Is evolution a controversial science?

[McCulloch]

Both religion and controversial science could be taught in elective College courses where they belong.

He was referring to evolution as controversial science. While there may be quite a number of legitimate controversies within the science of biology regarding evolution, evolution itself is not a controversy at all among biologists.

Question for debate: Is evolution as taught at the high school level, a controversial science? Is there any controversy among currently practicing biologists regarding the basic science behind evolution?

[JP Cusick]

If you want to fight the theory of evolution,

I believe in evolution, but it is God as the intelligent designer who is evolving the earth and everything on the earth.

God is the great author and mover of the evolution.

So mine is not the scientific kind of evolution which brainwashes the people into the racist and immoral ideas that people are just animals without point or purpose.

[Bust Nak]

Being the survivor, the strongest, the fittest, is not a worthy goal.

The moral high ground is that we use our strength to serve and defend those weaker than our self.

And that's exactly what evolution teaches. Why are we the strongest and fittest? It is because we work together, look after each other and defend the weak.

People will use physics and math and use reading and writing in our daily lives.

Reading and writing, sure, but not people do not use physics in our daily lives, same with math to a lesser extent.

The teaching of evolution gives the student nothing useful to carry into adulthood or to carry into society.

The evolution is just brainwashing which gives counter productive information.

It is as useless as physics, so why single out evolution?

[Tired of the Nonsense]

If you want to fight the theory of evolution,

I believe in evolution, but it is God as the intelligent designer who is evolving the earth and everything on the earth.

God is the great author and mover of the evolution.

So mine is not the scientific kind of evolution which brainwashes the people into the racist and immoral ideas that people are just animals without point or purpose.

Who was God's intelligent designer I wonder? Is God evolving too?

Do animals have a point? Or are they just food and background noise. What is the purpose of an amoeba for example? Why did God create flesh eating bacteria? That seems kind of mean for a loving God. And inquiring minds want to know.

[DrNoGods]

[Replying to post 41 by JP Cusick]

So mine is not the scientific kind of evolution which brainwashes the people into the racist and immoral ideas that people are just animals without point or purpose.

Where did you get this interpretation of evolution? Certainly not from the actual scientific theory itself because evolution does not teach that people are without point or purpose. It teaches nothing at all about point, purpose, morals, etc., good or bad. It concerns itself with how life diversifies over time and the mechanisms behind the process, not what the plants or animals (yes ... humans are animals by definition as we are members of the taxonomic kingdom Animalia) do with themselves as far as morals, etc. Just more proof that you don't actually know what the scientific theory of evolution is or how it works.

[benchwarmer]

If you want to fight the theory of evolution,

I believe in evolution, but it is God as the intelligent designer who is evolving the earth and everything on the earth.

God is the great author and mover of the evolution.

So mine is not the scientific kind of evolution which brainwashes the people into the racist and immoral ideas that people are just animals without point or purpose.

So, strawman it is then. The "scientific kind of evolution" you describe has nothing to do with the actual scientific theory.

Essentially what you are saying is that you don't believe in something that no one here is talking about. Guess what, we don't believe in your "scientific kind of evolution" either.

Here is an analogy of how this is going:

JP: I don't like these apples.
BW: Those aren't apples you are holding, it's a picture of something which is also not apples.
JP: Stop trying to get children to eat these apples!
BW: We don't try to do that because what you have there is not apples. This is an apple (shows JP an apple).
JP: Look, here's a description of apples from a web site that shows apples lead to obesity.
BW: That link is about apples, but there is no mention of obesity. Just because the person in the picture is slightly overweight does not mean apples lead to obesity.
JP: Stop abusing children with these apples!
BW: Again, you are not holding apples. Do you know what an apple is?
JP: Of course, I believe in the apples described to me by God.
BW: Umm, those aren't apples either, those are just more pictures of different things that kind of look like apples.

If you want to refute this, then please describe to us what the scientific theory of evolution is in a nutshell. No need for a long winded explanation, just a short one or two sentence summary. We'll let you know when we are talking about the same thing. So far, we aren't talking about the same thing.

[Neatras]

[Replying to post 45 by benchwarmer]

If JP Cusick can actually demonstrate an understanding of evolutionary theory, I'll be shocked. I will then immediately add him to the "Understands Evolution" usergroup, because it would be a momentous occasion.

[OnceConvinced]

The evolution teaches a low self esteem based on telling people that they are nothing more than animals

That never taught me low self-esteem. Are you talking about people that already have low self-esteem?

What's really so bad about being an animal? I think of myself as a superior animal. No low-self esteem there.

who live in a world where the stronger overrule the weaker (survival of the fittest)

In some cases, which is the way it is in reality. Often it's the smarter who overrule the less intelligent.

Sometimes reality isn't pretty. I see no reason to try to sugar coat it.

and evolution teaches racism as it pretends that the white race is the highest evolved,

It never taught me that. I'm guessing it only teaches people that who already are racist and already see themselves as superior.

[Tired of the Nonsense]

If you want to fight the theory of evolution,

I believe in evolution, but it is God as the intelligent designer who is evolving the earth and everything on the earth.

God is the great author and mover of the evolution.

So mine is not the scientific kind of evolution which brainwashes the people into the racist and immoral ideas that people are just animals without point or purpose.

What exactly ARE you then JP? If you're not an animal that only leaves vegetable and mineral. Which is it?

[OnceConvinced]

Religion informs people that we are all sons and daughters of our Father God who endows us with inalienable rights and duties and of our marvelous potential at our own command.

It also tells us that we are filthy dirty sinners who are not worthy of God, who have no help of getting out of that mire unless we beg him to help us.

It teaches us that other groups of people.... ie those who worship foreign gods, witches, homosexuals, etc etc are all sinful evil people who are worthy of death.

You complain about evolution supposedly teaching us that we are no better than animals. That it teaches us low-self esteem. That it teaches us to be racist. Christianity does this in a far worse way.

[JP Cusick]

And that's exactly what evolution teaches. Why are we the strongest and fittest? It is because we work together, look after each other and defend the weak.

Only in your wildest of dreams.

Here in reality land the secular evolution supports massive exploitation along with lust and greed based on cruel and violent methods.

Reading and writing, sure, but not people do not use physics in our daily lives, same with math to a lesser extent.

It is as useless as physics, so why single out evolution?

Okay, I concede, if physics teaches nothing useful to daily life then it too is wrong to teach in elementary or High School.

Both physics and evolution could be selective College level courses.

Children drop out of school because the education is uninteresting and unchallenging and children really do not like useless information.

The beauty of self education is the great fun and adventure of feeding our own interest.