The Ongoing Debate: Evolution vs. Religion

[alexhenderson]

I argue with a ton of people that I know, and most of them ask me why I believe in evolution.

I always ask them to look at the evidence some day and to stop being arrogant, but they deny the fact, because it gets in the way of God.

What can I say to them? I get the usual response, Adolf Hitler was an athiest, but he was Catholic. They still don't believe me.

 

[micromass]

I got from another thread that you're only 14 years old. I know it's unfair, but people won't believe anything you say because you are too young. I think that age doesn't matter, but a lot of the world thinks it does.

The best thing that you can do in your case is take a few biology classes and learn why evolution is really true. I think that, if you haven't studied a particular subject, then you are unqualified to talk about it. Most creationists don't know anything they're talking about. But thesame thing actually applies to you. You may believe the correct scientific thing, but it doesn't mean much if you haven't actually studied it.l

As for the people that think evolution is false because hitler is atheist... Well, I hope that those people are pretty young, because it shows a lack of knowledge of both history and biology... Tragic...

 

[Ryan_m_b]

It's a hard thing! You can lead people to knowledge but you can't make them think. My advice would echo micromass's, take a biology course or buy an introductory book on the subject. I know the name is a little off-putting but I've always found the "Dummies Guide" books very good, they have one on evolution.

Some tips for you though;

- Try not to use the word "believe", it has connotations of faith. The word "accept" is much better i.e. "I accept evolution because..."
- In arguments try explaining the basics of evolution. Many people try to jump straight onto monkeys and men but if you start simple it tends to make people think. All evolution really is is the gradual change of species over time. When an organism reproduces it passes on its DNA but there will be some errors in the copying making the offspring slightly different. Over long scales of time the organisms can be radically different.
- Ask the person what their understanding of evolution is. In my experience 9/10 creationists are creationists because they have been raised in an environment surrounded by other creationists/priests etc always telling them it's wrong. If they tell you what they understand it to be you can work from there correcting them. Remember; just because they are wrong doesn't make them idiots. The majority of people are perfectly normal, they have just been brought up in an environment that perpetuates this.
- Stay Calm and Stay Polite! I cannot overstress this one enough, the last thing anyone wants is somebody ridiculing their beliefs and implying they are stupid. The aim isn't to attack the person but to help them by educating them. Even if they ridicule you be the bigger man (or woman), take it on the chin and stay calm.

Hope this helps, as for the hitler thing (aside from the fact he was catholic) ask them this "If a mass murderer tells you 2 + 2 = 4 does that make him wrong because he is a murderer?".

 

[russ_watters]

I argue with a ton of people that I know... What can I say to them?

Nothing. Stop arguing with them, it isn't healthy for your relationships and there is no need/reason for you to be doing it. I have a friend who is extremely liberal. We used to argue politics all the time, but I stopped discussing politics with him because the arguments always became heated. I have another friend who is bad at managing money and I used to try to help him, but I stopped because he always got mad because he thought I was criticizing him. In both cases, we get along better now.