Thread: Debunking Dangerously Deceitful Dogma

Originally Posted by Kees

With all due respect: does it really matter what someone else believes when it comes to the history of the universe and mankind?

Why can't we just respect what someone else thinks/believes etc.? Many wars started just because one group wanted to force their opinion on another group.

Well, first off, evolutionary theory and creationism are not two competing systems of belief. Evolution is a well proven theory that is accepted by the entire scientific community because of the preponderance of evidence supporting it. Disputing evolution is about as logical as disputing the Copernican theory of the solar system, or even disputing the theory of gravity.


Second, as Xman said, these people often try to pass legislation forcing creationism to be taught alongside evolution and recognizing it as a valid scientific theory. And they aren't only content now to attack evolution, a... well, I wont post my opinion of this woman, but its far from good... Anyway, a woman legislator in Texas, I think, has decided that since the "red shift" in astrophysics disagrees with her ignorant view of the universe, it shouldn't be taught in school either, and is trying to pass laws to that effect (the red shift is used to establish the age of distant stellar bodies). This is an example of the kind of magical thinking and taught/enforced ignorance that will continue to spread as long as viewpoints like creationism are given any type of validity. How would you feel if in Norway, there was a group of people attempting to teach children that the sun rotates around the earth, and they actually had political power and a basis of support? Thats what we have here. Its completely absurd.


And, honestly, I don't like it on a personal level. Its a group of people deceitfully enforcing an inaccurate world view on their followers and keeping them in ignorance so that they can maintain power over them. Its not about accuracy or truth, its about the church not liking evolution b/c they feel they will lose the monopoly on creation and be diminished. The exact same thing happened in the dark ages. Despite overwhelming evidence the church enforced the view that the the earth was the center of the universe and the the sun and everything else rotated around it. After a few hundred years they finally gave up on that (and just forgave Galileo for promoting it a few years ago), so I expect they'll accept evolution around 2300 or so, if the church still exists at that point.


Of course, as has been pointed out, evolution and Christianity aren't necessarily at odds. There are many Catholics who embrace evolution and see it as the mechanism of God, but I guess the church feels this is a little too heady for its common members.