Field of Science

What people need to understand about evolution

Dear Paula (Kirby), Very well said, indeed. You understand the situation vis-a-vis evolution and religion very well. It is rare to find someone who grasps fully the problem evolution poses for many religions. That being said, a very great many people in the USA, and many other countries, perhaps even a majority, will stick their fingers in their ears and yell, "La, la, la, la,...." so as not to hear any of it. And the most sobering realization is that it really means we, as individuals and as societies, must be responsible for our actions and deeds. Once you get comfortable with reality it is preferable to mythology, but this does not condemn religious stories to the dust heap completely because like the moral stories of Aesop, they need not be factually true to teach lessons.

2 comments:

Eric said...

This is one of the most beautifully written, elegantly conceived, and unflinchingly clear-headed pieces I've seen on the topic. Thank you so much for pointing this one out to us.

Unknown said...

The argument of the inconsistency between the traditional concept of the christian God and world suffering is old hat in philosophy and one that's not any more convincing to those of faith with the addition of evolution.

In addition, The Bible is so rife with inconsistencies and contradictions that taking the myth of creation literally would be daft, especially considering our current scientific knowledge, and this in no way negates the role of a savior.

No, this isn't really a great understanding as much as it is the old, and much revisited, arguments made by religionists and secularists alike.