The Consequences of the Theory of Evolution

[Empty Hands]

So we've all argued for and against the Theory of Evolution on this board a number of times, and I doubt anyone has changed their mind. So I'm not interested in arguing back and forth again. The question that interests me is this:

Assume 20 years from now that everyone believes the Theory of Evolution is true. What consequences do you think this will have on our society or life in general?

Apart from the evidence, it seems that many who do not believe in the ToE fear the consequences. So what do you think will happen? Will it mean the end of morality? Of religion? Tell me what's going to happen.

 

[granfire]

Considering that the US is the only civilized society where those other theories have actually a popular backing....the rest of the world pretty much believes that Evolution is proven to be more than a theory....

Nothing happens.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

So we've all argued for and against the Theory of Evolution on this board a number of times, and I doubt anyone has changed their mind. So I'm not interested in arguing back and forth again. The question that interests me is this:

Assume 20 years from now that everyone believes the Theory of Evolution is true. What consequences do you think this will have on our society or life in general?

Apart from the evidence, it seems that many who do not believe in the ToE fear the consequences. So what do you think will happen? Will it mean the end of morality? Of religion? Tell me what's going to happen.

None. The Roman Catholic Church has already stated that there is no conflict between belief in Creation and belief in Evolution.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_and_evolution

Frankly, I do not know what 'the consequences' are that anyone should fear, whether or not they believe that organisms mutate over time. Organisms will continue to mutate. Some will survive, others will not.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Considering that the US is the only civilized society where those other theories have actually a popular backing....the rest of the world pretty much believes that Evolution is proven to be more than a theory....

I beg to differ...

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2006/08/14/science/sciencespecial2/20050815_EVO_GRAPHIC.html

 

[LuckyKBoxer]

ya I am of the group that believes there is no conflict they both can and do exist together. Nothing to see here move on.

 

[Twin Fist]

ya I am of the group that believes there is no conflict they both can and do exist together. Nothing to see here move on.

this

 

[Sukerkin]

I'm not sure that the societal consequences would be dramatic, they would be as evolutionary as the physical changes that creatures go through and so wouldn't be too disruptive to the fabric.

Indeed, as Bills chart up above shows, the countries that tend to have a better quality of life and a more harmonious society are the ones that have already decided that the "Creator Deity" theory (most popularly first posited by the Babylonians) isn't the credible one. But there is still a percentage there that either don't know or still believe the 'magical' explanation rather than the scientific one.

That's a hopeful sign in my book that rationality and compassion are inherent characterstics of the species that have been selected for over the generations as group survival traits.

 

[fangjian]

The consequence of accepting the ToE is merely 'you now have an understanding of the natural world and why there exist so many different kinds of species'.


The more people are educated, the better chances of our survival as a species.

 

[Touch Of Death]

The importance of evolution for the next twenty years, or so I have read, is in diet. In most African countries adults don't drink milk where as in Europe Adults will drink milk their whole lives; so, survival may or may not dictate a change in diet. As we know lactose intolerant people lack the Enzyme needed to digest whole Milk, but if you drink it your whole life, losing the Enzyme is not as much of an issue. Hitler had a few scientists that delved into these studies, but it was more about identifying racial differences than human evolution.
Sean

 

[LuckyKBoxer]

I'm not sure that the societal consequences would be dramatic, they would be as evolutionary as the physical changes that creatures go through and so wouldn't be too disruptive to the fabric.

Indeed, as Bills chart up above shows, the countries that tend to have a better quality of life and a more harmonious society are the ones that have already decided that the "Creator Deity" theory (most popularly first posited by the Babylonians) isn't the credible one. But there is still a percentage there that either don't know or still believe the 'magical' explanation rather than the scientific one.

That's a hopeful sign in my book that rationality and compassion are inherent characterstics of the species that have been selected for over the generations as group survival traits.

I saw nothing in that study that said the people who believed in evolution were athiests as well. Like I already said, the two are not in conflict as some on each side would have you believe... show me a poll in those same countries that says the belief in evolution is seperate from a belief in religion at the same time.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I saw nothing in that study that said the people who believed in evolution were athiests as well. Like I already said, the two are not in conflict as some on each side would have you believe... show me a poll in those same countries that says the belief in evolution is seperate from a belief in religion at the same time.

Indeed. I'm a firm believer in evolution and I'm a good Catholic. Nothing says I can't believe both - and even the Pope says it's OK. Not that I'd obey him if he said differently...but in this case, I'm off the hook.

 

[Empty Hands]

Indeed. I'm a firm believer in evolution and I'm a good Catholic. Nothing says I can't believe both - and even the Pope says it's OK. Not that I'd obey him if he said differently...but in this case, I'm off the hook.

Since everyone on the thread seems to be in basic agreement so far, why do you think that some on each side see the two as mutually exclusive? Why does the ToE threaten faith, and vice versa?

 

[granfire]

Since everyone on the thread seems to be in basic agreement so far, why do you think that some on each side see the two as mutually exclusive? Why does the ToE threaten faith, and vice versa?

LOL, I suppose saying 'I'll be damned if I know' would be the wrong phrase here...

 

[fangjian]

Since everyone on the thread seems to be in basic agreement so far, why do you think that some on each side see the two as mutually exclusive? Why does the ToE threaten faith, and vice versa?

If one is superstitious, you believe a scientific claim with no evidence. The scientific method is in direct conflict with that way of thinking, since in science, you come to accept a scientific claim with reasonable evidence.


The problem specifically with the ToE is that in most religious views, humans are special and different than every other species, since the claim is we have 'souls' and such. I think it's kind of like if you accept the ToE, than who has souls and who does not? What about Homo neanderthalensis, Homo ergaster, Homo hydelbergensis, Homo erectus..................?

 

[Sukerkin]

I saw nothing in that study that said the people who believed in evolution were athiests as well.

Fair point, Lucky.

There is a way to find a correlation by searching up an analysis of a nations views on religions and overlaying the two data-sets. That would only give us correlative evidence of course i.e. no proof of causation. I happen to think that it's a reasonable suppositon that someone who builds their world-view on logic, reason and evidentiary proof is unlikely to 'believe' in the God-of-the-Gaps and I am sure that there must be a simple survey somewhere where the questions have been posited to draw froth peoples views on both angles.

By the way, I have't said it for a while so it's worth drawing it to the fore again - in internet chat there is a distinct tendency for conditional clauses to be ignored {like the word 'tendency' for example }. If there is an absolute it is that there are no absolutes, other than, perhaps, the fact that one exception disproves the rule (which is one of the foundations of science). So when discussing something like the general concsensus view in a society on an issue, statements are always conditional.

 

[granfire]

I beg to differ...

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2006/08/14/science/sciencespecial2/20050815_EVO_GRAPHIC.html

LOL

I find the graph kind of funny...

Even compared to countries who are heavily influences by religion, or have been oppressed...the US ranks near the very bottom...only Turkey ranks lower...a country with a very high influence of religion and - in large parts of the hinterland - poor education.
So basically - it illustrates my point rather nicely. Thank you!

 

[elder999]

So we've all argued for and against the Theory of Evolution on this board a number of times, and I doubt anyone has changed their mind. So I'm not interested in arguing back and forth again. The question that interests me is this:

Assume 20 years from now that everyone believes the Theory of Evolution is true. What consequences do you think this will have on our society or life in general?

Apart from the evidence, it seems that many who do not believe in the ToE fear the consequences. So what do you think will happen? Will it mean the end of morality? Of religion? Tell me what's going to happen.

As others have posted, and I've said time and again, morality can be completely independent of religion-I've known many atheists to be moral, upright people. Likewise, religions have, do can and will evolve, just like the rest of us. They'll manage to accomodate evolution-where there is a perceived conflict-because they're not going away.

 

[fangjian]

To answer the OP, the consequence, part of it, would be 'less religious beliefs' in general. Much of the magic and mystery of everything, is the complexity of life on Earth. Now that it is understood, Abiogenesis will be tackled. After those two things, all the religions have left, I think, is Cosmogony. And if humans last long enough, that may be solved as well. But I'm sure it will continue on.
It would be a great thing if humanity had an understanding of our true place in the history of life. If anyone has any 'negative' consequences they can think of, I am intrigued. You almost have to think about it like, 'What are the (negative/positive) consequences, to accepting the Theory of Heliocentrism?" Anybody got anything interesting to add?


I am actually curious also, as to when it will be common for people who are 'anti evolutionists' or whatever they are called, to be 'openly mocked and made fun of'.

There are still people out there who believe in Geocentrism, Flat Earth, Holocaust Denial, Moon Landing Hoax......All of those, er 'hypotheses' if accepted, are flat out 'made fun of'.

I understand why many do not except the ToE by Natural Selection. Many just don't understand it, and I 'get' that. So of course, we are 'gentle' in our approach to explaining it. It is simple, yet so overwhelming. I also wonder, how many who reject it, also actually do understand it. But for some reason reject it anyway.

If you accept the ToE, I dare you to watch this entire discussion, 1-7, and not pull your hair out.

[yt]YFjoEgYOgRo[/yt]

 

[SFC JeffJ]

Heck, if the ToE becomes the de-rigur belief, I think it will bring about good things. More people thinking critically can't be a bad thing.

Jeff

 

[elder999]

To answer the OP, the consequence, part of it, would be 'less religious beliefs' in general.

Why is that? The theory has been around for a loong time-religion endures. Evolution is both theory and fact.