Atheism and evolution

Late in Charles Darwin's life, Darwin told the Duke of Argyll that he frequently had overwhelming thoughts that the natural world was the result of design.[1] See also: 15 questions for evolutionists

Since World War II a majority of the most prominent and vocal defenders of the evolutionary position which employs methodological naturalism have been atheists.[2] The prominent new atheist, agnostic and evolutionist Richard Dawkins claims that "Darwin made it possible to be an intellectually fulfilled atheist".[3]

The majority of Western World atheists are evolutionists. As far as nontheist Buddhism, as no major beliefs/principles of Buddhism are contrary to it, many Buddhists are also evolutionists.[4][5]

The Discovery Institute reported:

“  |  Compare just these two findings, reported in a survey we commissioned in 2016. On one hand:

Nearly 7 in 10 atheists and more than 4 in 10 agnostics say that for them personally, unguided chemical evolution and Darwin's mutation/natural selection mechanism have made the existence of God "less likely."

On the other:

By contrast, 6 in 10 theists and more than 2 in 10 agnostics say the existence in nature of "many things that are exquisitely designed and highly complex" has made the existence of God "more likely" for them personally.[6]

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The atheist philosopher and evolutionist Michael Ruse admitted:

“  |  [E]volution, akin to religion, involves making certain a priori or metaphysical assumptions, which at some level cannot be proven empirically.[7] |  ”

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Michael Ruse also indicated: "Evolution is a religion. This was true of evolution in the beginning, and it is true of evolution still today."[8]

In the their Question evolution! campaign, Creation Ministries International asserts that evolution is a religion.[9] The focus of the Question evolution! campaign is on 15 questions that evolutionists cannot adequately answer.[10] The 15 Questions that evolutionists cannot satisfactorily answer can be found at their webpage entitled 15 questions for evolutionists.

## Contents

* 1 Evolution as a secular origins myth
* 2 Atheist organizations: Church-state/creationism issues - poor largely ignored
* 3 DeathLightning44
* 4 See also
* 5 References

## Evolution as a secular origins myth[edit]

See also: Evolution as a secular origins myth

Evolution is a secular origins myth of atheists, agnostics and members of other theologically liberal religious sects (theologically liberal religious sects often dismiss out of hand various supernatural events in history due to their hostility towards God and the supernatural). See also: Atheism is a religion

Paul Gosselin

The atheist philosopher of science Michael Ruse said "Evolution is a religion. This was true of evolution in the beginning, and it is true of evolution still today."[11]

The Canadian anthropologist Paul Gosselin wrote:

“  |  In the world of myth, miracles are commonplace and occur regularly. Much the same could be said of evolutionary myths of origins. Just like in the Aboriginal Dreamtime stories and the Wolverine stories from the First Nations of North America, in the evolutionary origins myth one regularly encounters phenomena that are contrary to natural law and which have never been observed by any human. And the first of these miracles is abiogenesis, the transition from inert matter to living organisms, capable of reproducing themselves. But that is just the beginning. From there we go on to the transition from invertebrates to vertebrates, then there’s the transition from marine organisms, such as fish, to terrestrial organisms, the transition from reptiles to mammals, the transition from land mammals to marine mammals and then the transition from crawling reptiles to flying birds. But the greatest miracle of all? This is undoubtedly the appearance of functional genetic code and its chemical basis, DNA, and all this without the intervention of a Programmer. It is clear that miracles abound in the evolutionary origins myth. The faith of evolutionary believers is great, but for my part I have to admit lacking enough faith to believe in such miracles.[12] |  ”

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Although he is not a creationist, the atheist philosopher John Gray admitted in 2008 in The Guardian:

“  |  A great deal of modern thought consists of secular myths - hollowed-out religious narratives translated into pseudo-science. Dennett's notion that new communications technologies will fundamentally alter the way human beings think is just such a myth.[13] |  ”

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## Atheist organizations: Church-state/creationism issues - poor largely ignored[edit]

A beggar in Cambodia. In Cambodia, the vast majority of the population adheres to a nontheistic form of Buddhism called the Theravada school of Buddhism. A comprehensive study by Harvard University professor Robert Putnam found that religious people are more charitable than their irreligious counterparts.[14] See: Atheism and uncharitableness

See also: Atheism and uncharitableness and Atheism, social justice and hypocrisy and Western atheism and race

In June 2014, the African- American atheist woman Sikivu Hutchinson wrote in the Washington Post that white atheists organizations generally focus on church/state separation and creationism issues and not the concerns the less affluent African-American population faces.[15] Hutchinson also mentioned that church organizations do focus on helping poor African-Americans.[16]

Also, according to a video posted at Freethought Blogs storefront churches provide assistance to local residents including women, and this partly explains the dearth of Hispanic and African-American women atheists in America (Atheists give less to charity than Christians. See: Atheism and uncharitableness).[17]

In 2014, the atheist Chris Hall wrote in an article which was published by Salon magazine and Alternet:

“  |  Direct challenges to racism and sexism haven’t traditionally been the domain of the large organizations like American Atheists or the Secular Coalition for America. It’s been far more typical to fight incursions against separation of church and state or educate against pseudoscience like homeopathy.[18] |  ”

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## DeathLightning44[edit]

In his video titled Tobias the Sea Turtle Episode 1: Tobias Disproves Atheism, Christian gaming YouTuber DeathLigntning44 has stated that Evolution, if it were true, actually disproves atheism. He argues that a leatherback sea turtle (named Tobias) has turtle DNA that would be passed down to his children, which means that they have turtle DNA, which would therefore make them turtles with turtle DNA that they would pass down to their children, which would therefore make them turtles with turtle DNA that they would pass down to their children, which would therefore make them turtles with turtle DNA that they would pass down to their children, and this simulation can be continued for an infinite number of generations and the descendants of Tobias would still be turtles. He says the same is true with the reverse, albeit replacing "pass down to their children" with "have inherited from their parents." Therefore, in order for Tobias to have a non-turtle ancestor or descendant, God would have to guide every step of the change from or to a non-turtle. Atheism takes an affirmative stance against God's existence, but God's existence would be required for "inter-class evolution," therefore making atheism false if evolution is true.[19]

## See also[edit]

* Atheism and the suppression of science
* Suppression of alternatives to evolution
* Evolution and Cases of Fraud, Hoaxes and Speculation
* Evolution, Liberalism, Atheism, and Irrationality
* List of atheist and agnostic pseudosciences
* Irreligion and superstition
* Theories of evolution
* Darwinism
* Atheists and genetic mutations

v • d • e

Atheism

Atheism • Rebuttal • Morals • Academics • Quotes • Christianity • Debate • Evolution • Atheism and the suppression of science • Mass Murder • Communism • Atheist Shooters and Serial Killers • Mental and Physical Health • Miracles • Morality • Uncharitableness • Agnosticism • Deception • The Bible • The Problem of Evil • Agenda • Psychology • Population • Prison Statistics • Racism • Atheism and women • Brights Movement • Causes • Death Toll • Definitions • Evangelical atheist • Ex-atheists • Faith Freedom International • Godless: The Church of Liberalism‎ • Godless liberal • His Dark Materials • History • Liberalism • Militancy • New Atheism • Videos • Skeptics Annotated Bible • Strong atheism • The God Delusion • There Are No Atheists In Foxholes • Weak atheism

v • d • e

Creation vs. evolution

Evolution|

Evolution • Evolutionism • Universal common ancestry • Social Darwinism • Eugenics • Evolutionary racism • Naturalism • Abiogenesis • Charles Darwin • Schools and evolution • Atheism and Evolution • Theory of evolution and liberalism • Theistic Evolution •

Hoaxes, Controversies, and Debates|

Theory of Evolution and Cases of Fraud, Hoaxes and Speculation • Piltdown Man •Starlight issue • Nebraska Man • Haeckel diagrams • Liberalism • Archaeoraptor

Creation science and Creationism|

Creationism • Intelligent Design • Creation Science • Christianity and Science • Baraminology • Flood Geology • Irreducible Complexity • Young Earth Creationism • Old Earth Creationism • Duane Gish • Creation •

## References[edit]

1. ↑ http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/teleological-arguments/notes.html
2. ↑ Multiple references:
* Batten, Don (December 1997). "A Who’s Who of evolutionists". Creation, vol 20, no. 1, p. 32. Retrieved from Creation.com [Creation Ministries International] on May 15, 2015. See Don Batten.
* Sarfati, Jonathan, Ph. D. (1999). "Chapter 1: Facts and bias". Refuting Evolution. Retrieved from Creation.com [Creation Ministries International] on May 15, 2015. See Jonathan Sarfati.
3. ↑ Wieland, Carl (December 1, 2006). "Dawkins and eugenics". Creation.com [Creation Ministries International]. Retrieved on May 15, 2015.
4. ↑ Religious Differences on the Question of Evolution
5. ↑ Evolution doesn't bother Buddhists, Chicago Tribune, December 23, 2013
6. ↑ In Supporting Discovery Institute This Christmas Season, Please Consider All That Hangs in the Balance
7. ↑ Atheism needs evolution by ex-atheist Calvin Smith, Creation Ministries International
8. ↑ Ruse, M., How evolution became a religion: creationists correct? National Post, pp. B1,B3,B7 May 13, 2000.
9. ↑ 15 questions for evolutionists
10. ↑ Question evolution! campaign
11. ↑ Ruse, M., How evolution became a religion: creationists correct? National Post, pp. B1,B3,B7 May 13, 2000.
12. ↑ Myths of Origin and the Theory of Evolution
13. ↑ The atheist delusion, John Gray, The Guardian, Friday 14 March 2008
14. ↑ Multiple references:
* Burke, Daniel, Religion News Service (May 13, 2009). "Religious people make better citizens, study says". Pew Research Forum. Archived on March 10, 2013 by Internet Archive. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
* Campbell, David and Putnam, Robert (November 14, 2010). "Religious people are 'better neighbors'". USA Today website. Retrieved on July 19, 2014.
15. ↑ Atheism has a big race problem that no one’s talking about by Dr. Sikivu Hutchinson, Washington Post June 16, 2014
16. ↑ Atheism has a big race problem that no one’s talking about by Dr. Sikivu Hutchinson, Washington Post June 16, 2014
17. ↑ Sikivu, Ophelia, and Rebecca — who says atheism lacks women stars?
18. ↑ Forget Christopher Hitchens: Atheism in America is undergoing a radical change by Chris Hall, Salon magazine, Thursday, Jun 5, 2014 12:25 PM UTC (originally published in Alternet)
19. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqxHP2962LU