Evolution Deniers - An Endangered Species

by cofty 98 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  cofty

  Evolution explains how everything descended from a common ancestor over millions of years.

  Creationists only seem to want to talk about what came before that common ancestor.

  Just for the sake of discussion let's pretend that the following is true. Imagine science had nothing to say about the origin of the universe or life or DNA or the first cell or even the first multicellular organism.

  Even if all of that was the case - and it isn't - none of that would make the slightest difference to the fact of common ancestry through millions of years of biological evolution.

  Evolution is not an issue for most Christians. They have accepted the overwhelming evidence and adapted their theology. Evolution does not require atheism.

  It is a beautiful fact. It is beyond sensible dispute. Only Muslims in and Protestant Evangelicals are still fighting against it.

  The wilful ignorance that is required to do so has no place in an age of freely available information.
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  dothemath

  Actually I think anyone that believes the account of Noah and the flood has to also believe in evolution.

  All land animals wiped out only 4500 years ago? All this diversity from the "kinds" that Noah saved?

  Thats a scale and timeline that I don't think even evolutionists could fathom.

  I've been watching a documentary on all the flightless birds found around the world recently. (There are many examples- most extinct since rats invaded all the islands)

  So how did they get to these islands in the middle of the ocean.....and then somehow lose flying ability or even wings completely?

  As you mentioned, it takes a lot of wilful ignorance. From your topics it's a subject you have studied in depth, thanks for your posts.
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  TD

  It is a beautiful fact. It is beyond sensible dispute. Only Muslims in and Protestant Evangelicals are still fighting against it.

  QFT
  
  
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  Esse quam videri

  '...Just for the sake of discussion let's pretend that the following is true...'

  Watchtower speak.
  
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  John_Mann

  Saint Augustine said Genesis is an allegory. He lived in the 4th century. No need to adapt the Catholic theology.

  Jews also never considered Genesis as science.

  Genesis (creation, deluge, babel, etc) comes from old and lost religions of Mesopotamia.
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  Dunning-Kruger

  Only Muslims in and Protestant Evangelicals are still fighting against it.

  I live in the Middle East. I am not Muslim, and my observations are anecdotal, but plenty devout Muslims who pray 5 times a day accept the science of evolution, and see no contradiction. I am not an expert on why, but was told the Koran is unclear on the topic.

  On the other hand, there are other Muslims who do believe creation, if you ask them. I have seen pseudo-textbooks written for kids try to explain away the fossil record, etc, but I am pretty sure none of that is taught in schools.

  There is a third group (probably the biggest) who have not been exposed to Western debate about the issue, and do not know whether their religion contradicts the theory of evolution.

  From what I have read, there are flat-earth Muslims as well (based on certain Koran passages) but I haven't met any.

  I know the official standard view in the West is that Muslims are creationists, but I wonder if that is because in the past, the West pigeon-holed Islam as creationist, Muslims with contact with the West adopted that interpretation as their own, and it has filtered back to the Middle East.
  
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  Saethydd

  Evolution Deniers - An Endangered Species

  Well, that's natural selection doing its thing.
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  Ruby456

  it is very misleading to argue from protestant evangelists to Muslims. for one thing Muslims learn their Koran in ancient Arabic as children - so here the koran is more or less a closed holy book and it the handling and reciting that makes one purer and not so much the content - so here its ritual that is important and chimes with praying 5 times a day. Protestantism is focused on reading and understanding the scriptures.

  Muslims are closer to Catholics - Catholics have similar ideas that the Bible is holy as a closed book and they are more focused on the rituals. I would further argue that those who are more focused on rituals would be more accepting of evolution as there is no clash of beliefs as head knowledge

  cofty it is best to stick with factual explanations from what you know - the protestant evangelicals that you know. cos most evangelicals accept evolution - at least the ones I know do and I seem to know many more than you. else you wouldn't be making such non factual sweeping generalisations
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  Ruby456

  problem with the line you are taking is that you are not suggesting anything for xjws to build some sort explanatory mechanism that will make them want to trust nature's beautiful patterns and orderliness and this is the reason I sometimes take issue with your stance
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  Dunning-Kruger

  I don't want to get involved in any argument between Ruby and Cofty. The point I was making in my earlier post is that, even though Muslims are commonly pigeon-holed as creationists, that is an over-simplification. Clearly some devout and educated Muslims do not feel any inconsistency with accepting the science.

  I was just adding the point to show the pool of creationists was even smaller than Cofty was suggesting.

  I do agree with Ruby that, in my limited observation, Muslims don't read the Quran etc in a "sola scriptura" manner. For example, the dress requirements for women (burkas etc) are mostly from tradition, not from the Quran or other texts. But I want to stress again that I am no expert on this.