Is Darwinism Holy? Pretending that Science is Religion
Joseph Sobran writes:
I was marveling at the curious evangelical zeal of those who want Darwinism taught in the public schools but want to ban the teaching of intelligent design. Why do they care so much? Apparently nothing is holy, but Darwin is Holy Writ.
I guess it hasn’t occurred to Joseph Sobran that scientists care very much about teaching evolution for the same reason they care very much about teaching geology and astronomy: because it’s true and science classes would be worthless if they didn’t teach the truth.
I used to believe in evolution myself, but I took no joy in it. Who could?
Who cares? I find it amazing that Joseph Sobran would judge science based on whether or not it gave him joy as to opposed to whether it’s true. Lots of people find great joy in science; many others don’t. Those who do often go on to work in the sciences; those who don’t should find different careers.
If atheism is true, then nothing really matters — not even atheism. Even as a kid I could see that.
Apparently, Joseph Sobran hasn’t grown out of a kid’s perspective. It’s a misnomer to describe atheism as “true,” since atheism isn’t a claim which might be true or false. That aside, however, the absence of gods doesn’t mean that there is also an absence of meaning. Atheism isn’t the same as nihilism, something demonstrated by the fact that few atheists are also nihilists.
I don’t doubt that Joseph Sobran is intellectually unable to understand how atheism doesn’t prevent a person from having values and meaning, but this doesn’t excuse his arrogance at insisting that if he can’t understand it, then it can’t be real. Sadly, this arrogance is common among Christians who deny the reality of science and what science tells us about the universe.
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Comments
Somewhere nestled in the NT scripture is a warning issued to the flock: “…they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”
I will never cease to be amazed at the unwitting hypocrisy of Christians who use this scripture as a “proof-text” to illustrate the “evil desires” of unbelievers. Doesn’t this scripture also effectively describe a typical church service? Oh wait…I forget. They have “sound doctrine.”
okay, well i am in high school and i absolutely hate the fact that evolution is taught in my science classes. the theory of evolution is a THEORY, hence the name. evolution is not a for sure thing, it is NOT the truth. if the Christian religion it not allowed to be preached in school, and Buddhism is not allowed to be preached in school, and no other religion is allowed to be preached in public schools, then why the hell would evolution be allowed to be preached in the classroom that i am sitting in, completely AGAINST evolution. evolution is a BELIEF and beliefs are NOT to be taught in school. if i were to bring in my bible (which i have thought of on a few occasions) then that would be grounds to get sent to the deans so for a teacher to stand at the front of a classroom and tell me about HIS belief.. it’s ridiculous. THAT is hypocrisy! whether or not you believe in creationism, that’s your choice. GOD gave you the choice to not agree with what is in the bible. but my choice is to believe in what my Lord & Savior & CREATOR says.. so i shouldn’t have to sit in a class and be GRADED on something i this strongly disagree in!
Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that you have very good teachers. If they were good, they’d have instructed you on how evolution is both a theory and a fact. They also should have covered what a scientific theory is, because you don’t seem to understand that “theory” in science means something different from the vernacular.
Evolution is not a religion — certainly no more so than any other aspect of science. The fact that some religious leaders object to evolution is no more relevant than the fact that some object to geology.
No, actually, there is nothing wrong with teaching about beliefs in school.
No, you should be allowed to bring your Bible to school — at least so long as you don’t disrupt classes with it.
Your teacher is supposed to be teaching you science. What’s wrong with that?
Sorry, but atheism and belief are not choices or acts of will.
Some people disagree with astronomy and believe in astrology — so should they be exempt from lessons on astronomy? Some people disagree that the Holocaust happened, so should they be exempt from lessons on World War II? Of course not. People have a right to deny facts of the world, but doing so for religious reasons doesn’t give anyone license to opt out of basic school lessons.
Maybe viewing a evolution as a world view makes more sense. A world view is basically what our beliefs are about the word. Our world view effect our decisions and actions and can be analyzed by how it explains the following questions. Where did we come from and who are we? What has gone wrong with the world? And what can we do to fix it? If you look at things in this sense then both evolution and Christianity are in a sense a “religion”
Any more sense than treating atomic physics or plate tectonics as a worldview?
Well, that’s not evolution. Evolutionary theory is a description of how the mechanisms of evolution lead to variation in life. It’s no more a “belief about the world” than the germ theory of disease or quantum mechanics.