Thank you to everyone that has responded. I really appreciate the feedback.

I have taught high school and college science for over Awww

30 years. This includes teaching in cultural environments where scientific understanding clashes directly with cultural beliefs.

I give my caveat at the beginning of each year. Here goes:

a) I was hired to teach mainstream scientific thought and understsnding;
b) I do not have a monopoly on all the answers;
c) i cannot tell what to believe, nor have the energy to try;
d) You have three choices: i) you can choose not to believe anything I teach you, ii) you can cherry pick those things you chose to believe and disregard the rest, or iii) you can believe everything that I am teaching;
e) Regardless, when I test you, I expect you to demonstrate the explanation that mainstream science says is at work. Regardless of your personal beliefs and perspectived.

Its worked for me for 30 years. Good luck.

I am not sure it is you responsibility to help them understand, but it is your right (and likely a part of your grade) to use the course material to engage in discussion with other students. Every time they say something ignorant and counter to the course material, you have the right to respectfully engage them. Present them with the facts. They won't likely change, but it will help reinforce the course concepts for your own learning.

I can see a couple of things going on here. We have no idea what sorts of grades this person is getting in the class. Allowing diversity of opinion in the class may be a ploy to get students to think, process, and defend the content of the class. Unless this person is dominating online discussions, I'm not sure you have a case. If you feel that's true, then I think approaching the professor is acceptable -- as long as you emphasize the fact that discussion content that actually supports the course materials is being quashed.
As an ex-professor, I sometimes would allow a student to back themselves into a corner with their comments. Remember, this is the student who in an actual class would have all the students rolling their eyes every time they opened their mouths And, guess what, the professor is doing the same -- only professionals don't show it. The path this generally takes in a classroom is that eventually the weight of the legitimate discussion wins out, and the grades of the dissenter also push in the direction of at least understanding that they are not the instructor and that their grade will depend on evidence that they have learned the course content -- whether or not they agree. The professor may be doing some things behind the scenes you aren't aware of.

Every time that person says anything, you could respond with "That's you, not people who use reason." Keep it up until they quit making comments.

I would let it alone. Let the professor handle it.

I'd almost never advocate this normally, but I worry that if you were to do so, it would be seen as religious discrimination (no matter how kindly you go at it), and that could have an effect on your outcome, not necessarily in that specific class, but in more important areas, like graduating. It's sort of a coward's (i.e. a politician's) answer, but that's probably how I'd not handle it. I understand your concern though of course.

I recommend you go to the professor and state your concerns. Explain how you believe the near-constant attempts to undermine the science are distracting you, and you suspect others, and that it's a serious issue.

i would reach out. i'd start with "you know this is a science class, right?" then i would point out that religion is not only a personal thing but one that varies from person to person, so that the claims s/he makes in class conflict not only with physical reality but with the possible belief systems of the other students. i might mention that unless this person was trying to convert everyone in the class to christianity, and meanwhile fail the course (in which case this person has a bad motivation to start with and you can quit trying to explain at this point), making religious statements is inappropriate in ANY class, except a bible class for that same religion. i might ask if the person was home-schooled. i am guessing s/he was.

g

I wouldn’t bother wasting my time on a closed mind, they don’t want to know any different. It’s scary for them,

I'd try to convince them as long as I see a chance of them changing their mind. If they don't I'd probably make snarky remarks until they give up.