Have you ever met an anti-evolution Christian who understood the basics of evolution?

verysincere · Jan 24, 2012

Have you ever met an anti-evolution Christian who could define the Theory of Evolution and understood the science of what he/she was talking about?

(I'm not implying that anti-evolution Christians who understand evolution do not exist. I'm asking whether they are sufficiently common such that you've actually met one.)

In my experience, despite decades in Evangelical ministry and both Christian and secular university environments, I've met few anti-evolution Christians who avoided confusing the theory of evolution with abiogenesis and the Big Bang Theory, just to mention the most common myths which circulate in such circles.

Obviously, my question is not soliciting a rehash of how passionately some disdain the theory of evolution. I'm focusing on the question of whether you've actually met any Christian evolution-opponents who understood what they opposed.

CabVet · Jan 24, 2012

Exiledoomsayer · Jan 24, 2012

No.
But they certainly thought that they knew what it was.

selfinflikted · Jan 24, 2012

Never.

CabVet · Jan 24, 2012

Exiledoomsayer said:
But they certainly thought that they knew what it was.

+1

Davian · Jan 24, 2012

Exiledoomsayer said:
No.
But they certainly thought that they knew what it was.

Ditto.

Keachian · Jan 24, 2012

I think I've met one, I think for the most part people who fit this mold tend to not argue about it as much.

Phred · Jan 24, 2012

Not yet. I have read some... the folks who built the creation museum for instance. They get it. They then immediately chose to ignore it...

Ryal Kane · Jan 24, 2012

No. Any exchange soon reveals they believe strawman versions of evolution. Often the questions are so predictable and similar like they're reading from a playbook.
It's sad because in many cases they're quite smart and pleasant people.

Naraoia · Jan 24, 2012

Exiledoomsayer said:
No.
But they certainly thought that they knew what it was.

That, for the most part. I can't remember anyone off hand, but that doesn't guarantee I never met one.

It always seems to be the what use is half a wing, why didn't all bacteria evolve into animals, how did life come from non-life sort of creationist. Sometimes I think I should start collecting the common misconceptions and politely correcting them somewhere conspicuous... but if that hasn't been done a thousand times already, I'll eat my boots.

Standing_Ultraviolet · Jan 24, 2012

I would imagine that some of the scientists who support young Earth creationism do have a fairly complete knowledge of evolution and choose to reject it because they believe that accepting it would be to dump their faith by the wayside. Some of them are very honest in saying that there is evidence for evolution. I disagree with their argument that Christianity and evolution are antithetical, obviously.

AV1611VET · Jan 24, 2012

verysincere said:
Have you ever met an anti-evolution Christian who could define the Theory of Evolution and understood the science of what he/she was talking about?

No -- and as I have said before -- if there is one somewhere, they've been spending too much time in the wrong book.

In my opinion.

The one exception though, is if they were called by God to do so.

In other words, if that's their mission field.

cupid dave · Jan 24, 2012

Naraoia said:
That, for the most part. I can't remember anyone off hand, but that doesn't guarantee I never met one.

It always seems to be the what use is half a wing, why didn't all bacteria evolve into animals, how did life come from non-life sort of creationist. Sometimes I think I should start collecting the common misconceptions and politely correcting them somewhere conspicuous... but if that hasn't been done a thousand times already, I'll eat my boots.

It seems that they just can not accept the idea that man has molted or metamorphosized only @ 22 times from what was a half man half ape called Adam.

The Last Human: A Guide to Twenty-Two Species of Extinct Humans

by G. J. Sawyer (Author), Viktor Deak (Author), Esteban Sarmiento (Author), Richard Milner (Author), Donald C. Johanson (Foreword), Maeve Leakey (Afterword), Ian Tattersall (Introduction

The intuitively think that idea would make sense if there were a hundred or even a thousand small transistions and many skeletons to show the smaller changes.

Nevertheless, these same people do accept that 22 names in the Bible genealogy lead to modern men of three kinds, Caucasian, Mongoloid, and Negroid.

mathclub · Jan 24, 2012

AV1611VET said:
No -- and as I have said before -- if there is one somewhere, they've been spending too much time in the wrong book.

In my opinion.

The one exception though, is if they were called by God to do so.

In other words, if that's their mission field.

ahh, so the religious path to the truth is to only read up on your argument and not spend any time even trying to understand what the other side is saying or what evidence they have on their side?

Not sure how much truth you will ever discover with that attitude, but then again I'm pretty sure that doesn't bother you.

AV1611VET · Jan 24, 2012

mathclub said:
ahh, so the religious path to the truth is to only read up on your argument and not spend any time even trying to understand what the other side is saying or what evidence they have on their side?

Not sure how much truth you will ever discover with that attitude, but then again I'm pretty sure that doesn't bother you.

Nice try, but that door swings both ways.

mathclub · Jan 25, 2012

AV1611VET said:
Nice try, but that door swings both ways.

keep telling yourself that.

MoonLancer · Jan 25, 2012

AV1611VET said:
Nice try, but that door swings both ways.

Evidence only swings one way buddy. Its not in an open relationship.

cupid dave · Jan 25, 2012

GlobalWolf2010 said:
I would imagine that some of the scientists who support young Earth creationism do have a fairly complete knowledge of evolution and choose to reject it because they believe that accepting it would be to dump their faith by the wayside. Some of them are very honest in saying that there is evidence for evolution.

I disagree with their argument that Christianity and evolution are antithetical, obviously.

Genesis actually can be shown to support cosmic evolution starting with recognition that the Big Bang was the "In the beginning moment when God created the heavens and the earth...

... albeit a first "spark" that took 13.5 billion Earth years to expand as we see today.

Every verse in Genesis finds scientific support when one reads what is written with the mind set and knowledge of the science that confirms the event.

For instance, a Pangea-like singular ocean surround one giant continent is basically described in Gwn 1:9 which says, "all the waters under heaven were gathered together into one place."

cupid dave · Jan 25, 2012

AV1611VET said:
Nice try, but that door swings both ways.

EXACTLY...

The bible bashers refuse to debate what genesis ACTUALLY says and love to attack the doctrines that medieval men taught about Genesis before any of the science necessary to really understand the story was even imaged, let alone established.

These people actually SUPPORT you and your archaic "book report" on Genesis because that they can crush with facts and science.

AV1611VET · Jan 25, 2012

cupid dave said:
EXACTLY...

The bible bashers refuse to debate what genesis ACTUALLY says and love to attack the doctrines that medieval men taught about Genesis before any of the science necessary to really understand the story was even imaged, let alone established.

The Bible-bashers don't even know what Genesis 1 [really] says.

cupid dave said:
These people actually SUPPORT you and your archaic "book report" on Genesis because that they can crush with facts and science.

Not hardly.

Their 'facts and science' can take a hike.

Have you ever met an anti-evolution Christian who understood the basics of evolution?

Exegete/Linguist

Question everything

Only toke me 1 year to work out how to change this

Under Deck

Question everything

fallible

On Sabbatical

Junior Mint

Senior Veteran

Apprentice Biologist

Dunkleosteus

SCIENCE CAN TAKE A HIKE

cupid dave

Guest

Newbie

SCIENCE CAN TAKE A HIKE

Newbie

The Moon is a reflection of the MorningStar

cupid dave

Guest

cupid dave

Guest

SCIENCE CAN TAKE A HIKE

Similar threads