ed 'lim' smilde wrote:
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But gravity, unlike heliocentrism or evolution, doesn't offend mankind's innate desire to be the center of attention, to be special and unique, a cut above the rest, in a class of our own, etc.
In a way, it does. Evolution, as we think of it, requires some kind of natural selection, and humans are now pretty much too intelligent to have any more survival-of-the-fittest stuff, because we have morals and ethics so that we all work to help each other, treat each other equally, and allow everyone to live. Imagine if someone got some random trait that was helpful, like... stronger teeth. Do you really think that the rest of humanity would die out and we'd be overtaken by that one group with stronger teeth?
That did nothing to address what you quoted from me regarding how gravity is more easily accepted because it's not as offensive to what we want to hear. And I can still point out how our basic morals and ethics are derived from a need to survive and perpetuate our species.
ed 'lim' smilde wrote:
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Because people are too childish to allow themselves to be out of the limelight.
So if I think that people are created by God (via evolution or not) for a purpose, am I childish?
That's not what I said nor was it my intent, but if you wish to derive such a sentiment from my statement through some further investigation into yourself, that's up to you.
ed 'lim' smilde wrote:
I think one thing that is childish is how everything about evolution is pushed on as fact. For many, many years (up until even when most of my teachers were in high school), it was taught that the appendix, tonsils, and tailbone were remnants of evolution and no longer had any function. We now know that that was wrong - the tonsils and appendix are part of the immune system (which is true... people who get tonsils removed get more sore throats), and the tailbone provides a base for muscles.
I don't know what other motive people have (people without a science degree, even) for forcing evolution on people. After all, aren't questioning and doubting ENCOURAGED in science?
Evolution isn't always pushed on as fact. You're committing some straw man fallacies here. Evolution HAS been challenged and questioned, ever since its first inception, and not just from Bible-thumping ministers that say it's some sort of sleight against God. No matter who you are or how long you've been around, whenever you make some scientific claim, the rest of the scientific community is going to round on you like a pack of hungry wolves and demand evidence. Either you provide quantifiable evidence with repeatable tests that give the same results, or your idea is tossed out the window along with a bit of your dignity and credit.
If you wonder why SO many scientists across SO many applicable fields of study today believe in Evolution, you should go ask them. Ask them to explain why the theory is generally accepted to be true, when they are the leading questioning and skeptical minds. Ask them the concerns you have, where you think certain "evidence" may be wrong or misinterpreted...I'm sure they'll sort out any issues you may have. And keep in mind that just because we don't have an answer for every single detail spawning off from the process of Evolution doesn't mean that Evolution is fraudulent all together (a.k.a. the "God of the Gaps" argument).