I would have to disagree with you in regards to "belief/believe." I don't think it necessarily have to reflect faith. If one is convinced that something is true, then they believe that, regardless of it being actually true. And if one "accepts" that something is true, that results in "believing" it. People can deny all they want about not "believing" that evolution is true, but still accept it as being true, all they're doing is actually contradicting themselves.Many people refer to "believing'" in evolution. I do not "believe" in evolution. In my lexicon, "belief" reflects faith. I believe in God. I accept the scientific evidence for evolution and deep time, both of which are plentiful.
Dad asserted that, "to accept and believe in the evolution of life, one must deny creation and ignore it." I disagree.
There are many, many people of faith who believe in God and believe that God had a hand in creation, but emphatically do not view Genesis as a science or history book.
I am a mainstream Christian (ELCA Lutheran, raised Catholic) who believes in God and believes that he had a hand in creation, and also accepts the scientific evidence supporting evolution and deep time. Within mainstream Christianity (e.g., the Reformation denominations and Catholic and Anglican/Episcopalian), I believe this is the overwhelmingly common position.
As to the existence of God and the divinity of Jesus, that is a matter of faith. Science, which researches the natural cosmos, cannot study, confirm, or deny his existence. As Carl Sagan said about life on other planets, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
I believe it is an abomination for YECs to deny the faith of the great majority of Christians and assert that evolution is an atheistic "belief." And it equally wrong for atheists who accept scientific evidence for evolution and deep time to assert that those who agree must also set aside belief in God.
Yes, I recognize that there are many religious and many perceptions of God. "We see through a glass, darkly."
One cannot accept that evolution is true and not believe that evolution is true at the same time. That's a contradiction, therefore, irrational.
Btw, I'm talking about the most basic form of "evolution," all of the theory of or not.