Evolution: Does it exist? Is it a religion? Should it be taught in schools?

[Soyo]

the giraffe wouldn't gain valves in its neck before it needed it, it doesn't need them at the time so it has no reason to gain them, so obviously the neck would be the first thing it would need(to get higher food to survive) so in theory it would get the longer neck, but need more blood so it would need a bigger heart and then would need valves and a sponge by its brain... well it couldn't happen, thats all there is to it. when you have 4 things that work in unison like that(sponge, valves, big heart, long neck) its impossible to survive without all of them


like you say, science and evolution are theorys, meaning you have to have faith to believe in a theory cuz theres not hard touchable visual proof, same with creation, its based on faith

this is a stupid arguement about evolution and creationism anyways... why teach evolution when you can't prove it? so just don't teach either one and let the kids and parents teach and learn for themselves

[Joseph1082]

Jay... you usually present good arguments but in your response to me you are simply being closed and narrow-minded.
God, taking just as much "faith" to believe as Evolution, is therefore just as valid a scientific theory. How many times must I repeat myself, creationism DOES NOT promote any religion, does it? It is simply another THEORY as to the origins to the universe.

[lazysmurff]

there really are alot of questions to be answered here.

first, technically speaking, creationism DOES NOT promote religion. it does, however, promote the concept of an all powerful force. to believe in creationism is to believe in in such a force, and to understand that it is THE beginning.

our problem, however, lies with the personifictation of this "force" as a diety that requires worship. when this force is personified, it developes a personality, and thus a motive/plan, and thus requires followers, and thus religion.

to accept this "being" as having personality (thus a plan and followers etc) and existing and having created is to accept the doctrines of whatever religion surrounds it, whether you choose to worship or not.

thus creationism may not promote any particular religion, but it does promote the acceptance of some kind of religon.

that is, of course, unless we accept a much more ancient concept of the nature of "god" in which "god" is not some personality, but rather remains a "force" (think "the force" from star wars, or spinoza)

evolution, on the other hand, is not a religion. a religion requires the acceptance of a Dogma. that it cannot be wrong. Science, throughout its existence, has admitted its own errors, and set out to correct them. I've seen science say "oops, sorry, we were wrong, heres a better explination"

i have yet to see any religion say "wait wait wait, maybe we really shouldnt believe that"

[Joseph1082]

See... this is the thing, the concept of God by itself is not religous... it all depends on how you take it. The existence of God to someone might seem to push Christianity on them. Many people choose to call themselves "Athiests" is this a religion? I'd say no.

[lazysmurff]

if the concept of God can exist outside of religion, i see no reason why the concept of evolution can exist outside of "religion"

[Joseph1082]

i never said it couldn't, I said though it takes just as much "Faith" to accept evolution as it does God and creationism. They are EQUAL!

[Prelewd]

Originally Posted by Joseph1082

i never said it couldn't, I said though it takes just as much "Faith" to accept evolution as it does God and creationism. They are EQUAL!

how do you know if you accept one more than the other?

[Joseph1082]

As possiblities or more properly "theories" the validity of each carries equal weight w/ respect to the other. One is not any less valid than the other... which theory I believe as correct is my perogotive.

[asaenz]

I have read some of your posts and one thing sticks out to me, the importance of symantecs and rhetoric skills.

But anyway, here is a cool book to read.

Unshakeable Foundations by Norman Geisler

Peep the TOC
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0764...53#reader-link

al