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?

To be honest i find it weird intelligent people are religious. They ought to know better really.
Religion is a complete crock of shit imvho.

Intelligent adults believing in God is an oxymoron. Believing in the imaginary and supernatural past puberty is... odd. It requires the suspension of rational, logical thought and intelligence. I've met 'book-smart' people who are religious but not anyone truly intellectual and religious. I respect everyone's right to believe whatever they want, but I can't respect the beliefs themselves. To not believe in Evolution is bordering on a form of mental illness (and I don't say that frivolously). How can you deny what's in front of you and prefer to believe in fairy stories?!

How can you deny what's in front of you
In part because they don't put it in front of themselves. The hardcore types in the States construct their creationist museums etc, and put loads of lies on the net and in books, and the faithful put that in front of themselves instead. Here - its easy enough to avoid science, if you want to.

I'm on the same page as Krumbum.

intelligent educated people and religion just don't mix! Intelligent, educated, religious person is an oxymoron.

I remember watching an amazing documentary on quantum mechanics and string theory and stuff once, and this physicist suddenly started talking about how he reconciled his religious beliefs with his scientific knowledge. He was so eloquent, and it was so lovely...I am not religious at all, and err on the side of not liking it, but I got his kind of spirituality. He just had to believe there was some higher power, for reasons deeply personal to him.

I'd never really understood it before - how can you reconcile such seemingly opposing things? In his little speech, the human being suddenly seemed so amazing - to be able hold knowledge, and belief, in the same hands - I no longer think they necessarily negate each other.

Well, no, that's going a bit too far. I've known intelligent, educated religious people. Actually, I used to be one. But 'It's like they don't use their intelligent, rational brain when it comes to religion.' is true - that's the 'faith' trick. Its not supposed to be rational.

There are an awful lot of these oxymorons about, though. Not least in the world of academe.

I know an Ecologist who believes the earth is only about 6,000 years old, in addition to believing in the creation myth (as opposed to the big bang myth- we haven't proved that one, either, and if you ask a Physicist what was around BEFORE that, they get quiet...). In her church, one either believes ALL the bible, or not. There is no room for "picking and choosing" out of the bible. I can respect her for this.

I've now had my reading list increased by: Jokester (which is in Robot Dreams and Earth is Room Enough for those also curious) as well as The Case for Christ (really interested in that one, as I was also under the impression that there was not very much surviving contempourous evidence for Jesus Christ, not even a couple letters from or to Harrod (or Pontious Pilot). Certainly, the gospels were all written down long after all the relevant parties had passed on... not having a go, just looking to be better educated!)

To further blow The Seccond Coming's mind: in Space, there is neither rightside up nor upside down!

There's no conclusive evidence for evolution.

There's no conclusive evidence for the theory of gravity either - but we are not floating around at will.

I'm pretty sure that gravity is 'proved' by the Maths.

sciencelover Ooooh it could have been..it was a little while ago, can't remember the name. Did it have quantum cafe stuff in it?

I know this discussion has evolved (HA!) now from simply accepting evolution or not, into how to reconcile seemingly opposing thoughts but I come from a place of almost no academic knowledge, learning or training, and equally little belief in much religion. But reading about seriously crazy (i.e. mind blowing) scientific theory is as fascinating to me as theology.

And forgive my clumsy, layman's writing but - what this physicist was saying that at some point in his career as a scientist, as he searches for truth and fact, he has had to have equal belief in something until it can/was proved as he has had his entire life in his religious beliefs.

Creationists scare me when it comes to their beliefs in terms of evolution, but far away from that there's also room for science and religion. As Shakespeare says:

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

Proving that there's also room for the arts in our wonderful little brains too

Shakespeare didn't say it - god! He wrote it but you see what I mean!

Evolution is fact.

God doesn't exist.

I've also come across some VERY intellegent people who hold religious beliefs and scratched my head. I've always thought they must do the double-think thing. One part of their lives is rational, fact-orientated, accepting/rejecting theories based on their merits etc. The other part just accepts and doesn't bother analysing too deeply because their beliefs would fall apart. Why do this? To quote my neighbour 'life would just be too sad without god' ....

Plus, I think (but I'm no mathematician/physicist) that the maths describes gravity rather than proving it. As far as I've always understood, they don't really know what gravity is. If true, it really is ONLY JUST a theory. Pretty strong one though, don't you agree?

YA definately NBU...I cannot fathom this either.

I'll be vey stereotyped here, I see a lot of engineers who are bright in a sense, who seem to be creationists - i don't know if it's something to do with the mechanical mindset

Evolution happens for sure. The theory bit is that the diversity of life on Earth is down to evolution by the process of natural selection.

YANBU!

I always find it slightly insulting when people suggest that over all the years of my science education I never thought deeply about my faith. It is that though, faith. Irrational (literally, not in the lazy perjorative sense), and despite trying very hard not to, I still believe.

I think what it demonstrates is the model of how we imagine we think (very rational, unbiased, not affected by emotions) is clearly very wrong, and I suppose it's good for us "rationalists" to not be so hubristic at times

Why?