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Especially the last 10 pages, which is just full of childish posts that amount to 'no it's not' 'yes it is'.
Personally, people that dumb and stubborn should just be ignored.
Many aren't dumb. Many are very intelligent, smart, creative, successful people. PhDs, Businessmen, Engineers, Musicians, etc.
It's just that the power of childhood brainwashing (with associated group think) is a lot stronger than the power of reason.
Also, the near death transformation (from depression, prison, alcoholism, drug addiction, etc) people experience when they become "born again" shows the human mind's priority to rank the irrational over the rational for survival purposes.
I didn't even have to open the link; just the title was enough. I don't bother with the evolution threads anymore. Once someone believes something no amount of evidence will sway them unless the individual is already at that place in his or her life when they're ready to hear it.
I didn't even have to open the link; just the title was enough. I don't bother with the evolution threads anymore. Once someone believes something no amount of evidence will sway them unless the individual is already at that place in his or her life when they're ready to hear it.
That's right. I've given up on the evolution threads too. Been down that road too many times to know that it's futile even trying to engage with someone who doesn't want to know.
And they really don't want to know because they are not interested in any information that threatens their belief system.
I'm kind of torn about this though.
On the one hand on an individual level really what does it matter if a person doesn't believe in evolution? It's harmless right?
And I wouldn't worry so much if this were just a handful of people. But vast numbers of Americans don't believe in evolution. We are not talking piddling numbers here.
To me evolution is blatantly obvious /undeniable - as obvious as gravity or the nose on your face.
And this is a country that put a man on the moon and gave us iphones yet almost half the nation is deluded about mans origins.
I suspect that they may be less creationist than the stats would suggest -just as there is more irreligion than the stats would suggests.
I looked up 'Godwin's law'. The longer a discussion goes on the greater the probability of a Hitler comparison. (Arq's law says that in a debate about atheism, the Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot comparison will come sooner rather than later.)
"there is a tradition in many newsgroups and other Internet discussion forums that once such a comparison is made, the thread is finished and whoever mentioned the Nazis has automatically lost whatever debate was in progress." Wiki
There is also a tradition that one could sooner get Hitler to admit he was wrong than to get the one who mentioned him to accept that they have lost the debate. I'm not sure that it does, but it does tend to increase the heat and devalue the discussion. But then, 'Playing the Hitler card' is one of the methods used to trash the game by those who feel that they are losing points.
Last edited by TRANSPONDER; 12-04-2013 at 04:23 AM..
That's right. I've given up on the evolution threads too. Been down that road too many times to know that it's futile even trying to engage with someone who doesn't want to know.
And they really don't want to know because they are not interested in any information that threatens their belief system.
I'm kind of torn about this though.
On the one hand on an individual level really what does it matter if a person doesn't believe in evolution? It's harmless right?
And I wouldn't worry so much if this were just a handful of people. But vast numbers of Americans don't believe in evolution. We are not talking piddling numbers here.
To me evolution is blatantly obvious /undeniable - as obvious as gravity or the nose on your face.
And this is a country that put a man on the moon and gave us iphones yet almost half the nation is deluded about mans origins.
Is anyone else worried by this? Is it even anything to worry about really?
It mainly gets my hackles up when they try to legislate how it's taught in schools, but I prefer to take those fights to state capitals rather than internet forums. But yes, there is a definite relationship between acceptance of evolution and scientific literacy (as defined by using facts in a decision-making process), and that does concern me.
So now who you gonna argue with
Sometimes people are very set in their ways.....
And you're right...there's no changing it for some.
Yes, that is exactly right.
Some people simply cannot accept that we humans are just another form of animal life. They absolutely have to believe that we are 'special' in some way.
For example, one of our more intelligent Muslim posters believes in evolution for all life on Earth - except humans.
It is impossible to change their mind and, to be honest, there is nothing we can learn from the 'creationists', so there is no point discussing evolution with them.
Besides, I judge people based on how they act, not what they believe. Some of my friends are creationists.
I agree. How people act is more important than how they believe. The real point in debating here is for both sides to put their case and the ones who stick the fingers in the ears first have pretty much lost the argument.
It doesn't matter because the only person who can make them listen is themselves. It does happen. We have had a few fundies who have come to their senses just as we have had at least one informed atheist who at leads came to see 'God' as likely.
What matters is not what individuals believe, but what is considered valid by evidence, because that is what is taught in education, and the other stuff can be left to churches or creationist websites.
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