to be surprised when I find an educated person doesn't believe in evolution?

[Bennifer]

I've recently found out that someone I know doesn't believe in evolution. However, they're well educated and work in education. I really struggle to see how intelligent people cannot believe in evolution. I can see how someone might take the view that somehow God inspired the rules or the original divine spark, or something, but to deny evolution seems to be something so bizarre I can't imagine an educated person would do so.

AIBU?

Is their name Elaine and do they work in a primary school?

I can.

Large swathes of American citizens don't believe in it!

There are quite a few creationists out there actually.

But on the flip side I know several scientists with religious faith who still believe Evolutionary Theory.

UANBU, this always amazes me too.... but then I'm a scientist by training, living in a house full of scientific people (DH and our eldest 3 DS are all very scientific).

I'm always even more amazed if the evolution denier is educated in a science rather than an arts discipline.

However lots of people will be along shortly to give you biscuits and say yabu

No, it's not an Elaine! It's just one of those things I find shocking, given that it's perhaps the best established scientific theory which accords with all the evidence we have - to deny it is to choose not understand how the world works

YANBU OP. Although 'appalled' would be the word I'd use if this person is involved in education. (BTW There is conclusive evidence for evolution... living things are evolving around us all the time)

I also don't understand how someone can refuse to accept what's clearly been shown to be the case. Oh well, it doesn't matter. What they believe or not doesn't alter anything. We're here just the same whether we came from a big pool of goo or the garden of eden. Nod and smile, nod and smile

I believe in evolution so I think YANBU. However if someone believes in creation or divine evolution then that is up to them. Who knows, we might be wrong and they might be right!

Cassette - I think there is conclusive evidence for evolution!

I don't understand why evolution has to conflict with believing that God created the world. It's perfectly possible to believe that God created Evolution.

Sorry to be a bit pedantic but we don't "believe" in evolution we "accept" it as a theory that works as far as we can tell.

By using the phrase "believe in evolution" in the same way that we "say believe in God" we forge an equivalence that isn't there. We can only believe in God, we can test evolution.

It's still only a theory - hence being called "The Theory of Evolution".

Bonnie there is never conclusive evidence for anything! Only beyond reasonable doubt

Dreaming, thanks. I did ponder whether to use the word accept, but I did wonder whether it sounded a touch arrogant - I agree with you though, one accepts evolution and believes in creationism

Zozzle, theory used in science is something different than it means in every day life. It's far, far more than just a "hunch"

What does this person mean when they say they don't believe in evolution, OP?

I think there is a big difference between saying you believe that dinosaurs lived at the same time as humans and that dinosaurs still roam the earth today (in Papua New Guinea according to conservapedia) and that humans have been on the earth from the first week of the world having existed and did not evolve from anything else...

And believing that evolution is not happening now, that scientists who have observed it happening in labs are liars, and that as a consequence all funding into cancer research must stop because people who work in cancer research base their ideas on cells evolving by natural selection.

I don't really care if people believe that evolution didn't happen in the past. I do care if they believe there is 'no conclusive evidence' it is happening now.

I was wondering how long it would take someone to make an ignorant comment about it being 'a theory.'

A theory is a scientific term.

Vash, to be honest, I don't know precisely, as I backed out of the conversation.

cassette actually, plenty of proof of evolution available all around you RIGHT NOW

Small scale example from everyday life, you treat a bacteria with antibiotics, some may survive and reproduce if they have mutant genes which allow them survive in the presence of the antibiotic .............. this is happening all the time and it's why antibiotic treatments have to be changed, why we need to discover more anti-biotics.

Somebody much cleverer than I will be along to explain the usual chestnuts "half an eye/wing/beak is no good". Evolution is inevitable where you have organisms comp eating for resources - survival advantages from tiny differences in an organisms genetic make up are passed on to offspring, which are in turn more likely to survive to reproduce, spreading the "better" gene through the population - and so on.

DH doesn't believe in evolution to the extent of us from apes, he is very well educated. He just doesn't, I do it doesn't appall me and nothing is ever absolute.

Yanbu op - it always surprises me as well. I've met quite a few creationists over the years, in my younger days had a few arguments/discussions about it. Now I just back away slowly...

According to one creationist I knew the fact that a rhino had a horn is actual proof that there is a god.

Zozzle read this for the meaning of 'theory' :

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_theory

What do you make of the theory of gravity?

YANBU. I think it is very surprising. I do not think that we should accept that what is happening in America will inevitably just drift over here.