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What does evolution mean to you?

"With substantial evidence included or not, do you believe in evolution or is that an absurd theory to you..?"
When I was young I was made to take religion classes. Every Wednesday after school I showed up to an extremely old yet beautiful, historic church that contained no human being I enjoyed but myself and my sister. One day I asked my mother if I could stop going. She set down her book and asked me "Why what's up, what's going on at church?" I explained my beliefs. In class we would read scripture and course books. I told my mother sitting in religion I ask a question and there is one answer. No more, no less, and to ask for more may be sinful. I explained how I preferred science so much more for in a scientific study every answer leads to millions more questions and eons of research. And that curiosity is welcomed with open arms not slapped on the wrist and given the duns cap. My mother told me "you've done what I've asked and participated in our religious belief as a family, if you don't like it don't go. No worries honey."
You can't knock something till you try it ????????????

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Kittkatts 3 Jan 23
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23 comments

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11

One does not 'believe' in evolution. Belief is an assumed truth and needs no evidence. Evolution requires no belief. One either accepts the ideas of evolution or one does not. Evolution as a process in nature is a fact. We know evolution happens. We have seen it. We can map it. We can make predictions based upon the evolutionary concepts and those predictions hold up.

At this stage, anyone who says evolution is not real is suffering a severe cognitive problem. Granted, we don't yet know all the mechanisms and how they work in detail, but we know it works. As in any scientific endeavor, there are always questions generated by every answer. That is part of the process. What we can take to the bank is that each of those questions will eventually be answered and it may be a step ahead in developing the theory further or it could be that the answer forces a change in the thinking to that point, but the theory itself will probably not go away.

Very well put!

10

Evolution is probably the most solidly established piece of science ever created. If it's not real, nothing is.

skado Level 9 Jan 23, 2018

What about gravity?

Yep, right up there. @shockwaverider

It's the way things come about. Whether you believe doesn't matter. Nature does its thing, waxing and waning.

5

Evolution is a fact. One does not chose to believe facts over fiction, it is a matter of accepting facts or rejecting them.

5

Evolution is obvious. They may not have worked out just how it all works but they are making progress. I love science.

I also love science. Many religious communities often reject the facts though and that boils my blood lol.

4

It's fact. You don't get to reject it unless you come up with a better explanation that fits the data.

4

We are desendents of an ape, 4.5 millions of years and many branchings of our ancestors has brought us here. Our closest cousins are chimpanzees..the issue of this even being doubted is being fostered by religious leaders based on a word, "Theory".
Evolution is real, it is verfied by genetics..

4

All you have to do is look around. Everything evolves. People, culture, technology (try find a Prius in a 100 year old time capsule). Denial of evolution is a denial of life our place in the world and, worst of all, our mortality.

3

Let’s start with the definition of a scientific theory. A scientific theory is an explanation of an aspect of the natural world that can be repeatedly tested, in accordance with the scientific method, using a predefined protocol of observation and experiment.[1][2] Established scientific theories have withstood rigorous scrutiny and embody scientific knowledge.[3]
Whether it is evolution, gravity, or relativity (all theories) we are talking about stuff that has been replicated (proven) over and over again. This stuff is real and works. All modern biology is based on evolutionary theory. Religion is not based on facts and cannot be proven. That’s one hell of a difference.

VolPa Level 2 Jan 23, 2018
3
  1. Are traits passed from parents to children? If parents are tall, does that make their children more likely to be tall? If parents are intelligent, does that make their children more likely to be intelligent?

  2. Despite the above, are there 'random variations' in offspring? The three tall daughters of two tall parents may all have a tendancy to tallness, but do they still vary - some taller than others?

  3. Can variations in physical aspects alter the chance of survival to child-bearing adulthood? If a child is stupid, or clumsy, or lives in an environment where they need to hunt for food, can their physical characteristics affect their survival rate?

If the answer is 'yes' to 1, 2, and 3 above you WILL GET EVOLUTION. Simple as that.

2

Tho not every facet has been explained, & some may never be totally explained, the Theory of Evolution has been proven just about as conclusively as any scientific theory can be. Fossil records, genetics, direct observation, etc. all match up to show that "evolution" & natural selection are how we attained the diversity of life we have today.
Now, Abiogenesis is still a work in progress as to what exact method, if there is/was only one, led to life. But, even that is a fairly sure bet to be explanation, in some way.

2

Science doesn't care what you believe. Just say to yourself that you don't believe in gravity and then jump out a window and see what happens...

2

Recently Education minister in India made a stupid comment on this, he said Charles darwin was wrong and he would remove evolution from syllabus of schools and colleges. and he said many countries are already against it. India's current government is already known for its religious bias and laws that are based on religion. and im sure the countries which are already against it are also sponsored by some religious leaders.

didn't know the India thing. That's criminal in my mind to deny children truthful education.

1

Evolution is a fact not up for debate- everything evolves over time. What is truly up for debate is Darwin's theory of evolution. What people argue over is creation, where did we come from. Evolution is simply changing and adapting to your environment over time, and there is proof of that everywhere. For example, the rattle snake is losing it's rattle. It is evolving. IMO, you should be asking if people belive in Darwin's theory of evolution.

Darwin's theory, as you state it, is an integral part of the theory of evolution in whole. Basically, it's the component of natural selection, which goes hand in hand with everything else. Nowadays it's more "neo"-Darwinism", as Darwin at the time he wrote had no knowledge of the mechanisms that passed traits on, i.e.: genetics, but to use "Darwin's theory" as the ID or creationist schools do, & to try to split it off of the Theory of Evolution itself, is a strawman.

1

It's kind of like a religion for me. Well, except it is backed by facts.

1

Evolution itself is, of course, a reality. The empirical evidence we keep on uncovering can only point to its being so. The only doubt lies in the nature of evolution. Natural selection is the accepted theory, again, because of supporting empirical evidence, but it's by no means a certainty.

1

My real answer isn't listed in the poll. An evolute derives a shape from an existing curve according to a rule. E means out, Vol is something rolled up. So evolution to me means, right or wrong, by virtue of its name, that it is a mathematical concept and not subject to debates about whether or not there is such a thing as evolution.

@Ride_Captain In case @andygee doesn't clarify: there is a sense in which evolution could mean the construction of an evolute — a geometric construction. Nothing to do with evolution as generally understood. I think he's just playing with words.

@Coffeo @Ride_Captain "Playing" with words but for an important purpose. The concept of constructing one thing from something else according to a rule is strictly mathematical and is not dependent on anyone's opinions or beliefs. So the answer to the question "Do you believe in evolution" must always be yes. The answer to "Do you believe species evolved from older species" is empirical but is squarely grounded in math. I offered this as a handy piece of information to have if anyone is in a debate.

@andygee It might be useful in a debate if you just want to confuse your opponent. There aren't that many people who would be familiar with the mathematical concept.

@Coffeo You are correct, sir. But fair is fair. Creationists seem to be armed with the cherries and low hanging fruit of the dregs of evolutionary biology.

1

the reality is I'm kind of short and not real pretty.

0

Belief is completely irrelevant in the face of scientific knowledge.
Santa Claus requires belief.
God requires belief.
Reality doesn't need anyone to believe.

JimG Level 8 Feb 11, 2018
0

I don't like the word beleif in this context. I don't say that I believe that evolution is true, instead I say that the evidence is overwhelmingly in favour of supporting evolution

0

For no other reason than Darwin's beard was GREAT!!!!!!!

0

While evolution is not thoroughly understood by anyone, and many teachers have a very poor understanding of it, it is none the less the underlayment of all of biology.

0

Evolution. Change over time. It's brief and is overweight with subtext. It has to be unpacked. The real emphasis should be on the things that promote these changes. Mutation. Selection (natural, sexual and artificial). I read Origin of Species when I was a kid and found it well above my head walking away with just a pop-sci comprehension. It was only after The Selfish Gene when I was able to dig deeper and really appreciate what Darwin was trying to describe. I don't think that I've been able to do much better.
As for what it means to me, it's this: the weight of a theory rests its predictive capabilities. Evolution, Germ Theory, Atomic Theory, Heliocentrism, Gravity all have made deductions that have led to advancements in knowledge, comfort and safety. Gawd diddit dindu nuffin.

0

Did you realize that Darwins grandfather, born in 1731, believed in evolution?

Its really not a new idea.

gater Level 7 Jan 24, 2018
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