Posted on 08/15/2006 11:34:34 AM PDT by gobucks
Evolution is on the way out - more than 30% of students in the UK say they believe in creationism and intelligent design. Harriet Swain reports on a surprising new survey. *snip*
This means more than 30% believe our origins have more to do with God than with Darwin - evolution theory rang true for only 56%.
Opinionpanel Research's survey of more than 1,000 students found a third of those who said they were Muslims and more than a quarter of those who said they were Christians supported creationism.
Nearly a third of Christians and 10% of those with no particular religion favoured intelligent design.
Women were more likely to choose spiritual explanations: less than half chose evolution, with 14% preferring creationism and 22% intelligent design. While three years of learning how to weigh evidence appears to make students slightly more inclined towards evolution, with 57% of third-years choosing it compared with 54% of first-years, it does not appear to put them off belief in God.
As many third-years as first-years believed in creationism, although slightly fewer supported intelligent design.
The findings come as little surprise to Roger Downie, professor of zoological education at Glasgow University. Two years ago he surveyed the views on evolution of biology and medical students there. *snip* He says schools and universities need to be clearer about how science differs from other evidence, such as that provided by religion.
"The impression people get is that science is about accumulating a lot of facts in your head rather than testing of evidence and fine-tuning what you find." Scientists have recently expressed growing concern about creationism being taught alongside evolution in schools, particularly at the new academies run by the Christian Vardy Foundation.
(Excerpt) Read more at education.guardian.co.uk ...
"Really? When was the scientific experiment done that proved that life sprang from non-life? Did I miss that one, somehow?
"
It hasn't been done. But that's a completely separate thing. Evolution has nothing to do with how life originated. It deals with speciation only.
Science is not done with polls of the general population. It's that simple. You can believe the Theory of Evolution or not, and that fact has no effect on science.
But, please get over the idea that the Theory of Evolution has anything to do with the origins of life. It does not. I has to do only with speciation.
Before I even read the post, I somehow knew the Guardian would want to blame this on Bush and America.
The theory of evolution assumes that life exists. That's it. Can you show me where the theory of evolution assumes life from non-life?
"Move 'em goal posts.
You can believe the Theory of Evolution or not, and that fact has no effect on science.
Actually, I believe that the ToE provides the most coherent explanation for speciation. My question to you is, how is the ToE falsifiable?"
That's certainly a good thing, because life does not come from non-life.
A rabbit (or any mammal for that matter) fossil in the Cambrian shales.
A true chimera (centaurs, mermaids, griffins). Combinations from different lineages. An Intelligent Designer could put a human torso on horses & fishes and wings on lions. Right?
A shark with a vestigial pelvis (like we find in whales and porpoises).
Produce one of the above and fame awaits you.
Actually, it's simple-minded to think that life does come from non-life.
Thank you for your answer. Sadly, it is a strawman. My statement was that ID was not science. Your response is, I gather, that TToE isn't either.
Rather than open a second line of argumentation, I would first like to conclude this one. TToE's status is irrelevant to the discussion of ID's status.
May we please agree that ID is not science before bifurcating the discussion?
I can show you where it has been taught that way in the past.
Therefore, I welcome your joining in saying that it is not true that life comes from non-life.
It looks like the dumbing of youth is happening in the UK as well as the USA.
Actually, it's simple-minded to think that life does come from non-life.
Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Likewise, I welcome the fact that you admit man could not have literally arisen from dust as printed in Genesis 1.
It wasn't the dust, it was the BREATH...the miracle was that God's breath gave life to His children.
Guess I misread “…God formed man of the dust of the ground…” Was that a misprint?
Or, did God form a dead man, and later animate him?
You seem to have missed the notation about God doing the making.
"And the LORD GOD formed....."
Actually, I didn't say that at all. If you check the cite, I didn't mention dust.
But, since you bring it up, the belief is that pre-existing intelligent life formed life here on earth.
It says, "The LORD GOD formed...."
So?
He made the body of man, then performed CPR on it to animate it. Doesn’t that presuppose that God has a physical form?
Yes – I am getting a bit snide here, but with a purpose.
I have often asked the question on evolution threads, “Why do so many Christians accept that disease is caused by germs and not by God’s Punishment, that epilepsy does not have to be demonic possession, and that the earth orbits the sun – but they get all bent out of shape on the subject of evolution. What is so special about evolution?
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