quote:
I get told that "evolution is a religion" and that "to believe in evolution requires faith", and, on this thread, that those pesky "evolutionists" "spread the word", that evolution is "messianic", and the implication of your post seems to be that if we're going to teach children evolution we might as well teach them to sing hymns to Darwin.
It will be interesting to see what answer you get, if any.
This is an example of what I was trying to find out about "believing".
I consider believing and faith as trusting that something is true or not false at least.
I was taught about evolution in HS. I learned it and gave all the right answers on the test. Once out of HS, I hear more about evolution within the Church than outside of it. In my daily life, I don't think about it.
If I choose to look around me and say, "I don't think they were right in their theory, nothing evolves." I can. My life doesn't change. No one knocks on my door and gives me a pamphlet with all the promises of evolution. I only had to deal with evolution again when my daughter was studying it in school. Did hear of it again outside of the church until I started on this board.
In my average life, it doesn't really matter how the world came to be the way it is. I can't change what was. I can only deal with what is.
The theory of evolution doesn't require that I change my life, give money to those who study it, listen to speeches on evolution on a weekly basis, or read and study the same book every week for the rest of my life. I'm not required to "fellowship" with others who supposedly think the same way I do. I'm not inundated with evolution merchandise being sold to raise money to send people to those who haven't heard of evolution or sold just to make money.
I learned it in HS. That's pretty much it.
To me believing or faith still boils down to trusting the word of the people giving you the information.
"Peshat is what I say and derash is what you say." --Nehama Leibowitz