Evolution

[keithprosser3]

Given the nature of reproduction and of natural selection isn't evolution inescapable?
How can evolution not happen?

[DanieltheDragon]

e[Replying to post 1 by keithprosser3]

because Krondos Lord of Ungitor creator of earth revealed to me that he created the earth 200 years ago and gave us a false history. Evolution occurs afterwards

[Bust Nak]

Given the nature of reproduction and of natural selection isn't evolution inescapable?
How can evolution not happen?

Well, given imperfect inheritance and selection, evolution and extinction are the only two possibilities. So every living creature dying is how evolution might not happen.

[Nilloc James]

In any system which reproduces with hereditary evolution is inevitable. Does not necessarily mean it explains life.

[Peter]

IMO the evolution of life is inevitable in any system with sufficient chemical complexity and environmental stability. It will be very interesting to see if we can find that any simple life once existed on Mars when we finally get there with enough resources to do a complete search. I would be very pleased if we discovered some very simple lifeform still exists under the surface of Mars.

[scourge99]

Given the nature of reproduction and of natural selection isn't evolution inescapable?

I think most theists will agree with you that evolution happens. Some just don't think "macro-evolution" can happen. They tend to argue that minor changes can occur over time but large changes cannot or are implausible. For example, how can a monkey turn into a man? This type of question demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of evolution, which, in my opinion, is the reason for rejecting it. They don't have a very strong grasp of what evolution is, how it works, and the evidence we have in support of it.

How can evolution not happen?

I used to be pretty harsh on people who didn't accept evolution. I've come to realize that was a mistake. Evolution is NOT an intuitive or easy to understand topic. There is a reason it took us so long to figure evolution out and there is a reason its often taught in colleges and only briefly discussed in high school. It was only discovered in the last 150 years and even now we are still refining our understanding of it.

In contrast, religious stories of creation are widespread and far more intuitive. Even children can understand creation stories. E.G., its far easier to imagine some magical being creating things and putting them in different parts of the world than it is to understand the mechanisms of natural selection, genetic drift, and basic genetics.

Personally, I've noticed that those who reject evolution are those who are poorly informed about it. Usually such people have had a poor teaching of it in high school or have only heard about evolution from their pastor/priest when he rails against it. Polls on the acceptance of evolution bear this out: http://www.gallup.com/poll/155003/hold- ... igins.aspx The higher educated you are, and consequently the more likely you are to have a better understanding of evolution, the more likely you are to accept evolution and the less likely you are to be a Biblical literalist.

[Sonofason]

Given the nature of reproduction and of natural selection isn't evolution inescapable?
How can evolution not happen?

I guess my question would be. Who cares? Why is it so important for atheists to prove that evolution is true or not? It really has no bearing on anything. If species actually do evolve over time, who cares? It has no bearing on the existence of God. It has no bearing on the story of Genesis. Genesis, and evolution are completely compatible. So why are atheists so bent on proving evolution to the world?

"God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so."
(Genesis 1:11)

"God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven."
(Genesis 1:20)

Scientists hypothesize that the life (the animal kingdom) began in the oceans. Here, we have God saying let the waters bring forth the moving creatures that have life. He had said, let the waters bring forth fowl that fly above the earth.

How indeed does would water bring forth birds that fly through the air had birds not evolved from ocean dwelling creatures?

God created all creatures "after their kind". There is no denying the truth of this statement. No creature is born to a creature that is not of it's own kind.

Species evolve. So what?

[keithprosser3]

So why are atheists so bent on proving evolution to the world?

I suppose its because we think evolution true and we think the truth matters.

Anyway, it was and is theists who made evolution into a battleground. Theist don't seem so 'hell bent' against anything else in science. Theists don't go around claiming that hydrostatics or whatever is just a theory. Just as theists can't see why we evolutionists accept evolution, I can't see how theists can reject evolution. Yet many do.

I don't want to have to guess why theists reject evolution. I think that 'amateur psychology' fro the sidelines is not going the help. I'd only want to hear why theists reject evolution in their own words.

[DanieltheDragon]

[Replying to post 7 by Sonofason]

It really has no bearing on anything.

See this is the issue it does have a bearing on things. Understanding evolution has contributed immensely to agriculture, modern medicine, psychology, and many other fields. I don't have a problem with people denying evolution. I have an issue with people preventing the youth from learning evolution and/or replacing it with creation pseudo-science. If we are going to succeed in the 21st century understanding basic scientific concepts is critical.

[Peter]

Species evolve. So what?

So they don't have to be created. Just one more reason to believe in a god down the drain so to speak. What caused the big bang is the last somewhat reasonable hide out for gods. Science will probably root them out of there too.