Tuesday, October 11, 2016

In which I agree with an atheist about the teaching of evolution

An atheist blogger by the name of Luciano Gonzalez has blogged some advice to Christians when it comes to teaching evolution:
Here’s a tip: if you want to get evolution to not be taught anymore, focus on disproving it. Not trying to connect it to failed/”bad” social and political attitudes. Focus on finding evidence which disproves evolution, not making it somehow sound “bad” to people who hear how you conflate it with certain attitudes or ideas.
I couldn't agree more. I have given basically the same advice (generally not well received) to parents in churches I've belonged to. Knowing  that I'm a scientist, they often ask some variation of: I want my child to study science but I don't want them exposed to evolution.

I give them a response along these lines:
Evolution is the best (if not the only) scientific theory that explains the diversity of species. I disagree that it is an enemy of Christianity, my being a thiestic evolutionist, but even if I didn't "believe" in evolution, I'd give you the same advice:  
You hate evolution? You think it is dangerous? Don't run from it. Don't spout nonsense about it violating the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. Don't get fleeced by the charlatans from that cottage industry known as Answers in Genesis. Don't do any of that. Go out, study it, and disprove it.

Not the answer they hoped for. Which might explain, in part, why I'm not the most popular guy in the pews. (Actually, I don't think it explains that!)

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