Is blind faith in a god an evolutionary benefit?
441374
Most stone age societies enjoyed a pantheon of spirits and gods. It wasn't until way into the age of the sword and plow, that a monotheistic God, demanded blind devotion, at the exclusion of all others. So no, I don't think blind faith was much help to a cave man, a million years ago. Nor did it help the stone age societies of America, or Australia over the last three or four centuries.\n\nThe intellectual equivalent of stone tools, would be art. Art is the mother of inspiration, and quite nescessary, for man to understand his world. And the sky. And spirit.\n\nProphets paint pictures in peoples minds, that span continents, and centuries. Images move empires.
897391
I think that any rational, reasonable individual when presented with the weight of our current knowledge and understanding regards the process of evolution would reasonably have to conclude that evolution is indeed at work on global biology.\n\nHowever, evolution is not just restricted to biological systems.  Consider our collective sense of humour.  Things which were considered hilarious in the very early part of the 20th century (silent movies) some of that humour is now so old to have lost any humourous content.  Why is that?  Because we've moved on and our tastes have evolved to more complex and alternative themes based on our modern life etc.\n\nConsider financial systems.  They too are evolving.  Capitalism is another test bed for the survival of the fitest.  There are winners and losers just as there are in biology.\n\nThere are many more examples.  The reduction of the variety and extinction of languages etc.\n\nThe validity of Darwinianism is only questioned (or rather refuted) by those of a religious nature who have been indoctrinated against the idea and are determined to continue to deny its validity irrespective of the weight of evidence presented for it.\n\nLogic does not play a part in their argument.  Faith and belief without understanding is all that is required.  In my opinion people who carry on about their lives in this bubble of ignorance are neither rational nor reasonable individuals.  They are brainwashed into submission and ignorance.  And sadly they have a tendency to fight long and hard to stay that way.  Most although not all are beyond help.\n\nOne final example of evolution in action:  It has been predicted that science will have eradicated religion within a couple centuries, as increases in the availability of education and the spread of democracy continue.  Given the negative impact that such religious stigmatisation and dogma is currently having on main stream scientific advancement, as far as I'm concerned, societal evolution resulting in the demise religion can't happen soon enough.
362754
We re not genetically encoded with a predisposition to evolve, bt a predisposition to survive.\nTherefore any advantageous features that allow survival would be retained...an accumulation of these factors result in evolution, and is done purely on the basis of chance/mutations hence it taking millions of years to occur.\nIt does not prove the existence of God as science doesnt prove anything just supports hypothesis, but supports the evidence of chance and survival of the fittest.\nt\nps if u like u can say how this amazing coincidence that all these "chances" have culminated in striking concordance to produce the human, which has such a minute probability...may have something to do with the wonders of god...if u want ;)
173278
Wait a minute people! Let's be honest with Pastor. \n\nOf course evolution, and the rest of science, requires a kind of "faith." In fact it requires two inter-related "faiths," or constructs not subject to further analysis.\n\nThe most rudimentary one is rooted in the concepts of logic. Or, put another way, scientists "assume" certain elementary building blocks of logic, for example axioms. They also have a qualified "faith" in the scientific method.\n\nThere is a  difference between this "faith" and what the asker is referring to as "religion." Scientists require predictable, reproducible results from their theories. Luckily for religious & non-relgious folks alike, scientists are NOT faithful to the particulars of a theory. In fact, when empirics call for it, a whole theory can be discarded by the its very authors. It has a self-correcting dynamic - BECAUSE IT DAMN WELL HAS TO WORK IN THIS WORLD. \n\nThat last element is inimical to most religious dogma. That "faith" requires a vast array of perpetual and unchanging tenets. It even provides for the logically impossible by positing forces necessarily beyond the reach of reason. \n\nThis gives that "faith" a great advantage over science. It is impervious to any force that pretends to question it.
742688
You are right, you are confused about atheists, you also have a very funny idea about what belief entails... \n\nAtheists have belief in evidenced things with proof, however blind faith of the religious kind requires no proof or evidence that is why it is called faith, if there was evidence for God it wouldn't require faith to believe in God. \n\nOne of the problems with blind faith is that you can believe almost anything through it, God, The Celestial Teapot, The Flying Spaghetti Monster, Vanilla Flavoured Fairies or anything that cannot be proved or disproved, this invalidates blind faith as a tool of knowledge.\n\nThe onus is always on the person or organisation making a claim to provide proof or evidence for it. When there is no way to test the truth of the claim because of a lack of proof or evidence it is called unfalsifiable.\n\nI have no beliefs about God I simply do not share the theists belief in the existence of God/Gods, I have no reason to think that a God exists and it is not hypocritical for me as an atheist to say so. Hope this explains it a bit better for you.
958335
Agnostics look around and see that little in life appears fair. Why would a God, who can do anything, create a world where a child can die because of some stupid adult made a mistake and caused the child to be killed. Something stupid like an airplane crash can distroy's the child's life, a stray bullet or any number of other things can steal the childs life. Why create a world like the one we live in if you were a God and knew all, loved all or even cared a wit about all. It makes no sense.\nOk, now, there is more to the story. I am not an agnostic because I was just incomplete with looking at the world in such a hopeless manner. Also, history shows that men and women through the ages have looked to and believed in Gods or God to give their lives meaning, purpose and hope in times of great sorrow. What is good enough for the history of mankind is good enough for the student of mankind.\nBelief I have come to understand is at least in part an act of will power. We believe is like, it seems like it is so, so I am going to believe it, even though I do not know it. However, this also is less than comforting.\nFaith however is a different thing all together. Faith is a form of knowing. Faith is a way of knowing that which you can not prove or believe unconditionally. Faith requires only a metaphorical leap off the face of a cliff. The rewards are worth it even though there is no proof. \nThe rewards are in the act of having faith. Somehow with faith, you know that life makes sense in some way or fashion that is beyond our everyday understanding.\nFaith allows the innocent child who was killed to live again to get a second chance, or to survive in some form that denies the final victory to hopelessness.\nFaith is a way to eternal life.\nThe agnostic is just not their yet, but he or she will get as many chances as is needed to get the job done. And also, we all take a very long time to see the light, and could be as long as a hundred life times to get there, some people are really stubborn.
536832
Yes. Many people hold those sorts of beliefs. God created the universe, and Evolution is part of His plan. No biggie.
488184
You say that primitive people invented religions to explain the world around them when their evolved minds became capable of asking questions of their origins.  At least I think that's what you were trying to say.  \n\nYou are a great example of why I believe the opposite.  \n\nTruth, as revealed by the Creator, has always been on the earth from the beginning.  You and people like you claim that religion is invented because you would rather allow your "devolving" (i.e., degenerate, deteriorating), primitive-seeking mind to turn you into mush.  That is always the case with weak-willed, weak-minded individuals.  You would rather your body controls your destiny than your mind or spirit.  \n\nTruth is all around you yet you actively choose not to see it!  To you, truth is what you think it is.  In other words, truth is relative to you.  It changes with your change of mind or with what you can see, hear, touch/feel, taste and smell.  You have become carnal (body controls you), sensual (you perceive with your senses only) and devilish (blown here and there by every hint of change in your life and feeling to scoff at those who know what you do not).  To you, ignorance truly is bliss and you revel in it.\n\nI'll admit to following the pattern you describe in your statement.  I guess the difference is, when I realized that I could choose for myself what to believe in, instead of discarding everything (as you seem to have done), and also not wanting to blindly believe what my parents had taught me, I decided to find out for myself if what I had been taught was true.  You see, my mind was "evolving", and that's why I say your mind is "devolving."  I was rationally testing my faith.  You irrationally discarded yours.\n\nThey say that you always know a tree by it's fruits, and if the fruits are not rotten, then it must be a good tree, right?  Well, I implemented certain principles into my life and found that the fruits were good.  Most importantly, I went to the source of truth.  If there is a God, and he does teach true principles, and if he is the source of all truth, then why not ask him?  If he loves his children, why wouldn't he answer their prayers, if they have the faith necessary to come to him with questions?  \n\nYou ask "Why do you believe a religion?"  I believe because I went to the source in humility and faith and asked my questions.  I know there is a God, because he answered my prayer in a way I cannot deny.  I cannot explain it to you, nor would I really want to.  It's deeply personal and your degenerate mind wouldn't understand it anyway. \n\nSomeday, hopefully, something will happen to you that draws out of you your need to believe in something greater than yourself or something greater than you'll find in this world.  I hope it's sooner than later for you.  Unfortunately, the world currently breeds narcissists who cannot see truth when it's all around them because they cannot see past themselves.  \n\nIgnorance is not truly bliss, but knowledge of truth truly is.  With knowledge comes power, and then the ability to choose for yourself, rather than letting others or your carnal self choose for you.  Wake up!  Be a man (or a woman)!  \n\nDon't take this all personally.  If you feel attacked, it's your mindset I attack, not your personality. Your personality will never change that much, but your mindset can be influenced and changed (truth, when obtained and tested, has an amazing way of helping this process along) and it is the root of your character, which is all you will take with you when you leave this earthly existence.  I know it's hard to change, but it is possible to do.  I encourage you to do so.\n\n"Seek, and ye shall find; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."  These are not just words, but truth.  It's a good place for you to start.
283170
A god-fearing fundamentalist named Charles Darwin first theorized on evolution. Here's what he wrote (see ref.):\n....During these two years (March 1837 - January 1839) I was led to think much about religion. Whilst on board the Beagle I was quite orthodox, and I remember being heartily laughed at by several officers (though themselves orthodox) for quoting the Bible as an unanswerable authority on some point of morality. I suppose it was the novelty of the argument that amused them. But I had gradually come by this time (i.e. 1836 to 1839) to see the Old Testament, from its manifestly false history of the world, with the Tower of Babel, the rain-bow as a sign, &c., &c., and from its attributing to God the feelings of a revengeful tyrant, was no more to be trusted than....the beliefs of any barbarian....\n  ....Thus disbelief crept over me at a very slow rate, but was at last complete. The rate was so slow that I felt no distress, and have never since doubted for a single second that my conclusion was correct. I can indeed hardly see how anyone ought to wish Christianity to be true; for if so, the plain language of the text seems to show that the men who do not believe, and this would include my Father, Brother, and almost all my best friends, will be everlastingly punished.\n  And this is a damnable doctrine....\n\nSomehow I suspect he was less "ineduacted" than the questioner...
1083600
I wonder...? Do you think such genes could be the product of ....GASP....EVOLUTION!\n\nMy belief in evolution, is PROOF it's true.\n\nHmmmm....\n\nOMG!\n\n I think, therefore, God doesn't exist!\n\nMove over Descartes, make room for ME!
492489
You are right not to believe in God.... because you haven't experienced God in your heart yet..... and imo, it's pretty ridiculous to believe without proof! \n\nDirect experience is the only thing that can leave us doubtless, and transform us. And blind faith is not faith! Don't look to others to answer your questions about God, faith.... and the hypocrisy of religious Christianity. Look within your heart: ONLY there you will find the answers: in truth, Love, goodness and (ime) God. \n\nYour heart knows what is from Love and what isn't: Trust it!!
1116704
A religion involves a commerce of the supernatural.\nThat is, a trade of actions, rituals, or beliefs for supernatural, or supernaturally influenced gains.\n\nEvolution is based on proof, not faith.\n\nFaith is based on nothing but certainty in the absence of proof or in spite of proof to the contrary.\n\nEvolution does not deal with the beginnings of life. That's organic chemistry's bailiwick. Evolution requires genes.\n\nThat the natural world has not always been as it is now is an incontrovertible fact.\n\nEvolution provides an explanation for the mechanisms of change.\n\nThe hereditary mechanism predicted by the theory was unknown at the time of evolutions proposal, it has been proven to exist.\n\nThe hereditary mechanism has been proven to be capable of spontaneous change as the theory predicted.\n\nThat a change in a life form's hereditary makeup can alter it's physical and behavioral traits has also been proven true.\n\nThat a significant change in a life form's body or behavior will effect it's ability to survive and reproduce is simple common sense.\n\nNone of that requires faith, just the ability to reason objectively and honestly from factual truths. No, it is not a faith. \n\nThere is no supernatural gain or influence to be won by accepting the validity of evolutionary theory. No, it is not a religion.
205562
I TOTALLy agree with you in that the two concepts are mutually exclusive.  A belief in God (as depicted in the Bible) has ABSOLUTELY NO ROOM for macroevolution.  Similarly, a belief in macroevolution has NO PLACE for God.  \n\nSome individuals try to merge the two, saying that God used macroevolution as THE CREATION MACHINERY. That's like Jews or Muslims saying Jesus was a good man, a great teacher but not the Messiah. THERE'S NO MIDDLE GROUND.  GOD OR EVOLUTION? MESSIAH OR MADMAN?  The choice is yours.\n\nIncidentally, macroevolution has never been proven, either.  BOTH must be accepted on FAITH!!!!
331313
It is thought that man came from ape like ancestors, not quite monkey's.  \n\nIt could take hundreds of thousands of years for macro evolution to occur.  Wait around that long, and i guarantee there will be NEW species.  So it is still happening.\n\nThe fossil record is not complete because fossils are hard to come by, not everything fossilises despite contrary belief.  In fact it's amazing we have as much info as we do.\n\nHow on earth does it take less belief to believe in a god, there is no evidence whatsoever for this!  At least evolution has enough evidence to fill several hundred warehouses, what do you have, testimony.. Yeah right, thanks, i'll keep to evidence, not faith to inform my decisions about the world around me.
266263
Our faith is tested EVERY DAY!! also, We believe in God, and always have, & pray every day, to ask God to forgive us of the sins we have committed. I have heard a lot of scientists, say that we all came from apes, however, NO WAY, there is no proof. Just think of how a baby is conceived, & grows, that is only the complete miracle of God!!
529829
God and evolution are not an antithesis.  God spoke life into existence but he also placed within each creature the ability to adapt and evolve.  \n\nI do not believe there is life out there. However, even if there were it wouldn't change my belief in Christ.  I'd say what a wonderful Creator we have and move on.
228836
Working on my BSc in Biology\n\nNo, it has had no effect. I neither believed in gods before I had learned about the field of evolution, nor do I believe in gods now.\nHowever, had I believed in some god or gods, I find it highly doubtful that studying evolution would have changed my views in the least. If anything, I would have been impressed that the god/s could create such an elegant and dynamic process to provide life with the means to adapt and diversify over time.\nAs others have mentioned, the only people for whom studying evolution is likely to change their beliefs are those who insist that their chosen religious text (typically, in my experience, the bible) must be interpreted literally, or it is invalid. Of course, such individuals have much bigger challenges to their interpretation than evolution, but they seem to percieve it as a major threat, for some reason.