Tobytone
Verified User
I did not have a religious upbringing, but like most people, that didn't mean I was any less interested in our origins. My interest has ebbed and flowed over the years, sometimes bordering on obsession. I believe this is a common experience for many.
Everywhere I turned, evolution seemed to be the prevailing narrative, overshadowing the Biblical accounts that had dominated human history for so long. Many argue that recent scientific advancements have discredited Genesis, elevating evolution to the status of 'fact.' With various dating methods, evidence from dinosaurs, and the fossil record, evolutionists seem to believe that the only debate left is just how misguided believers truly are. They speak as though they've got it all figured out, but they don't. This leads me to one of my pet peeves: about 30 years ago, every documentary or Hollywood scientist seemed to drop the word "theory." Regardless of one's beliefs, for many reasons, I think all belief systems are still very much 100% theoretical.
"We know the Earth is over 4 billion years old," "Dinosaurs were extinct 60-70 million years before humans walked the Earth," "The first frogs appeared 350 million years ago"—these claims are made with such confidence, discussing the six evolutionary changes over 275 million years that have led to the modern frog, which has been hopping around the planet for the last 66 million years. The assumption that we have complete fossil records of all these variations, neatly laid out in strata, is easy to make when the word 'theory' is omitted. Many people think that if something is stated as fact, it must have been thoroughly examined by objective scientists. Most don't want to be thought of as naive or uninformed, so it's safest to agree with the prevailing scientific consensus. However, the dirty little secret is that scientific 'facts' often rely on a small amount of evidence supplemented by numerous computer models and assumptions.
To this day, I ponder our origins with a healthy dose of skepticism. In my view, there seems to be much more evidence supporting the concept of an intelligent designer than the notion that we evolved from a single-celled organism in some primordial soup, perhaps delivered by a comet, into every living thing on Earth through random mutations over billions of years. Frankly, this idea always seemed more far-fetched than even the beliefs of the 'Paleo-SETI' proponents.
I'd love to hear what others believe or don't believe, especially if there is conclusive evidence that truly elevates evolution or any origin theory to factual status. Out of interest, here are a few notable scientists who have believed in creationism and the literal account of our origins in Genesis. Some are still living today, while others date back to the 16th century
Everywhere I turned, evolution seemed to be the prevailing narrative, overshadowing the Biblical accounts that had dominated human history for so long. Many argue that recent scientific advancements have discredited Genesis, elevating evolution to the status of 'fact.' With various dating methods, evidence from dinosaurs, and the fossil record, evolutionists seem to believe that the only debate left is just how misguided believers truly are. They speak as though they've got it all figured out, but they don't. This leads me to one of my pet peeves: about 30 years ago, every documentary or Hollywood scientist seemed to drop the word "theory." Regardless of one's beliefs, for many reasons, I think all belief systems are still very much 100% theoretical.
"We know the Earth is over 4 billion years old," "Dinosaurs were extinct 60-70 million years before humans walked the Earth," "The first frogs appeared 350 million years ago"—these claims are made with such confidence, discussing the six evolutionary changes over 275 million years that have led to the modern frog, which has been hopping around the planet for the last 66 million years. The assumption that we have complete fossil records of all these variations, neatly laid out in strata, is easy to make when the word 'theory' is omitted. Many people think that if something is stated as fact, it must have been thoroughly examined by objective scientists. Most don't want to be thought of as naive or uninformed, so it's safest to agree with the prevailing scientific consensus. However, the dirty little secret is that scientific 'facts' often rely on a small amount of evidence supplemented by numerous computer models and assumptions.
To this day, I ponder our origins with a healthy dose of skepticism. In my view, there seems to be much more evidence supporting the concept of an intelligent designer than the notion that we evolved from a single-celled organism in some primordial soup, perhaps delivered by a comet, into every living thing on Earth through random mutations over billions of years. Frankly, this idea always seemed more far-fetched than even the beliefs of the 'Paleo-SETI' proponents.
I'd love to hear what others believe or don't believe, especially if there is conclusive evidence that truly elevates evolution or any origin theory to factual status. Out of interest, here are a few notable scientists who have believed in creationism and the literal account of our origins in Genesis. Some are still living today, while others date back to the 16th century
Isaac Newton (1643-1727): Often considered one of the greatest scientists of all time, Newton was deeply religious and spent more time on theological studies than on science. He believed in a literal interpretation of the Bible and saw his scientific work as understanding "God's thoughts after Him."
Louis Pasteur (1822-1895): A French chemist and microbiologist, Pasteur was known for his work in microbiology, including the disproof of spontaneous generation. He was a strong opponent of evolution and believed in a creator, with his scientific findings supporting the idea that life comes from life.
Johannes Kepler (1571-1630): An astronomer and mathematician, Kepler was a proponent of the idea that the universe was designed by an intelligent Creator, which guided his research into the laws of planetary motion.
Michael Faraday (1791-1867): A pioneer in electricity and magnetism, Faraday was also a devout Christian who saw his scientific discoveries as revealing the orderliness of God's creation.
Henry Morris (1918-2006): Often called the "father of modern creation science," Morris co-authored "The Genesis Flood," which significantly influenced the modern creationist movement.
Duane Gish (1921-2013): A biochemist who was a prominent advocate for creation science, he was known for his debates with evolutionists, promoting young Earth creationism
