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No one should believe in evolution!

Shaul

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
I am of the firm opinion that no one should ever believe in evolution. Belief is based of placing faith in something. Evolution is a scientific theory. No should ever accept a scientific theory by faith. One can believe in many things properly, such as the innate value of people, or that your favorite sports team is the greatest. But scientific theories aren’t like those. Scientific theories can be accepted as correct, or assented to, or tested and verified, or a host of other empirical and scientific actions. But to believe in a scientific theory is an oxymoron.

Whenever I encounter someone that says they believe in evolution I roll my eyes metaphorically and think to myself that here is someone that lacks a genuine understanding of evolution and science.

I will now don my asbestos suit and await comments.
 

Estro Felino

Believer in free will
Premium Member
Evolution is the absolutely uncontradictable conclusion of the scientific evidence
Conclusions are facts..not beliefs

Whenever I encounter someone that says they believe in evolution I roll my eyes metaphorically and think to myself that here is someone that lacks a genuine understanding of evolution and science.

Where I live, people disbelieving in evolution are rare...
 
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Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
I take scientific theory as a provisional truth since theory is subject to revisions and change with new information.

Don't need beliefs for facts of course
 

ADigitalArtist

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Eh, I try to avoid verbal gymnastics like this the same way I avoid 'atheism is the lack of belief' because its a repetitive and not very constructive diversion from more interesting topics imo, and just ends up looking like intellectual strong-arming.

If someone asks me if I believe in evolution, I'll say yes so we can move on.
 

gnostic

The Lost One
I am of the firm opinion that no one should ever believe in evolution. Belief is based of placing faith in something. Evolution is a scientific theory. No should ever accept a scientific theory by faith. One can believe in many things properly, such as the innate value of people, or that your favorite sports team is the greatest. But scientific theories aren’t like those. Scientific theories can be accepted as correct, or assented to, or tested and verified, or a host of other empirical and scientific actions. But to believe in a scientific theory is an oxymoron.

Whenever I encounter someone that says they believe in evolution I roll my eyes metaphorically and think to myself that here is someone that lacks a genuine understanding of evolution and science.

Yes, belief is not required.

It has evidences to back up the scientific theory. And the amount of evidences in multiple scientific disciplines, demonstrably exhibit that biodiversity over time (through natural selection, mutations or genetic drift) is highly probable.
 

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
I'm thinking this argument is predicated on definitions of "belief" and "faith" that do not represent how the words are actually used routinely in the English language. Those words are kind of polysemic, you know. :sweat:
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
I am of the firm opinion that no one should ever believe in evolution. Belief is based of placing faith in something. Evolution is a scientific theory. No should ever accept a scientific theory by faith. One can believe in many things properly, such as the innate value of people, or that your favorite sports team is the greatest. But scientific theories aren’t like those. Scientific theories can be accepted as correct, or assented to, or tested and verified, or a host of other empirical and scientific actions. But to believe in a scientific theory is an oxymoron.

Whenever I encounter someone that says they believe in evolution I roll my eyes metaphorically and think to myself that here is someone that lacks a genuine understanding of evolution and science.

I will now don my asbestos suit and await comments.
Technically correct. But one has to keep in mind that we are also dealing with creationists here. 'Nuff said.
 

Shaul

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Technically correct. But one has to keep in mind that we are also dealing with creationists here. 'Nuff said.
Thank you. Sadly, I think we both know that there are some that are evolutionists but use the same incorrect phrasing.
 

Shaul

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
I'm thinking this argument is predicated on definitions of "belief" and "faith" that do not represent how the words are actually used routinely in the English language. Those words are kind of polysemic, you know. :sweat:
Not really. Believe always implies acceptance based of faith. That is antithetical to science, the basis for the theory of evolution. Words are not plastic beyond recognition. If someone so profoundly misuses the word believe than I, and we, are within our rights to call foul and say that is beyond the pale.
 

Rational Agnostic

Well-Known Member
I am of the firm opinion that no one should ever believe in evolution. Belief is based of placing faith in something. Evolution is a scientific theory. No should ever accept a scientific theory by faith. One can believe in many things properly, such as the innate value of people, or that your favorite sports team is the greatest. But scientific theories aren’t like those. Scientific theories can be accepted as correct, or assented to, or tested and verified, or a host of other empirical and scientific actions. But to believe in a scientific theory is an oxymoron.

Whenever I encounter someone that says they believe in evolution I roll my eyes metaphorically and think to myself that here is someone that lacks a genuine understanding of evolution and science.

I will now don my asbestos suit and await comments.

I agree in some sense, but I'm curious--do you accept the fact of evolution or not? Because if you don't, this will be a waste of time.
 

Orbit

I'm a planet
A scientific theory, based on facts and evidence, which is subject to change based on new facts, is not something you "believe" in. It's not a faith-based process, it is based on observations of natural phenomena. You accept that the facts support the theory---"belief" implies that the subject at hand is not subject to empirical verification when it is.
 

Rational Agnostic

Well-Known Member
Eh, I try to avoid verbal gymnastics like this the same way I avoid 'atheism is the lack of belief' because its a repetitive and not very constructive diversion from more interesting topics imo, and just ends up looking like intellectual strong-arming.

If someone asks me if I believe in evolution, I'll say yes so we can move on.

Exactly. Creationists and apologists love playing trivial semantic word games because it's all they've got for arguments apparently.
 

The Kilted Heathen

Crow FreyjasmaðR
I don't take evolution on faith either. But then I'm just sitting around thinking "Good grief, what the hell's this bloody appendix good for anyways!? Why'd theropods become birds?" and it doesn't seem too crazy an idea.
 

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
Not really. Believe always implies acceptance based of faith. That is antithetical to science, the basis for the theory of evolution. Words are not plastic beyond recognition. If someone so profoundly misuses the word believe than I, and we, are within our rights to call foul and say that is beyond the pale.

I wasn't going to do this, but it seems it's needed (from belief | Definition of belief in English by Oxford Dictionaries):

1) An acceptance that something exists or is true, especially one without proof.
‘his belief in extraterrestrial life’
[with clause] ‘a belief that climate can be modified beneficially’

1.1) Something one accepts as true or real; a firmly held opinion.
‘we're prepared to fight for our beliefs’
[mass noun] ‘contrary to popular belief existing safety regulations were adequate’

1.2) A religious conviction.
‘Christian beliefs’
[mass noun] ‘the medieval system of fervent religious belief’
2) (belief in) Trust, faith, or confidence in (someone or something)
‘a belief in democratic politics’

So no, it
doesn't always imply acceptance based on faith. You're free to believe folks who use the phrase "believe in" lack a genuine understanding of biological evolution, though you'd be making quite an assumption that's bound to be erroneous on more than a few occasions.
Folks use the phrase "believe in" when another word would be more precise and appropriate to convey how they really feel about things. Concluding that because someone uses the phrase "believe in" means they lack understanding is a poor call.
 
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