Psycho-Babble Students Thread 781046

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Evolution -- it's only a theory, not a fact?

Posted by Racer on September 5, 2007, at 21:43:09

[long line of phrases indicating incredulity deleted]

I'm taking physical anthropology. I live in Silicon Valley. Today, I discovered that one of my lab partners does not believe in evolution, and thinks the classic "if humans evolved from apes, why are there still apes?" is a great argument against evolution.

Admittedly, my belief in evolution is analogous to faith, since I've never seen a fossil -- although I've seen pictures, etc -- and I have to take it on faith that the scientists who write the articles are correct in their conclusions, and that the scientists who review the work for journals are also on the ball. So, a lot of it I take on faith.

I've read that there are people who really and truly do not believe in evolution, but I don't think I've ever met one before. It was a real shock for me.

And, in his favor, he did say he was taking the class to see if it could convince him.

By the way, I do know why we still have apes...

 

Re: Evolution -- it's only a theory, not a fact?

Posted by Meri-Tuuli on September 6, 2007, at 10:21:39

In reply to Evolution -- it's only a theory, not a fact?, posted by Racer on September 5, 2007, at 21:43:09

Well, I'm a geology grad student (if you hadn't guessed already!) and we clearly believe in Evolution, I mean, thats what we're taught, like the earth goes around the sun.....the earth is round etc....

The creationists publish whole credible textbooks on er, creationism.

When I was doing my undergrad, one of my fellow students (geography major, did some geology minor) said that she didn't really believe in evotution, which I found slightly challenging to accept her different viewpoint.

Its abit like a physicist not believing in atoms because you can't see them.

 

Re: Evolution -- it's only a theory, not a fact?

Posted by Happyflower 1 :-) on September 6, 2007, at 11:18:39

In reply to Evolution -- it's only a theory, not a fact?, posted by Racer on September 5, 2007, at 21:43:09

I would love to talk more about this but I have to get to school in few minutes. I saw the Darwin's exhibit in Chicago a few weeks ago, and it helped my DH who also does not believe in it. Or I should say he believes in it only if he can fit relgion into it.
A friend of mine at the gym who is a history teacher said this exhibit is very expensive because they had trouble getting coorporate sponsers because of the controversy of topic.

The exhibit was amazing, really. Gotta go!

 

Re: Evolution -- it's only a theory, not a fact? » Racer

Posted by seldomseen on September 8, 2007, at 21:49:14

In reply to Evolution -- it's only a theory, not a fact?, posted by Racer on September 5, 2007, at 21:43:09

well, it's a theory, but I think it does only what a scientific theory does, provides an explanation of something.

The further I got into my education, I came to realize that we don't know a lot about how we got here - in fact, we don't know a whole lot about a whole lot of things.

While I understand your defintion of "believing" in evolution, for most the word should be "accept" the theory of evolution, or I am satisfied by the theory of evolution.

I also understand that there are those that, for various reasons, do not accept evolutionary theory and favor other less scientific explanations.

I say kudos to your lab partner for being willing to at least entertain the data that make up the theory and then make a decision with a little more information.

 

Re: Evolution -- it's only a theory, not a fact? » Racer

Posted by Cerulean Romance on July 31, 2008, at 10:23:46

In reply to Evolution -- it's only a theory, not a fact?, posted by Racer on September 5, 2007, at 21:43:09

Do not threaten his beliefs. Beliefs are like possessions, young man: even if you don't want them anymore, you'll still lay down your life in defense of them. Let him dispose of his own beliefs in his own time. That is his right, and I would tell him so if I considered him my friend. If he approaches you with the subject again, ask him if he would rather compare notes with you instead, and try to be supportive of him.


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