convince at least one creationist that evolution is the best way we have of understanding our world

Evolution is not just for atheists (I’m not decided on religeon, I’m not quite agnostic either – I just think that if I can’t agree on how a country should be run with more than one person, then organized religeons will always trip me up on the afterlife details).

Think about it – Scientists can track the universe back to a ball of dust and gas. Before that?
I say that if you play pool, you might touch only the que stick and table, but it’s still YOU putting the eight ball in the corner pocket. If the Creator made things in a self-sustaining fashion rather than a six-day marathon with a rest at the end, so what? The seven day bit has the practical benefit of making a holy day for people to rest on – there may has once been a motive to convince people to stop and smell the roses, and a story that leads by example is perfect.
Oh, and as far as those who believe that Earth is a freak anomaly and therefore must be special – absense of proof is not proof of absense. We haven’t even finished exploring this planet, and are barely aware of our own solar system. I think the UFO abductions can be explained away by attention-getters and whanot, but there is plenty of room in a still-growing universe for neighbors.
We don’t have enough info for statistical probabilities of inhabited planets.
Rant over. Hope I get to use this all on someone in real life!

Well this has been interesting in that it has made me properly research the evidence in order to be able to support my views. It has also been good to really understand the counter argument.

I am marking this as done based on the fact that I had a challenge, which I then answered and the challenger never responded. I take the silence as a mark of defeat! (or at least not seeing the post!)

Interesting and I haven’t changed my mind

Watched the secret policemans ball last night and saw Eddie Izzard’s piece which was, funnily enough, about evolution versus creationists or as they now like to be called proponents of intelligent design. Eddie is with us – yay!

This is unlikely to occur as this seems, fortunately, to be currently an American phenomenon. However I have adopted this goal as it is just plain scary how apparently well educated intellectual people can develop this head in sand issue and turn into very dangerous people.

So If I met one I would try to do the aforementioned goal.

haha what

I don’t remember who said it or exactly how it was phrased but…

“He who arrives at a conclusion by faith cannot be moved by reason”.

I am for it because I think there are far too few people engaging in open and honest intellectual debate.

I caution you because I think most people are unwilling to here the other person on either side of the debate.

To paraphrase Rufus from Dogma:

“Beliefs are a dangerous thing. People will die for a belief. Now an idea is a different matter.”

I was talking to a guy in my geography class and I think I may have temporarily convinced him. He said there were some things I said that he was going to discuss w/ his pastor. Actually, I don’t know if it was really a big feat given that he already seemed skeptical about creationism.

really not sure how i am gonna do this, but it’s worth a try!

In that I’ve argued a couple of supporters of ID into being equally sceptical of both ID and evolution. Which is something.

I must say, I’m very pleased that there are five times as many of us on this goal as on “convince at least one evolutionist …”

Evolution has become demonized.
I aint no monkey (said with a southern drawl and a lip full of chew)
Evolution is a FACT. Yes i said it.
It is the different mechanisms behind it which are still theories.
With all the evidence out there that is virtually indisputable.

Let me quote Theodosius Dobzhansky from his book “Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution”
“Let me try to make crystal clear what is established beyond reasonable doubt, and what needs further study, about evolution. Evolution as a process that has always gone on in the history of the earth can be doubted only by those who are ignorant of the evidence or are resistant to evidence, owing to emotional blocks or to plain bigotry. By contrast, the mechanisms that bring evolution about certainly need study and clarification. There are no alternatives to evolution as history that can withstand critical examination. Yet we are constantly learning new and important facts about evolutionary mechanisms.” (taken form talkorigins.org)