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If your relative is so indoctrinated by neo-christian ideology that they believe in creationism over evolution, the question is more if they should raise childr

If your relative is so indoctrinated by neo-christian ideology that they believe in creationism over evolution, the question is more if they should raise children at all, much less educate them.

eduction 3y ago
As an English speaker on this site, the odds are very high you are descended from someone who believed in creationism. I argue it is good our ancestors weren’t forcibly taken from our other ancestors ala Stalin, Mao etc. simply for being Christians as it was defined a few generations ago. If you don’t like it, though, there are less successful countries in this world that still persecute people based on religious belief. You are free to try one out. See how it goes.
- jmye 3y ago
  This is a weird argument. I don’t agree with parent, but the reasons are vastly more nuanced than “your ancestors were religious so you’re wrong.” And that’s ignoring the even weirder swipe suggesting parent move to a different country.
  - eduction 3y ago
    Not a question of anyone being wrong. Having the opinion that my relative should have her children taken by the state might be repulsive to me but it is a statement of values, not something that can be refuted. Instead I simply suggested a reflection: would you still feel this was a good thing to do if it was your great great grandparents having their children seized? Wouldn’t a great many of us have had our families broken?
pfannkuchen 3y ago
Is there utility in believing in evolution over creationism in the average person’s life? If so, what is it? I’m an atheist and evolutionary biology is my favorite field outside of CS, but unless you are personally working on figuring out how things actually work, I’m not sure how one belief over another benefits the average person.
- mbfg 3y ago
  The idea of believing things without evidence is a dangerous pattern to fall into. It may not matter as you say, if you don't see evolution as most likely correct, but if your mind is willing to accept things without proper evidence, you are going to be a shill.
  - arkey 3y ago
    Is assuming "mostly likely correct" things as an absolute fact not dangerous? Evidence, when not absolute, is as useful as the lack of it. People accept evolution without having a clue about it.
    - mbfg 3y ago
      One should proportion belief to 1) The amount of evidence for a claim. 2) The grandiosity of the claim. If you tell me you have a pet dog named "Spike" I probably would be willing to accept that with as little evidence as a picture of you holding a dog, found in your wallet [i might even take your word for it, if i knew you to be an otherwise mostly honest person]. Because, dogs exist and are plentiful, billions of people own dogs, and "Spike" is a common name. you may be fooling me (it may be the neighbors dog) but i'm still justified in the believe because the evidence rises to the claim. If on the other hand you claim that you have a pink polka dotted flying dragon as as a pet named "Chester". I would be a fool to believe you. I have no evidence such a thing exists, or that people have them as pets. I would have to see it in person, and even then, i would need to get a report from teams of biologists/zoologists to be willing to accept the claim. It would require tons more evidence. And yet, the claim STILL isn't _that_ preposterous. The dragon would be an animal, and i know animals exist. I know there are animals with scales, i know some animals fly. I even now there are some with wild coat patterns. Now if you tell me you believe in an all powerful all knowing god who is responsible for why there is life? I have zero evidence, i have no experience like what you are describing. I've never been given evidence of a being outside of time and space. I don't know that that is even a thing. I don't know what all powerful is, or if that could exist? or all knowing? is that possible? I have no correlary to compare to. It's not like we know King Neptune exists, and while not infinitely powerful, is still pretty boss. Why would i believe that was the explanation for why there are creatures on this planet? Evolution, on the other hand, has mounds of evidence. We have a powerful fossil record, We went thru a pandemic that shows the power of mutation. Even our own ability to drink milk. And yet even evolution isn't making all that fanciful of predictions. It doesn't claim to know your thoughts, or how you will die. So the evidence rises to claim. Do we know everything there is to know about evolution? Could we be wrong in some areas? Sure. But we are justified in accepting it.

If your relative is so indoctrinated by neo-christian ideology that they believe in creationism over evolution, the question is more if they should raise children at all, much less educate them.

eduction 3y ago

As an English speaker on this site, the odds are very high you are descended from someone who believed in creationism. I argue it is good our ancestors weren’t forcibly taken from our other ancestors ala Stalin, Mao etc. simply for being Christians as it was defined a few generations ago. If you don’t like it, though, there are less successful countries in this world that still persecute people based on religious belief. You are free to try one out. See how it goes.

jmye 3y ago
This is a weird argument. I don’t agree with parent, but the reasons are vastly more nuanced than “your ancestors were religious so you’re wrong.” And that’s ignoring the even weirder swipe suggesting parent move to a different country.
- eduction 3y ago
  Not a question of anyone being wrong. Having the opinion that my relative should have her children taken by the state might be repulsive to me but it is a statement of values, not something that can be refuted. Instead I simply suggested a reflection: would you still feel this was a good thing to do if it was your great great grandparents having their children seized? Wouldn’t a great many of us have had our families broken?

pfannkuchen 3y ago

Is there utility in believing in evolution over creationism in the average person’s life? If so, what is it? I’m an atheist and evolutionary biology is my favorite field outside of CS, but unless you are personally working on figuring out how things actually work, I’m not sure how one belief over another benefits the average person.

mbfg 3y ago
The idea of believing things without evidence is a dangerous pattern to fall into. It may not matter as you say, if you don't see evolution as most likely correct, but if your mind is willing to accept things without proper evidence, you are going to be a shill.
- arkey 3y ago
  Is assuming "mostly likely correct" things as an absolute fact not dangerous? Evidence, when not absolute, is as useful as the lack of it. People accept evolution without having a clue about it.
  - mbfg 3y ago
    One should proportion belief to 1) The amount of evidence for a claim. 2) The grandiosity of the claim. If you tell me you have a pet dog named "Spike" I probably would be willing to accept that with as little evidence as a picture of you holding a dog, found in your wallet [i might even take your word for it, if i knew you to be an otherwise mostly honest person]. Because, dogs exist and are plentiful, billions of people own dogs, and "Spike" is a common name. you may be fooling me (it may be the neighbors dog) but i'm still justified in the believe because the evidence rises to the claim. If on the other hand you claim that you have a pink polka dotted flying dragon as as a pet named "Chester". I would be a fool to believe you. I have no evidence such a thing exists, or that people have them as pets. I would have to see it in person, and even then, i would need to get a report from teams of biologists/zoologists to be willing to accept the claim. It would require tons more evidence. And yet, the claim STILL isn't _that_ preposterous. The dragon would be an animal, and i know animals exist. I know there are animals with scales, i know some animals fly. I even now there are some with wild coat patterns. Now if you tell me you believe in an all powerful all knowing god who is responsible for why there is life? I have zero evidence, i have no experience like what you are describing. I've never been given evidence of a being outside of time and space. I don't know that that is even a thing. I don't know what all powerful is, or if that could exist? or all knowing? is that possible? I have no correlary to compare to. It's not like we know King Neptune exists, and while not infinitely powerful, is still pretty boss. Why would i believe that was the explanation for why there are creatures on this planet? Evolution, on the other hand, has mounds of evidence. We have a powerful fossil record, We went thru a pandemic that shows the power of mutation. Even our own ability to drink milk. And yet even evolution isn't making all that fanciful of predictions. It doesn't claim to know your thoughts, or how you will die. So the evidence rises to claim. Do we know everything there is to know about evolution? Could we be wrong in some areas? Sure. But we are justified in accepting it.