William Scott wrote: > This is a very interesting article. The ridiculous arguments against > evolution are laid out well, probably by an author with a scientific bias. > The statement that science is not a new religion, though, is less than > honest. Darwin was seen in his time (and still is) as the destructor of > christianity. What else could his ideas (and Wallace's) be than a new > religion? > > First, there were many Christians in Darwin's time who believed Christianity and evolution to be compatible -- James McCosh of Princeton among others. You should have a look at Ron Numbers' book _Darwinism Comes to America_. The issues were much more complicated than they are usually portrayed today (often for political reasons). Moreover, there are many Christians today who believe the same thing (though they don't often make the papers). Second, even if evolution did make religion superfluous, it does not follow that something that makes a religion superfluous must itself be a religion. When people started to move out of caves into purpose-built shelters, that didn't make the shelters a new kind of cave. Caves just became superfluous. > The fact that evidence is used rather than ideas is inconsequential to the > basic conflict. Only to non-scientists. Though it is probably true that people who are trapped within an exclusively religious mindset tend to see evolutionary theory in religious terms (they leave themselves no cognitive alternative) and thereby miss much of its actual claims and import. Such people will also tend see the issue of evidence as peripheral. But they are misguided. > We all have beliefs that have to be *personally* contradicted in order to > change. Evolution theory does not do that to most people. > I think you've confused epistemology with psychology here. The fact that "most people" adjust their beliefs in this way or that way doesn't make it a reasonable way. Most people don't use their turn signals when driving either. So much the worse for them.
Chris -- Christopher D. Green Department of Psychology York University Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Canada 416-736-2100 ex. 66164 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.yorku.ca/christo/ "Part of respecting another person is taking the time to criticise his or her views." - Melissa Lane, in a /Guardian/ obituary for philosopher Peter Lipton ================================= --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
