notMichaelJackson

A Creationist once told me that "by reducing men and animals to the same origins, evolutionists degrade mankind to the level of 'lower' organisms" (or something similar). We all know that no matter what we want to believe the world and life came into existence the way it did, and we cannot change this. Let's forget this for a second, and look at how Creationism degrades mankind, and consequentially, the benefits of viewing the world as an evolutionist.

*Non-theistic evolutionists don't have to fear hell
*Theistics evolutionists can take refuge in the thought that God spent a very long time creating the universe because he cares so much about it
*Evolutionists know the diversity of languages is not the result of a punishment for all humans (Tower of Babel story)
*Women do not have to feel guilty because a woman was responsible for the fall of mankind
*Evolutionists know that they were not created for a pile of dirt
*Evolutionsits know that the entire world was not destroyed by a vengeful god simply because he felt like it


What other benefits are there to viewing the world as an evolutionist?

Data

We aren't as arrogant as to assume we are a 'higher' organism..

BrianTerrel

I'd add:

"Every one of my ancestors for the last 2,000,000,000 + years (going back to the initial replicator) has been among the best of the best"

I think 2 billion years of survivors is a lineage to be proud of

Jayjay

If you were a theist, would you rather believe in a god who planned everything ahead billions of years ago, or to a god whose crappy creation falls apart after a few lousy millennia?

sakrilege

It has been my experience that we don't degrade mankind, we elevate other organisms.

If one could conclude as to the nature of the Creator from a study of his creation it would appear that God has a special fondness for stars and beetles.
J. B. S. Haldane


The Endangered Species Act is not a result of creationist thinking but Science.

emotional

I feel glad to think of myself as one part of a large family of life, instead of a special outsider.

pmurray

So what are you going to do? Cry about it?

This answer also works for other arguments:

"Without God, there is no basis for morality!"
"So what are you going to do? Cry about it?"

"Without God, we die and become nothing!"
"So what are you going to do? Cry about it?"

Like Pascal's Wager, all these arguments address not the truth of the theists viewpoint, but the utility of beliving it even if it isn't true. The response is that I personally feel that the only valid reason for beliving something to be true is the truth of what I am being asked to belive. I "belive evolution" because I am persuaded of its truth, and for no other reason.

Having said that, I think that this position is a utilitarian one. I suspectt that it is always better for me to believe a truth than to belive a lie. It's always a good idea to face facts: individually and as a society.

If, in fact, we are "on the same level" (whatever that means) with other organisms, then we are better off accepting that and proceeding from there than starting with a premis that is false. We can, for instance, address social problems like drug use not from a moral viewpoint with punishment, but from a medical viewpoint with treatment.

Kruger

Evolutionist can't really counter how the universe is created or exist. Even the bing-bang theory can't really answer where it come from in the first place. I guess in the modern world creationist have more application from creating computers, cars, tv and etc. But one thing that is really intriguing is the possibility to create life from scratch. We know that DNA is a bunch of chemical codecs then to create it is more probable then just to wait the chemical to evolve in it's own. To me for evolution to happen there must be an act of creation for example new gene strain. You can't evolve if there are no new creation. Indeed evolution is a result of new inovation. Indeed evolution is a long list of creation. What i'm saying is Creation is the real stuff rather then evolution that is the result of creation.



Happy Day

notMichaelJackson

Here is the exact quote:
Sadly, this isn’t the most ignorant thing this person has said, nor does it come close to being so.

Jesus Tap-Dancin' Christ

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Kruger
Evolutionist can't really counter how the universe is created or exist.
[/quote
That's what cosmologists are for.
There is no where, no why, only a when. Ex nihilo, nihil fit.
Uh...huh?

What exactly are you trying to say? That each mutation is an act of creation? I wish I could say I was massaging my temples because I was tired.