and committed evangelical Christian. I find the false science put out by creationists upsetting but I also find the attack on the existence of God by atheists using evolution to “prove” their point equally stupid. Richard Dawkins attacks a parody of the Biblical doctrine of God, not what the Bible actually teaches – hence fails completely. It’s worth considering that philosophical empiricism is a self-defeating argument. Creationists and atheists alike believe in the concept of the “God of the gaps” – creationists frantically trying to maintain the gaps and atheists trying to close them. I believe the whole Bible to be the “word of God”, but while it may be the truth, it doesn’t mean it is all scientifically true. Tennyson’s “Eagle” is scientific rubbish, but it still portrays something of the truth about an eagle. Jesus told the truth by means of parables, but they were made-up stories. Conversely, all that is scientifically true may not always portray the truth of existence and life. Science can never analyse the meaning of a poem or enable us to appreciate the beauty of a sunset, though it may enhance it through understanding. Science can only deal with that which can be measured, touched etc. – matter, space, time, energy, force etc. Faith takes us beyond all that to meaning. While it is arrogant of creationists to pontificate on science without knowledge, it is arrogant for atheists to think they can attack a concept they know nothing whatsoever about. The Biblical view of God is that He is totally “other than” the creation – so, scientists cannot consider Him within science – He should have no part of their scientific thinking/investigation, but that does NOT mean He does not exist. Creationists would do well to understand this Biblical concept of God as well and that, while God may have created everything, the Bible gives us no scientific explanation of how. Finding a “how” in no way cuts God out. Faith brings a wonderful dimension to life – I would say an essential dimension, but that’s opinion, but it’s beyond science. Science brings an amazing ability to look at things critically and objectively, removing the tendency for mere speculation and illogical thinking. Maybe it’s about time we started appreciating each other’s views and positions. We might find we add to each other’s appreciation of life!

]]> By: Karlton Kemerait https://gregladen.com/blog/2010/09/17/the-wrong-way-to-approach-the-1/#comment-523321 Sun, 10 Oct 2010 11:57:03 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2010/09/17/the-wrong-way-to-approach-the-1/#comment-523321 Biological evolution is a fact which is not disputed by any reputable scientist. The definition of biological evolution is, quite simply, “the occurrence of heritable changes in the gene pool of a population over time”. Facts and theories are different things, not rungs in a hierarchy of increasing certainty.

Facts don’t go away when scientists debate rival theories to explain them. Einstein’s theory of gravitation replaced Newton’s, but apples didn’t suspend themselves in midair, pending the outcome. Humans evolved from ape-like ancestors whether they did so by Darwin’s proposed mechanism or by some other yet to be discovered.

Creationists and those who support Intelligent Design are doing nothing more than trying to advance religious dogma under the guise of scientific inquiry. They want to skip over the vetting process that gives theories their credibility and turn our high school classrooms into the new crucible of scientific truth. Their motives are plain to see, they have no evidence which can stand up to the rigor of peer review and they wish to gain a foothold in the lives of our children by teaching religious ideologies at the expense of good science.

Please, do not permit this to happen, keep ideologies in the philosophy, comparative religions or sociology classes, but not in the science classroom.

http://mainereason.blogspot.com/2010/09/teaching-creationism-in-schools.html

On science contributing to our morals…

http://mainereason.blogspot.com/2010/10/science-can-answer-moral-questions.html

]]> By: VentureFree https://gregladen.com/blog/2010/09/17/the-wrong-way-to-approach-the-1/#comment-523320 Sat, 18 Sep 2010 13:18:19 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2010/09/17/the-wrong-way-to-approach-the-1/#comment-523320 It’s actually kind of ingenious when you really think about it. Studies have shown that if you deny that something is true, people only remember the thing that you denied and not the denial itself. By denying it, you end up reinforcing the belief that it’s true.

By requiring educators to explicitly deny that evolution necessarily leads to such terrible things as eugenics, it ends up reinforcing the idea that in fact it does. Of course a good educator will make sure that it’s not just a flat denial by also teaching the reasons why, thereby negating the effect. But for anti-evolutionists, it’s an ingenious way to teach the evils of evolution while being able to claim that they were doing just the opposite.

]]> By: RickK https://gregladen.com/blog/2010/09/17/the-wrong-way-to-approach-the-1/#comment-523319 Fri, 17 Sep 2010 15:29:07 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2010/09/17/the-wrong-way-to-approach-the-1/#comment-523319 If you believe the stories in the Bible trump the facts of geology, paleontology, biology and physics, then you can believe:

– Some people are less than human due to their religious beliefs;
– That it is ok to treat your enemies the way Joshua treated the Canannites;
– That slavery is fine so long as you follow the rules set forth in the Bible;
– That we should welcome (and actively support) anything that might end human civilization so we can hurry up and have the Rapture party;
– and so on…

“Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” — Voltaire

]]> By: William O. Romine Jr. https://gregladen.com/blog/2010/09/17/the-wrong-way-to-approach-the-1/#comment-523318 Fri, 17 Sep 2010 13:53:20 +0000 http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2010/09/17/the-wrong-way-to-approach-the-1/#comment-523318 I consider the creationist to be without morals because they are willing to pervert scientific interpretation and the use of the scientific method to fit a religious agenda rather than the truth. I want to hear no more bullshit from the creationists that they only want to protect society’s morals in view of the fact that they are without morals themselves.

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