Do you think evolution is a religion? why or why not?

[seebs]

Originally posted by clue
If I am pointing out the obvious inconsistencies between the 2 theories, I am only 'speaking the truth in love'.

You are mistakenly portraying Biblical doctrine as though there were only one possible way to interpret it.

A faith not based on a search for the truth is foolish indeed and needs to be exposed.

Right - but when you tell people that, if they search for the truth, and come to think it involves evolution, that this means faith is wrong, you create a very large stumbling block.

 

[Pete Harcoff]

Originally posted by clue
Really?  Maybe you should read some of Stalin or Hitler's writings.

If you want to make this a moral argument, then you're going to have to defend a lot of immoral acts perpetuated in the name of Christianity.

People do bad things and try to justify them any number of ways, be it science, religion, whatever. You can't pin human atrocities on any one single cause.

 

[What is a Darwin?]

You are taking the definition of religion as if in order to be a religion it has to have places of worship, holidays and lots of other things. From what the definition says it sounds like religion can be very simple. Dont you think?

 

[Late_Cretaceous]

Since when does any religion have anything to do with morals?

 

[Pete Harcoff]

Originally posted by What is a Darwin?
You are taking the definition of religion as if in order to be a religion it has to have places of worship, holidays and lots of other things. From what the definition says it sounds like religion can be very simple. Dont you think?

If the definition of religion is to have any meaning, you have to restrict it to things that are, well, "religious" (spirituality and so forth). If you expand the definition to include anything people may believe, then the definition becomes meaningless.

 

[What is a Darwin?]

Originally posted by ocean
Creationism is actually a belief based on a religious text, and the only people who believe it[creationism] are people who follow the Christian religion!

Methinks you type faster than you think. No?

 

[What is a Darwin?]

potato chips can be religous the definition says nothing about spirituality

 

[ocean]

How can potato chips be religious?

 

[Nathan Poe]

Originally posted by What is a Darwin?
I think most people will agree that creationism is religion enforced by scientific theory. I also think thatevolutionism is scientific theory held up mainly by religion. what do you think?

I think most people have agreed that you don't know what you're talking about. So let's break down your original post part-by-part.

You think creationism is religion. So far you're right.

...enforced by scientific theory. HUH?

First of all, science is a tool to describe the natural world. It doesn't enforce anything. Second, are you ready to offer up some scientific proof (That has not been refuted already) that describes the processes of Biblical Creationism?

You also think that evolution is a scientific theory. Another nugget of fact.

...held up by religion. HUH AGAIN?

Evolution is scientific theory. Scientific theory is held up by observation, experimentation, and/or logical inductive reasoning. If that makes evolution a religion, then atomic theory, astronomy, and more or less all of mathematics (algebra, geometry, calculus) are all equally religious.

In the future, please take the time to consider your words before you make bold statements about what "most people would agree" on.

 

[Pete Harcoff]

Originally posted by What is a Darwin?
potato chips can be religous the definition says nothing about spirituality

Exactly my point. Now, should I apply for tax breaks for buying a bag of Lays?

 

[clue]

Originally posted by seebs
You are mistakenly portraying Biblical doctrine as though there were only one possible way to interpret it.

Another time, another debate....

Originally posted by seebs
Right - but when you tell people that, if they search for the truth, and come to think it involves evolution, that this means faith is wrong, you create a very large stumbling block.

If the stumbling block is the truth, so be it.

1 Cor 1: 22-24

Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

 

[ocean]

WIAD,

You obvously don't know what you are talking about, you are only 16. If evolution is religious, than so is creationism, this board, monday, Lay's chips, Pepsi, and Canada. Anything can be religious using your definition.

 

[What is a Darwin?]

I think most of you are ignoring the facts in this thread.

 

[Pete Harcoff]

Originally posted by What is a Darwin?
I think most of you are ignoring the facts in this thread.

What facts? So far I see rhetoric. And a dictionary definition.

 

[What is a Darwin?]

If you believe in chips, monday, this board and anything else with ardor and faith then you believe in them religously. BY DEFINITION! So go argue with your dictionary and see how far you get.

 

 

[What is a Darwin?]

wisdom doesn't necessarily come with age. I think ocean is a fine example of that.

 

[clue]

The other side is just throwing up well established scientific theories (and other statements that just don't follow from the definition) to try to derail the fact that the dictionary's definition of a religion would imply that evolution is one.

 

[Nathan Poe]

I know there's an unwritten rule around here: Anyone who uses Hitler as an example has lost their case, but I couldn't resist...

Originally posted by clue
Really?  Maybe you should read some of Stalin or Hitler's writings.

Well, I don't know about Stalin, but let's look at some of Hitler's "evolutionary" writings (emphasis mine):

"Therefore I am convinced that I am acting as an agent of our Creator. By fighting off the Jews, I am doing God's work." --Mein Kampf

"Secular schools can never be tolerated because such a school has no religious instruction and a general moral instruction without a religious foundation is built on air, consequently, all character training and religion must be derived on faith. . .we need believing people." -- April 26 1933, from a speech made during negotiations leading to the Nazi-Vatican Concordat of 1933

"We stand at the end of The Age of Reason. A new era of the magical explanation of the world is rising." --Quoted by Victor Stenger in Has Science Found God?

OOPS! My mistake, these are samples of some of Old Adolf's Christian writings! And since clue's statement:

I would suggest that evolution and doctrinal Biblical teachings are not compatible.

claims that one cannot be a Christian and a evolutionist, that leads us to a contradiction. Hitler might not have been a Christian, but he certainly claimed to be one. If he believed himself to be a good Christian, then I guess he was no evolutionist, now was he?

 

[Freodin]

Sadly, the reference to Hitler (but not to Stalin) is partially correct.

The Theory of Evolution, the talk about the "survival of the fittest" gave rise to a theory called "social darwinism" which focused on the "battle for survival" and the need for the "strong races" to dominate the "weak races".

That was the basis for the Nazist doctrine of the "Herrenrasse" battling for survival against the inferior, but more numerous and unscrupelous "Untermenschen".

We have to accept this stepchild of Evolution, as the Christians have to accept their responsibility for the Crusades.

 

[clue]

Originally posted by Nathan Poe
Well, I don't know about Stalin, but let's look at some of Hitler's "evolutionary" writings (emphasis mine):

"Therefore I am convinced that I am acting as an agent of our Creator. By fighting off the Jews, I am doing God's work." --Mein Kampf

"Secular schools can never be tolerated because such a school has no religious instruction and a general moral instruction without a religious foundation is built on air, consequently, all character training and religion must be derived on faith. . .we need believing people." -- April 26 1933, from a speech made during negotiations leading to the Nazi-Vatican Concordat of 1933

...

OOPS! My mistake, these are samples of some of Old Adolf's Christian writings! 
 

You've got to be kidding me.  Do you know who else Hitler persecuted?? 

The Nazi Master Plan: The Persecution of Christian Churches

Originally posted by Nathan Poe
And since clue's statement ... claims that one cannot be a Christian and a evolutionist, that leads us to a contradiction.

I did not claim that.  So everything else you said based on this false claim is BOGUS.