Poll: Do you support evolution?

[Astoria]

Of course I believe in it and I don't really see how anyone couldn't, even religious people. It makes perfect sense and there's heaps of evidence for it, we can see it happening now with bacteria because of antibiotics. I'd have thought religious people would actually like evolution because they can go 'look this is how god works, this is proof of his existance'. It only proves the bible wrong which doesn't make any sense anyway.

 

[Ryan Hughes]

OT: Please do the entire community here a favor and familiarize yourself with the term: false dichotomy. Then, make certain to take your new found knowledge into account before making another flame-bait thread. Thank You.

 

[Headsprouter]

Certainly, just as every sensible person, regardless of religion, does. Straight up, if you don't believe in evolution you're not bring sensible, and that's not a controversial statement. In fact this thread almost has no discussion value, really.

True, bringing this kind of poll to the Escapist and expecting it to be representative of the general population is insanity.

If that doesn't make it clear as to what I think, yes, I believe in evolution, and everyone else in this mostly atheist/agnostic website will think so, too. Your year-old polls are more currently representative than this site ever will be.

 

[masticina]

One does not BELIEF in evolution.

BELIEF is based upon FAITH, a RELIGIOUS entity

EVOLUTION is based upon SCIENCE, it can be tested, measured and even predicted upon.

Hence why I support the idea of Evolution. It is the best explanation we have of how things currently work and are. It is perfect, no, there are still allot of details we are working on. Evolution is not just one thing it has allot of sub hypothesis and theories that are worked upon.

Do I as person understand it all, no, but for what I have seen for what I can understand with my level of knowledge. It just works!

And the best part about evolution is that it is a scientific theory. So if there are any small errors they are fixed.

And in the end "god did it" answers nothing. I mean if your car is gone and you we're certain you parked it right there. And you come to me [lets say I am a police guy] about this very situation. And I say "Oh god did it" .. you would not be happy with that answer.

So I can't support the religions "god did it"

 

[Quaxar]

Oh dear Quaxar, look where we are again. This thread is like my inner demon. It pains me so but i HAVE TO LOOK. AHHHHHHHHHHHH.

What is this, have I become some sort of holy figure in this forum without realizing?
Better start talking wise stuff so people can fight over their different interpretations of it.

Uh... "A Hox cluster in the bird is worth four in the fly."
Damn, this is harder than you'd think.

OT: Young-Earth Creationism all the way. Because it's the only conclusive explanation of why there still are monkeys.

 

[Zipa]

I don't believe in evolution but rather acknowledge that the scientific theory of evolution is in fact correct as proven by the huge amount of scientific research gone into it. Same as the theory of gravity or electromagnetism.

Also for those asking about a religion that is anti evolution look up the Jehovah witnesses, they even print pseudo science literature to brainwash members and others when attempting to gull them. I work with someone who tried this on me and he was less than impressed when I debunked all his bullshit.

 

[Phrozenflame500]

One does not BELIEF in evolution.

BELIEF is based upon FAITH, a RELIGIOUS entity

EVOLUTION is based upon SCIENCE, it can be tested, measured and even predicted upon.

Eh, strictly speaking you do "believe" and "have faith" in evolution, but you do it because of hard evidence and facts. As opposed to creationists who believe in creationism due to blind faith.

It's completely semantics and really doesn't change your point, but I'm a nitpicky asshole who insists on people using proper wording.

 

[Jandau]

It is a consistent theory, evidence supports it, not much contradicts it (at most, there are some missing links), the process has been witnessed on a smaller scale in the present (animals evolving different physical characteristics to adapt to a change in their environment). So yes, I'm with it.

That being said, I never found that evolution contradicts creationism, at least in general terms. Taking the Christian variety, Genesis actually lists the various stages of how the universe was created in fairly accurate terms, albeit metaphorically. Religion says what God did, Science tells how he went about it (I'd just like to note at this point that I'm an agnostic).

The problem with religion in this context is that people insist on interpreting what is written as literally as possible, which ends up being silly. But idiots are idiots, regardless of their religious beliefs (or lack thereof).

 

[San Martin]

Oh and every time I see a lunatic argue that bananas are shaped for our hands by god or whatever I crack up.

Evolution is a thing, maybe some deity set the universe in motion, but nothing was created as it is now.

So you're honestly trying to tell me that bananas, objects clearly intended to be used by early humans as dildos, are the product of a natural process? I don't think so. It would take a God who's aware of the sensuous joys of getting on down for some penetrative fun to come up with such a sexy, sexy design.

Bananas=dildos=proof of God's existence.

Our God is a sex fiend, can you relate?

 

[Jenvas1306]

so after a little discussion with my bf I'll add: I rather believe in annunaki than god

instead of just random mutations it might have been the manipulation of aliens that led to our evolution. maybe they even mixed their own DNA in...

or maybe our compleet planet was put in this position and terraformed to bare life by an ancient machine that travels the universe to plant the seeds of its lost creator (my bf is into heavy scifi)

Spoiler: Dr. Steel knows best

even this slightly crazy sounding stuff makes way more sense than most believes in a godlike entity. after all if that creature really exsists, would religious people want to keep worshiping it? it would probably change the way they believe and stuff (there is a stargate reference here somewhere).
when the exsistance of god is proven, he anyway is just another fact of science.

 

[San Martin]

One does not BELIEF in evolution.

BELIEF is based upon FAITH, a RELIGIOUS entity

EVOLUTION is based upon SCIENCE, it can be tested, measured and even predicted upon.

Eh, strictly speaking you do "believe" and "have faith" in evolution, but you do it because of hard evidence and facts. As opposed to creationists who believe in creationism due to blind faith.

It's completely semantics and really doesn't change your point, but I'm a nitpicky asshole who insists on people using proper wording.

Personally I don't think you're nitpicking; your point is entirely relevant. Believing the theory of evolution is the most logical approach. However, just as belief in a god requires faith in its existence, so to does belief in the theory of evolution (and they're not mutually exclusive) require faith in the basic tenets of the scientific method. It may seem like mere semantics, but in reality if you're going to debate a topic so important, and with so many philosophical ramifications, as the origins of life itself, then getting the concept of "faith" right is necessary.

 

[sir neillios]

Get this to the R&P boards already, although to be honest so far its been surprising civil given the subject matter.

 

[SpAc3man]

I would not use the term "believe".
I would say my conclusion to the evidence I have learnt of is that evolution is the most logical theory of how life came about. I don't expect a better theory to ever exist.

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

I think it's absolutely ridiculous not to, since mankind has literally been engineering evolution for hundreds (hell probably thousands) of years. Dogs, for fucks sake. We pretty much created that subspecies in its entirety. And even if the vast amount of proof wasn't enough for me to say that it was undeniably true, it sounds a hell of a lot more probable than "A giant invisible man magically poofed everything into existence exactly as it is and I know because of a 2000 year old book that has giants and unicorns in it."

 

[Piorn]

I believe in Evolution.
I personally don't know if it exists, because I lack the capability to test it myself, but I have faith in it's existence, because it fits into my view of the world.

One thing I know though, is that people like to treat Religion like a Science, and then laugh at it for being not science.
Science and Religion aim at different questions, using different methods, yet people still insist they should be measured with the same scales. So everyone gets his own scale and "disproves" the other one in an endless, senseless feud.

 

[Vareoth]

No I don't believe in evolution. I KNOW evolution exists.

 

[Woodsey]

Yes.

I also believe in the sky and the Earth and the colour blue.

One thing I know though, is that people like to treat Religion like a Science, and then laugh at it for being not science.

Perhaps people should stop trying to stick religion into arguments it has no place in if people don't want to be laughed at.

I think it's absolutely ridiculous not to, since mankind has literally been engineering evolution for hundreds (hell probably thousands) of years. Dogs, for fucks sake. We pretty much created that subspecies in its entirety. And even if the vast amount of proof wasn't enough for me to say that it was undeniably true, it sounds a hell of a lot more probable than "A giant invisible man magically poofed everything into existence exactly as it is and I know because of a 2000 year old book that has giants and unicorns in it."

It's also been observed in lab experiments.

Can't religion be the answer to why, and evolution could be the how?

Just something I thought I would add. I'm for evolution to be honest.

Perhaps. But there's no reason to think that other than to think it. People always come out with that in an effort to sound balanced, but it's a false dichotomy. One's entirely evidence-based, and then you're putting something which is the complete opposite on the same level just so people don't have to feel a little bit silly and can pat themselves on the back.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

I think any sane and reasonable person that has looked at the evidence would really have to be forced to. I might have had a head start (my dad is a very ardent athiest, as his family were batshit crazy. 'There are no dinosaurs because they didn't make it onto the ark' crazy), but even if I had been raised religious I still think that by now I would have come to the same conclusion.

I think it's absolutely ridiculous not to, since mankind has literally been engineering evolution for hundreds (hell probably thousands) of years. Dogs, for fucks sake. We pretty much created that subspecies in its entirety. And even if the vast amount of proof wasn't enough for me to say that it was undeniably true, it sounds a hell of a lot more probable than "A giant invisible man magically poofed everything into existence and I know because of a 2000 year old book that has giants and unicorns in it."

It's not even just dogs, they're just the most obvious. Any domesticated animal (hell, not just animals, fruit, vegetables, flowers...). Considering that cows can have serious difficulty birthing without help, I don't see how people think they've always been that way.