I keep beating this horse, but it keeps coming back to life. I’m going to keep it short and sweet this time. This is aimed at Christians who cannot decide whether you want to be a materialist or theist.
Delusion #1: You are too dumb or too uneducated to have a scientific opinion. Incorrect. It is the substance of the arguments that matter, not the experience of the person presenting them. This is a cheap shot to disqualify an person without actually confronting her argument. If you have made this argument, you cheated, but only against yourself.
Delusion #2: Evolution is not a belief system. Actually, it is. In fact, it is considerably more theological in nature than scientific. A scientific theory must be falsifiable, but every time a falsification is made a new tweak to the theory is made to account for it. Compare what is called “evolution” by textbooks today to what Darwin wrote over a century ago. Evolution is merely a popular form of experimental theology that will adapt as much as necessary to fit the facts. By the way, I have no argument with theology being paired up with science and see that as a perfectly legitimate and even unavoidable practice. I just want you to be honest about what evolution actually is.
Delusion #3: Evolution and Christian Theism are compatible positions. Not at all. There are people who try to hold to two diametrically opposed belief systems simultaneously. This is sometimes called post-modernism or relativism. When you compartmentalize your belief systems so that in one context (friends/family/church) you believe in one thing and in another context (work/school) you believe in something else, you are living a lie. Post-modernism is ridiculous and irrational because it considers this kind mental disconnect normal. It allows you to say contradictory things that still make you feel good.
Nobody can actually live her life this way, though. Rationality is the actual normal expectation everyone has and the default position to which everyone returns. If this incongruity describes you, then you will eventually try to harmonize these two contexts. Then, you will become confused. Finally, you will cause confusion for others because contradictory positions don’t harmonize (harmony is rational, belief in a contradiction is madness). Please, prayerfully, stop trying to be a walking contradiction and pick a context and a belief system. Be rational.
Christian theism and the standard model of scientific evolution are not compatible. There is no rational harmony to be had. Pick one and move on.
Cheers.
Sterling,
I couldn’t agree more that any “belief in contradictions is madness”. I recall using that exact phrase on many occassions.
But should one not apply the same standard to whether one should embrace belief in any unprovable and contradictory idea? Faith in anything is what I am talking about.
On that note, I disagree with “pick one and move on”. You are assuming that a person must believe one of these two ideas. As far as ideas for the origins of life, there is a heap of them. Could you have not offered the Islamic version of creation? Or what about giving the Norse gods a time share? I won’t go into ancient Egypt’s version of the events. That would violate your “G-rating” rule.
Just so you know where I am, I see that many explanations for evolutionary biology seem to have gaping holes in them. You know how I deal with those? I refuse to believe them unless they are proven. What I don’t do is glom onto thinking that is based completely on the irrational when a SMALL PART of what I currently think is called into question or disproven outright. I just say “well, I was wrong about that.” And go back to playing with my kids!
By the way, you have the (possibly dubious) honor of being the first commenter on my new blog.
As you might have noticed in the first paragraph, I mentioned my audience is Christians. Though, Norse mythology might be thought of as just as compatible with Christianity as evolution is.
Finally, if I understand you correct, stating that “faith in anything” is “unprovable and contradictory” doesn’t seem to by a very practical motto to live by. We all live by faith in the mundane things, at the very least.