Why is evolution taught in our schools?

[Neostarwcc]

Well, they do teach it as theory ... but because there is no other alternative being taught in school ... many of the children accept it as truth.

When our young son asked us about this ... how do I answer questions to something that is untrue .. we had a huge discussion on what theory is. Theory can be difficult for young children to understand. So, we told him to answer the questions according to the "theory" taught, but that does not mean at all one is required to believe a theory, any theory.

See when I was in school they taught it as fact and not a theory. It must be I had some atheist teachers who wanted to prove to us that there was no God. I believed it since this was before I became a Christian but now it just seems like such a pointless theory to me. Especially now when scientists don't think we evolved from apes anymore which was one of the main things I was taught in high school.

But you would think as science continues to evolve that they scientists would come up with an alternate theory to prove that there is no God. But I guess not.

 

[Dave-W]

We do know that humans evolved from earlier species.

How do you "know" humans are not a separate act of creation?
Can you prove that with repeatability in a lab?

 

[Dave-W]

It's about the Bible. In particular, it is about an interpretation of the creation stories of Genesis which I, for one, find shallow and theologically inadequate and would have nothing to do with even if there was no theory of evolution.

Do you not have a supernaturalist mindset and world view, as presented in the Bible?

 

[VirOptimus]

-snip-
Especially now when scientists don't think we evolved from apes anymore which was one of the main things I was taught in high school.

Humans are apes by definition.

But you would think as science continues to evolve that they scientists would come up with an alternate theory to prove that there is no God. But I guess not.

Science does not deal with thing that are not part of physical reality like god(s) and magic.

 

[VirOptimus]

How do you "know" humans are not a separate act of creation?
Can you prove that with repeatability in a lab?

We know because we understand the data. No magic required.

 

[expos4ever]

Atomic Theory, Germ Theory and the Theory of Gravitation are all repeatable in a laboratory.

Try repeating evolution.

So we can’t reproduce evolution, at least not on a grand scale. So what? The evidence for evolution is still overwhelming in the extreme. We can’t “repeat” many things we know to be true.

 

[Dave-W]

We can’t “repeat” many things we know to be true.

IF you cannot repeat it, then you do not "know" it.

You believe it based on FAITH.

 

[VirOptimus]

IF you cannot repeat it, then you do not "know" it.

You believe it based on FAITH.

How about no.

Do you have any knowledge about the ToE? What does it entail according to you? What are its weak points?

 

[Neostarwcc]

Humans are apes by definition.



Science does not deal with thing that are not part of physical reality like god(s) and magic.

Right I agree with you but we didn't evolve from them. When I was in school I was taught that we evolved from them because at the time scientists thought we did.

But yet there are many scientists out there trying to prove the existence of God. I'm not saying magic is real though. Magicicans deal worth illusion and don't actually have any magical powers.

 

[essentialsaltes]

IF you cannot repeat it, then you do not "know" it.

So we don't know whether the Pyramids were built by humans rather than aliens?

 

[expos4ever]

Let’s say we agree that Hitler was the mastermind of the Holocaust. Is the truth of this claim subject to repeatable verification?

Of course not. Hitler is long-dead are we are not going to dig him up and try to repeat the Holocaust.

Yes, repeatability is desirsble but it is hardly a necessary pre-condition for establishing fact.

Repeatability is like “its only a theory” - these are both red herrings.

 

[Jimmy D]

See when I was in school they taught it as fact and not a theory. It must be I had some atheist teachers who wanted to prove to us that there was no God. I believed it since this was before I became a Christian but now it just seems like such a pointless theory to me. Especially now when scientists don't think we evolved from apes anymore which was one of the main things I was taught in high school.

But you would think as science continues to evolve that they scientists would come up with an alternate theory to prove that there is no God. But I guess not.

What about that vast number of Christian, Muslim and Sikh etc scientists? Your comments are inaccurate and spurious.

 

[Speedwell]

Do you not have a supernaturalist mindset and world view, as presented in the Bible?

What do you take to be a "supernaturalist mindset?" Does a "supernaturalist mindset" require the belief that God, in inspiring the creation stories of Genesis, intended them to be taken as nothing but accurate literal history?

 

[Neostarwcc]

So we don't know whether the Pyramids were built by humans rather than aliens?

I heard somewhere when I was a kid that the pyramids WERE built by aliens. I forget where I heard it though. Its hogwash though. The pyramids were built by Egyptian slaves. But we know that slaves built the pyramids by history.

 

[Dave-W]

Let’s say we agree that Hitler was the mastermind of the Holocaust.

Actually that would have been Himmler and Eichmann.

Hitler (may his name be blotted out) set the direction, but they masterminded the HOW. He wanted it done. They devised the means to actually do it.

 

[Dave-W]

What do you take to be a "supernaturalist mindset?"

A mindset that does not try to explain the supernatural events in scripture via natural forces.

 

[Speedwell]

See when I was in school they taught it as fact and not a theory. It must be I had some atheist teachers who wanted to prove to us that there was no God. I believed it since this was before I became a Christian but now it just seems like such a pointless theory to me. Especially now when scientists don't think we evolved from apes anymore which was one of the main things I was taught in high school.

What you were taught in high school was evidently nonsense.

But you would think as science continues to evolve that they scientists would come up with an alternate theory to prove that there is no God. But I guess not.

Nothing that science has discovered or potentially could discover can disprove the existence of God. Even atheists scientists know this and don't try.

 

[Dave-W]

I heard somewhere when I was a kid that the pyramids WERE built by aliens.

There is a cable channel we get called "Destination America" that has a series on it called "Ancient Aliens."

Not one that I ever watch.

 

[Galdrun]

You know, in my christian homeschooling curriculum, I was taught creationism instead of evolution. Looking at the creationist hypotheses that I learned almost 2 decades ago vs. the hypotheses put forward now: they are new and completely different. It's like the old ideas weren't panning out, so they just tossed them out and drew up something new.

I've had to go out of my way to research evolution as an adult, and I find it interesting how new evidences found only prove to strengthen their argument. It seems that many different fields of science outside of evolution only serve to bolster the claims biologists make, as well (such as geologists and the evidence for the age of the earth, and the different eras the earth has undergone that influenced life through the ages).

Still, with this said, there's nothing that shows that god still isn't the creator, or the designer. I think what people find under attack isn't god at all, but their interpretation of the bible, IMO.

 

[Neostarwcc]

What you were taught in high school was evidently nonsense.

Nothing that science has discovered or potentially could discover can disprove the existence of God. Even atheists scientists know this and don't try.

It was nonsense. I'm ashamed to admit that I believed it at one point. But yeah a lot of what I was taught has been disproven by science. Except for things like Germ Theory which has been proven by science.