Evolution and creationism
Zach from Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal has another winner about evolution:
I think this is a good jumping-off point for a discussion of what strategies work in the evolution-creation struggle. I think the best way to do it is to just keep fighting creationism to keep it out of schools, and work on better science literacy, through schools and popular literature. The specifics of how we do that will vary, but the only way to get people to accept evolution is for them to understand it, and that can only happen if we properly educate them.
Now, often mixed up in this is the discussion of whether or not vocal atheists like Richard Dawkins hurt "the cause", whether of evolution acceptance or atheist acceptance. Personally, I think that they hurt neither. The people who get angry at Dawkins aren't going to accept evolution anyway, people that fundamentalist are lost causes (although they can come around, it's rare). But for people on the fence, people who weren't really interested, people who don't really know the facts, they're the ones who can be won over, they're the ones Dawkins et al are going for, and I think they're getting the message.
Of course, that's just my opinion, it's impossible to say for certain one way or the other since we can't any kind of method
I think this is a good jumping-off point for a discussion of what strategies work in the evolution-creation struggle. I think the best way to do it is to just keep fighting creationism to keep it out of schools, and work on better science literacy, through schools and popular literature. The specifics of how we do that will vary, but the only way to get people to accept evolution is for them to understand it, and that can only happen if we properly educate them.
Now, often mixed up in this is the discussion of whether or not vocal atheists like Richard Dawkins hurt "the cause", whether of evolution acceptance or atheist acceptance. Personally, I think that they hurt neither. The people who get angry at Dawkins aren't going to accept evolution anyway, people that fundamentalist are lost causes (although they can come around, it's rare). But for people on the fence, people who weren't really interested, people who don't really know the facts, they're the ones who can be won over, they're the ones Dawkins et al are going for, and I think they're getting the message.
Of course, that's just my opinion, it's impossible to say for certain one way or the other since we can't any kind of method
Labels: creationism, evolution, science
posted at
9/14/2007 08:44:00 AM
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2 Comments:
Why does the school system feel so obligated to force their belief on other people when there are so many religions that don't believe in evolution? Would it really hurt the system to let people think for themselves and have their own opinions? You may think it's scientific but it isn't to the people who don't believe it. I'm not saying that creation is right or that evolution is wrong I'm just saying that everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Children who have a religious background should have their beliefs tolerated enough to where they know that it's ok not to believe in evolution. All I want to know is why do you care if I, or anyone else for that matter, believe in creation?
By
Anonymous, at 1:40 PM, April 20, 2009
Yeah, for sure. My religion doesn't believe in the theory of gravity. Why is the school always telling my children they can't not believe in it. I'm with you. Gravity isn't scientific to those of us who don't believe it.
By
Frin, at 5:45 PM, October 04, 2009
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