~~ Do you believe in the theory of evolution? ~~

[Emilia1320]

It's statements such as

You should read more about science!

Religion invents mystical stories, tales & lies about the nature to support its claim about our moral values (e.g. don’t do bad things, because you’ll go to hell, or something like that). Religion is a really a set of wrong beliefs that is used to justify its moral philosophy.

that are unnecessarily hostile towards the other side and will never help advance your arguments regardless of what other information you present. In fact they make the other side more likely to refuse to listen to you because now you're insulting their intelligence. You believe in silly fairy tales! Go read science that likely takes beyond your level of formal education to understand because it's better than your silly fairy tales!

With that being said, I think what soraya was trying to get at was not that fundamental particles know or are aware of anything (which they can't do as particles), but rather, why do these fundamental particles interact in such a way that we currently explain with quantum mechanics? How do these particles come into existence through random quantum fluctuations and just interact as they do? How did physical laws and interpretations of the universe, which are so great and seemingly "just right" for existence, just come about (before we knew about them, because certainly things like gravity and quantum fields have existed since the dawn of time before we even discovered them)? Why does this demand a purely scientific answer? "Because that's how the world works and science is always right"?

Now I'm nota scientist and I don't claim to be right. However, just to comment your last sentence, science doesn't really claim to be absolutely right. That's what religion does. Science is self-correcting pattern and it strives to gather evidence, form theories and confirm or correct those theories. Religion gives you (most likely wrong) answer in silver plate without needing to work for it and question what you know and try to know more. Sure, we can form a scientific theory about existance of god, but it has no evidence behind it and plenty of evidence against it, such a theory would be invalidied very fast. Religion however just tells you what to believe. Due this difference in the nature of religion and nature of science I think that sciecne offers more reliable evidence.

[RSells32]

 

Yeah because there is scientific evidence to prove it (such as transition fossils). 

 

or Finches

 

Or even the flu and common cold! If they weren't continuously evolving we'd have gotten rid of the buggers by now

[Youss]

Hey!  

 

I personally believe in the theory of evolution mostly because of all the scientific evidence that have been gathered for years. However, I also believe in god and think that, to a certain extent, both theories are linked... As we learn in biology, there are many many complex processes that consequently make us able to "struggle for existence". The complexity and the 'beauty' of all those processes make me think that someone, something is behind it. 

 

From what I understood from my religion, the human race is brought to life in order to be judged on the choices it makes. Why would god let our race exterminate itself a few years after its creation, given that he wants to judge every single person's actions? 

I strongly think that chance and luck do not exist; X causes Y which then leads to Z. Similarly, I believe that god made us able to adapt to the environment in which we are because he wants us alive so that we could make choices in our lives which will subsequently be judged.

 

I just think that both theories are complementary. I can't think of one of them without thinking about the other one.

 

Hope it helped 

 

Best,

Youss

[OMGIBISFUN]

I'm an agnostic atheist, so yes definitely I understand and support the theory of Evolution. 

 

I, like many notable atheists, e.g. Richard Dawkins (a particularly militant one), conclude that since there is no evidence for the existence of a god, making the assumption that one exists is irrational. 

 

There is nothing controversial or arguable about this stance, really. 

 

I think a large part of why people are religious roots from their inability or unwillingness to deal with their own mortality. We are born, we live, we die. Contrary to the elaborately crafted allegories full of 'meaning' found in many religious texts, there is no greater meaning to our lives. There is no deity who creates and judges us, we are simply biological creatures like any other animal. It can be a daunting idea to process, that this life is it. But I think it's a valuable one, I as an atheist have nothing to die for, but everything to live for.    (My opinions, OK)

 

I know that comprehensive and secular education are at the root of my stance, and I do realise that is a great privilege in this world. Evolution is a complicated phenomenon to grasp and understand unless you specifically study it in courses like biology. 

 

I think the ignorance about Evolution that I come across in media, particularly in the US, is rooted in misunderstood elements of the theory, which I would like to address. 

 

- "Evolution is just a theory"

    

Yes, evolution is a theory. A theory just like that of gravity, based on copious amounts of scientific research. I think many people get confused in terminology, and mix theory with an unfounded hypothesis...

 

- "If evolution is real, why does it not happen today? I'm not evolving, I didn't come from no monkey. ETC:"

 

Evolution happens over millennia, in minor changes in the heritable characteristics of the population. That does not mean a monkey in a zoo is going to evolve into a human overnight, or that you're going to grow a tail when you hit puberty... I wish this wasn't such a popularly made point, but it simply demonstrates ignorance and lack of scientific education.

 

- "Show me the evidence"

 

All you need to do is look at experiments done with species with short life cycles, and you see drastic results. Same goes for examples like peppered moths, finches, and antibiotic resistant bacteria. Also, look at homologous structures in mammals like the pentadactyl limb, or the similarities in genetic code. Fossil records also demonstrate evolution, and the fossils are layered in exactly the order evolution occurred. 

 

- "Well, why can't we teach both theories in school and let the children choose"

 

This even being suggested pains me, it really does. Evolution is a theory backed by significant scientific consensus and evidence. Creationist theories have nothing to do with scientific education, and have no place in schools. To suggest they are somehow equivalent evidence-wise and stand to be compared as such is absurd. (Believe what you wish, really, do. But I think we can all agree, religion has no place in the science classroom.)

Edited May 12, 2015 by OMGIBISFUN

[Richard Bankole]

I kind of believed in it before when I was younger despite having religious family members, but after seeing the science and logic behind it as I grew up (especially in Bio HL- it's part of the core and I did option D which is Evolution) I firmly believe in it.