Can you be an atheist and not believe in evolution?

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acheron

Diamond Member
May 27, 2008
3,171
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Originally posted by: DingDingDao
Originally posted by: shocksyde
What about Agnostics?

I'd say you have to be pretty unsure about creationism vs evolution as well here. If you have a definite belief about creationism or evolution, I'd say you were not agnostic.

wut.

How does belief or lack of belief in God translate to evolution/creationism? I mean, if you belief in creationism, then you'd probably have to believe in a creator, but the inverse isn't at all true. Maybe God exists but "allows" evolution, or whatever. There are plenty of scientists who are perfectly comfortable with the coexistence of evolution and religion, so certainly evolution and agnosticism shouldn't be a problem.
 

sourceninja

Diamond Member
Mar 8, 2005
8,805
65
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I purpose that there is no god and evolution is wrong.

We just randomly popped into being as a matter of chance. Everything just appeared exactly how it is now. How that happened, I have no clue. I do know it probably wasn't a being.


See it's possible.
 

RaiderJ

Diamond Member
Apr 29, 2001
7,582
1
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I don't see creationism and evolution as mutually exclusive..... never understood why God or a God could have done the initial creation and then let evolution take its course. But then, my religious beliefs don't really fall under any organized church's teaching. I do like how the Catholics aren't nearly as anti-science as the rest of the organizations, but they have weirdness just like the rest of them.

I figure neither "theory" is correct, but the actual truth is way more complex (and interesting).
 

Kadarin

Lifer
Nov 23, 2001
44,296
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Originally posted by: MrWizzard
Originally posted by: torpid
Of course. You can be anything and not believe in evolution. All it takes to deny the principles of evolution is a basic disregard for science.

You know evolution is a theory not science until we can fully reproduce it. So not really. But I didn't come here to argue that.

:confused:

Something tells me that you're a bit unclear on the concept of science.
 

nerp

Diamond Member
Dec 31, 2005
9,865
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Originally posted by: Kadarin
Originally posted by: MrWizzard
Originally posted by: torpid
Of course. You can be anything and not believe in evolution. All it takes to deny the principles of evolution is a basic disregard for science.

You know evolution is a theory not science until we can fully reproduce it. So not really. But I didn't come here to argue that.

:confused:

Something tells me that you're a bit unclear on the concept of science.

And the fact that we've seen evolution actually occur within our lifetime. Hell, our own species has evolved. Homo sapiens sapiens anyone?
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
63,075
19,398
136
Originally posted by: sourceninja
I purpose that there is no god and evolution is wrong.

We just randomly popped into being as a matter of chance. Everything just appeared exactly how it is now. How that happened, I have no clue. I do know it probably wasn't a being.


See it's possible.

Yes, but do you actually believe in that?
 

oogabooga

Diamond Member
Jan 14, 2003
7,806
3
81
Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Originally posted by: sourceninja
I purpose that there is no god and evolution is wrong.

We just randomly popped into being as a matter of chance. Everything just appeared exactly how it is now. How that happened, I have no clue. I do know it probably wasn't a being.


See it's possible.

Yes, but do you actually believe in that?

Probably not, but then again the question was could you.

I think the only thing an atheist is not able to "believe" in is creation/intelligent design. I guess in theory they could try to reconcile it by saying "God" is not the creator/designer and he is really some bored punk from a more advanced civilization doing a science project or something. It would be sort odd though.

I dunno why Atheism and Evolution would be linked, though to be honest I'm not sure what an Atheist believes for creation/evolution. Maybe they just don't care and don't believe in anything?
 

Cerpin Taxt

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
11,940
542
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Originally posted by: oogabooga

I dunno why Atheism and Evolution would be linked, though to be honest I'm not sure what an Atheist believes for creation/evolution. Maybe they just don't care and don't believe in anything?
There are no beliefs one must necessarily hold to be an atheist. Atheism is about what belief(s) you do not hold. You cannot derive positive beliefs from the absence of certain other beliefs.
 

WHAMPOM

Diamond Member
Feb 28, 2006
7,628
183
106
Originally posted by: MrWizzard
Originally posted by: torpid
Of course. You can be anything and not believe in evolution. All it takes to deny the principles of evolution is a basic disregard for science.

You know evolution is a theory not science until we can fully reproduce it. So not really. But I didn't come here to argue that.

Your ignorance is boundless. Every domestic animal and a good portion of the wild are products of human applied evolution.
 

MrWizzard

Platinum Member
Mar 24, 2002
2,493
0
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Originally posted by: WHAMPOM
Originally posted by: MrWizzard
Originally posted by: torpid
Of course. You can be anything and not believe in evolution. All it takes to deny the principles of evolution is a basic disregard for science.

You know evolution is a theory not science until we can fully reproduce it. So not really. But I didn't come here to argue that.

Your ignorance is boundless. Every domestic animal and a good portion of the wild are products of human applied evolution.

:) Great point.

 

EGGO

Diamond Member
Jul 29, 2004
5,504
1
0
Originally posted by: MrWizzard
Originally posted by: torpid
Of course. You can be anything and not believe in evolution. All it takes to deny the principles of evolution is a basic disregard for science.

You know evolution is a theory not science until we can fully reproduce it. So not really. But I didn't come here to argue that.

Have you looked at ANY botany or even what we've been doing to pets for hundreds of years?
 

PlasmaBomb

Lifer
Nov 19, 2004
11,636
2
81
Originally posted by: MrWizzard
Originally posted by: torpid
Of course. You can be anything and not believe in evolution. All it takes to deny the principles of evolution is a basic disregard for science.

You know evolution is a theory not science until we can fully reproduce it. So not really. But I didn't come here to argue that.

/facepalm
 

PlasmaBomb

Lifer
Nov 19, 2004
11,636
2
81
Originally posted by: MrWizzard
Originally posted by: Cerpin Taxt
Originally posted by: MrWizzard
Originally posted by: torpid
Of course. You can be anything and not believe in evolution. All it takes to deny the principles of evolution is a basic disregard for science.

You know evolution is a theory not science until we can fully reproduce it. So not really. But I didn't come here to argue that.

/facepalm

Be more ignorant. Please.

I see my point was missed, but it's ok arguing things on the interwebs is a moot point. :)

/facepalm
 
S

SlitheryDee

I don't think atheism is all that dependent on a theory of origin. What's to stop an atheist from not believing evolution just because they think the idea seems far-fetched? They don't have to replace that belief with something else. "I don't know" is always a valid option.
 

thecrecarc

Diamond Member
Aug 17, 2004
3,364
3
0
Technically, atheism is merely the lack of theism, the belief in god. So it could happen, as belief in science and evolution in not a requirement for lack of belief in a god.

However, in practice it is rare as most atheists are that because of their views and trust in science and natural laws. That, combined with the fact that evolution is the preeminent scientific biological theory for speciation, and has been shown and proven many times, makes it unlikely that an atheist does not believe in evolution.
 

Andrew1990

Banned
Mar 8, 2008
2,153
0
0
Im an atheist and I dont believe in evolution.


Man should not worry about the past, but concentrate on the future.
 

Crono

Lifer
Aug 8, 2001
23,720
1,503
136
I'm not an atheist, but I believe in evolution.
Partly, at least. I believe in the parts in parts of the modern evolutionary theory that can be tested and observed. If you can't test and/or observe it, it's not science, it's history or something else.
 

thecrecarc

Diamond Member
Aug 17, 2004
3,364
3
0
Originally posted by: Andrew1990
Im an atheist and I dont believe in evolution.


Man should not worry about the past, but concentrate on the future.

Yes, because there is absolutely nothing you can learn from the past, and studying history is a complete waste of time with absolutely no benefit.
 

Andrew1990

Banned
Mar 8, 2008
2,153
0
0
Originally posted by: thecrecarc
Originally posted by: Andrew1990
Im an atheist and I dont believe in evolution.


Man should not worry about the past, but concentrate on the future.

Yes, because there is absolutely nothing you can learn from the past, and studying history is a complete waste of time with absolutely no benefit.

No, history in itself is very important to know but something like this in which no one really knows what happened isnt too important in my eyes.



 

thecrecarc

Diamond Member
Aug 17, 2004
3,364
3
0
Originally posted by: Andrew1990
Originally posted by: thecrecarc
Originally posted by: Andrew1990
Im an atheist and I dont believe in evolution.


Man should not worry about the past, but concentrate on the future.

Yes, because there is absolutely nothing you can learn from the past, and studying history is a complete waste of time with absolutely no benefit.

No, history in itself is very important to know but something like this in which no one really knows what happened isnt too important in my eyes.

Despite the fact that much of modern biology is based on it, including medicine, gene therapy, antibiotic resistance etc.? Seriously?
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,897
31,411
146
Originally posted by: MrWizzard
Originally posted by: torpid
Of course. You can be anything and not believe in evolution. All it takes to deny the principles of evolution is a basic disregard for science.

You know evolution is a theory not science until we can fully reproduce it. So not really. But I didn't come here to argue that.

I think you just proved torpid's point.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,897
31,411
146
Originally posted by: Andrew1990
Originally posted by: thecrecarc
Originally posted by: Andrew1990
Im an atheist and I dont believe in evolution.


Man should not worry about the past, but concentrate on the future.

Yes, because there is absolutely nothing you can learn from the past, and studying history is a complete waste of time with absolutely no benefit.

No, history in itself is very important to know but something like this in which no one really knows what happened isnt too important in my eyes.

I'd say you're in worse shape than MrWizzard.