You seem to think there is some grand debate between Creationism and Evolution, and there simply isn't. Creationism is taught by fundamentalists, in a dying sect of Protestant Christianity. One that must continue to insist on an unchanging past. Evolution is a scientific Theory based on widespread evidence and support; one that can be adjusted when necessary to accommodate new data. It is a living, breathing thing. That's Glenn Beck, so no. The man has a reputation for being a liar, and a fraud. He is not a reasonable person, and he cannot be trusted, regardless of who he may have on his program.
I was expecting that reaction, so does that make you a closed-minded person? Unwilling to even listen to another viewpoint? A prejudice against someone you know only by reputation prevents you from hearing what other people on the program have to say? Penn Jillette is an unabashed atheist, but he is willing to sit and have a discussion with people he respects.
You would have to include some Muslims in the group that believes in creationism, J Allen though I think most of them believe in an old Earth but refuse to believe that animals, especially Man, have changed since the time of creation.
Actually, that's already been settled. You simply refuse to acknowledge science because it conflicts with your religion. Are you gonna argue "Flat earth vs. Round earth", too? Because that has as much credibility as "creation vs. evolution". "People I respect" includes a whole bunch of religious people, but not Young Earth creationists. They are just nuts.
What I don't understand is why Creationism is even 'on the table' as far as adult discussions about the nature of the universe go? There are plenty of possibilities and to be fair there's a lot more unknown currently than known, I just don't know why we can't just admit there are massive gaps in our knowledge that we one day hope to fill, instead of making something ridiculous up instead. Don't get me wrong, if we really dig deep and in the future discover some supreme being created everything then great, if anything that's one of the more optimistic and interesting possibilities. But until there's a shred of evidence even hinting at this possibility, why not just shelve it along with other superstitions like walking under a ladder or the number 13.
You mistake my unwillingness to listen to a known fraud, and purveyor of grand conspiracies, as unwillingness to listen to a different viewpoint. Glenn Beck is a conspiracy theorist, similar to the likes of Alex Jones. He doesn't have a factual bone in his body, and makes his living serving up paranoid delusions in exchange for advertising and merchandise money. As for Penn Jillette, I am quite familiar with him, and I respect him. That doesn't mean I'm always going to agree with him, and if you know anything about Penn Jillette, you would know that's the way he prefers it. True, there are some Muslim groups who support Creationism like fundamentalist Christians do, but the Intelligent Design movement is helmed almost entirely by Christian groups. Still, you make a fair point. There are religions that cannot abide by others not believing in their theology. It is in their doctrine that ALL must hear, and in the case of fundamentalist Christianity (and Islam), if the people won't hear it, then they will be forced to hear it, if it has to be crammed into every science classroom in America. The reason this is, is because science requires critical thinking, and fundamentalist religions cannot abide critical thinking. If you think critically, you've broken the spell, and you're no longer under the thumb of that particular religion's hierarchy of authority, and that just will not do. So replacing critical thinking with unquestioning acceptance is the goal. That is why they target the science class. There is no real debate.
glenn beck. he was fired for being too nuts even for fox news. i've seen some of his stuff. nowadays he makes his money telling scare stories to gullible people for money on the internet. and that's not prejudice. that's factually what he does. but then facts are your enemy it seems.
Creationists are not afraid of evolution. They just realize that evolution is unscientific. Speciation is true, observable science, but evolution (the idea that non-life became life on the early life and then evolved over billions of years to become man) is not. We can't jump in a time machine and observe evolution happening, and any 'facts' of evolution, such as DNA, the fossil record, morphology, etc., must be subjectively interpreted (the facts don't speak for themselves), and could just as easily (actually, easier) be interpreted in a Biblical, creationist way. There are plenty of websites which show the fallacies of evolution, and there are over 100 young earth/universe evidences. An objective person sees that these evidences indicate a young earth and that evolution therefore could not have happened. The core problem is that the Bible is a major issue for a lot of people. The Christian God is unacceptable, and so of course evolution must be true. For those who accept evolution and God's existence, for some reason a Creator God Who created in six days is unacceptable. I don't see how the glory of God is shown in millions of years of animal death culminating in the evolution of man, but everyone's entitled to an opinion. I think God's glory is clearly better shown in His creation of a sinless, perfect universe---which only became subject to death and futility after sin was committed, an act by free humans. Go to creation.com (look up "101 evidences for a young earth" and "It's not science") for more information on what I wrote above. You can also research a great deal of other topics. Scienceagainstevolution.org is another great site which shows the copious holes in evolution. Again, speciation is true, but this doesn't prove or imply evolution in any way. There is much observational science which shows that evolution is false. It is not surprising at all that large numbers of scientists in our day are abandoning it.
I changed my previous post to make it clear that Muslim creationists tend to believe in an old Earth but an old Earth untouched by evolution (or at least by 'macroevolution'). There is a Turkish creationist who has managed to get Richard Dawkin's banned in Turkey.
It's what will happen when you accept a belief that all opinions are equally valid. However, I agree with Asimov that someone's opinion from ignorance is not equal to another's informed opinion.
You will need to cite your sources, please, and the statistical data to back it up, or what you just said is nothing more than wishful thinking. Ouch. Turkey's not what I'd call a bastion of liberty anyway, but still, that's absurd. Dawkins is a brilliant man, who has many excellent ideas.
America fascinates me. I'm 31 and English and I don't know a single religious person, (well I should say I don't know a single Christian), I know a couple of Muslims. Don't get me wrong a lot of really old people are religious, but virtually everyone my age and younger thinks it's ludicrous. I have a pretty large and varied social circle too, if anyone I know is into that stuff they're doing a good job keeping it to themselves. My kids learn religion at school, but they learn all religions and are are taught to compare and contrast them, and it's made clear they are simply beliefs.
Our brand of Christianity is so hawkish because of a number of circumstances: It's something ingrained in our culture. We have a very strong independent streak, which is fine. As a nation, we tend to be more distrustful of outsiders, which is normal, as many nations aren't wholly accepting of outsiders. Combine that with a "it's us against them" mentality, and you have a recipe for fundamentalism. In the U.S., most people talk the game of Christianity, but they don't walk it. They'll argue about how we're all going to hell in a handbasket, but most people are too busy with life to do anything about it beyond mere words. There are, however, small sections of more radical believers, and they're the ones who try to push for these things. It also doesn't help how politicized Christianity is in this country. I swear to you that there are people who believe that if you're liberal, you can't be Christian. It's how the GOP (our conservative party) got the nickname "God's Own Party," because they have managed to align themselves with more fundamentalist Christianity, and because most fundamentalist Christians are open to authority that has the God price tag attached to it, they follow along unquestioningly. That is what they want in schools. They want schools to become Church 2.0. I do want to stress that this is fundamentalist religion, and not more moderate sects. The fundamentalists are pretty loud, though, and thanks to the Tea Party (a super conservative religious political organization that may eventually split the GOP), are in positions where they can make those changes happen.
Not one single thing you've wrote is actually true, supported by evidences, or even reasonable. Good job, I guess.
Come now, give him a chance. I bet he has lots of evidence to support his statement! You'll see! I mean, who in their right mind who make such a broad statement without having anything to back it up? They'd look like a fool if they didn't! He'll be back any second now with all of that data.
A sad cheap shot. Plenty of intelligent people believe in the Bible's historical record, and many scientists do as well. Many events in the Biblical record have been verified by archaeology and other studies. Serious historians believe in the life, death, and post-mortem appearances of Christ (how these are interpreted is another question, of course). Ironically, you, if you're an atheist, must believe in evolution, even though it's never been verified either! Of course, I assume you trust in the evolutionists' subjective interpretations of DNA, morphology, and the fossil record, and believe that this proves that evolution occurred. Of course it doesn't, but you're not willing to look at the contradicting evidence. Of course, this is an emotions issue and not a facts issue. For some people, the Bible is wholly unacceptable and therefore they consider it false with zero credibility. Being in denial like this and making such false claims helps some to cope. It is much easier than to believe that the God of the Bible exists, since the God of the Bible demands accountability for the way we live.
Of course not. But you have to say that in order to remain an evolutionist, because the alternative is unacceptable. The facts show that evolution is a lie, but there's no way you're brave enough to look into the matter!
Hi, sweetie. Atheist here, former Christian Minister, and I'm going to have to ask you to back up the statements you're making. I would like to see the statistical evidence, please.