Evolution and atheism

[Autodidact]

What is the relationship between atheism and the theory of evolution?

 

[Storm]

I'm not aware of any.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

What is the relationship between atheism and the theory of evolution?

It seems like they hang out together a fair bit, but they both still see other people.

 

[doppelganger]

What is the relationship between atheism and the theory of evolution?

The individual human being becomes merely a piece of a whole system and the idea that the universe has a will directed for the ego's individual purposes or good fades out accordingly. There is no need for an intervening "God" once one adopts the understanding that being is but a cog in a bigger machine that does not depend on the well-being of any particular, individual organism.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

The individual human being becomes merely a piece of a whole system and the idea that the universe has a will directed for the ego's individual purposes or good fades out accordingly. There is no need for an intervening "God" once one adopts the understanding that being is but a cog in a bigger machine that does not depend on the well-being of any particular, individual organism.

Hmm. That's close to how I would've described the relationship between atheism and Newtonian physics... Newton's devout religious beliefs notwithstanding.

 

[newhope101]

At first I thought this will be an easy reply. Then I thought about primitive tribes. They likely have some God but may have not heard of ToE. One can be an atheist and still not accept evolution I suppose. I expect there are people that don't think anything about evolution, nether accept nor deny it.
I guess if an atheist ever ponders the question of where we came from, evolution is a good answer.

What if ToE was never put forward. Would atheists have a dilemma?

I expect for the atheist evolution gives a satisfactory answer to where mankind came from. It's a good relationship. I expect it is a strong relationship.

 

[doppelganger]

Hmm. That's close to how I would've described the relationship between atheism and Newtonian physics... Newton's devout religious beliefs notwithstanding.

Yeah, well, the scientific method in general and atheism.

 

[Caladan]

I think one of the basic things to realize is that evolution does not deal with the beginning of life, but with organisms.
evolution does not deal with the creation of life (or the earth), but with the development of life.
personally speaking, I do however give weight to claims by evolutionary biologists that life did not need a divine intelligence making the jump start, and thus I find the two to complement each other, however a lot of movements within the major religions have embraced the theory of evolution with conforming it with their theology about the creation of life or the universe.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

At first I thought this will be an easy reply. Then I thought about primitive tribes. They likely have some God but may have not heard of ToE.

By the same token, there were many people before the advent of evolutionary theory who still rejected the idea of god(s).

What if ToE was never put forward. Would atheists have a dilemma?

I don't think so. "I don't know, therefore God" is never a valid argument.

Also, as I kinda touched on earlier, Newton's work was some of the first to tackle the idea that if God didn't keep his hand on the universe, everything would fly apart into chaos.

 

[Autodidact]

Science, including ToE, provides explanations that work with or without God. I think part of the impulse for religion is a way to explain how we got here and what we're doing here. A religious belief system provides a complete explanation that includes how we got here, what we're supposed to be doing, what our purpose is, and what will happen to us after we die. By providing an alternative explanation that does not require (although it does allow) God, ToE, and science in general, makes it possible to be an atheist, although it does not require it.

All of science does this but usually only ToE really bothers theists, because it doesn't just explain how the planet got here, or how the universe came to be, but how we in particular came into existence. Since many religious texts and belief systems offer an alternative explanation for this, it tends to conflict with their literal explanations.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

What is the relationship between atheism and the theory of evolution?

They're equivalent in the mind of the religious fundamentalist.

 

[Random]

What is the relationship between atheism and the theory of evolution?

They are mutual beneficiaries of an idea to which human nature can never become wholly accustomed, and indeed will always inevitably rebel against in the long-term; that we are but machines.

 

[LuisDantas]

At first I thought this will be an easy reply. Then I thought about primitive tribes. They likely have some God but may have not heard of ToE. One can be an atheist and still not accept evolution I suppose.

I hear it happens, but it is quite the oddity.

I expect there are people that don't think anything about evolution, nether accept nor deny it.
I guess if an atheist ever ponders the question of where we came from, evolution is a good answer.

What if ToE was never put forward. Would atheists have a dilemma?

I can't think of any. For that matter, I don't see how the ToE could be kept out of the public eye, either. Its discovery was very much unavoidable.

I expect for the atheist evolution gives a satisfactory answer to where mankind came from. It's a good relationship. I expect it is a strong relationship.

Agreed.

 

[LuisDantas]

What is the relationship between atheism and the theory of evolution?

Kinda of how Kilgore Trout said: both get away from the zone of confort of some particularly traditional Abrahamists (and maybe people from some other faiths such as Shinto, I suppose), because they offer explanations that don't involve God.

 

[newhope101]

Quote LuisDantas "I can't think of any. For that matter, I don't see how the ToE could be kept out of the public eye, either. Its discovery was very much unavoidable".

So we're exploring a relationship.... WHAT IF...ToE was disproved? Use your imagination! Perhaps think back to the time that ToE was not around. I'm sure there were people that did not believe in God perhaps as a result of their experiences or whatever. I wonder what they thought. I expect the answer would involve not needing ToE as a basis for non belief. In this way perhaps it is not a close relationship.

Then again, would an atheist grieve if ToE was put to death? If so, perhaps it's a close relationship.

Not unlike human relationships..once you are introduced to someone(something) you love when it dies your grieve. If you don't love someone, but only care a little the grief is not so deep.

 

[Autodidact]

Quote LuisDantas "I can't think of any. For that matter, I don't see how the ToE could be kept out of the public eye, either. Its discovery was very much unavoidable".

So we're exploring a relationship.... WHAT IF...ToE was disproved? Use your imagination!

Then scientists would continue to try to learn how we ahve so many different kinds of organisms.

Perhaps think back to the time that ToE was not around. I'm sure there were people that did not believe in God perhaps as a result of their experiences or whatever. I wonder what they thought. I expect the answer would involve not needing ToE as a basis for non belief. In this way perhaps it is not a close relationship.

If they were smart, they should have thought something like, "Science hasn't figured that out yet. Eventually, they probably will. Meanwhile, let's keep studying the question."

Then again, would an atheist grieve if ToE was put to death? If so, perhaps it's a close relationship.

No, they would wait for science to figure out how we get so many different kinds of organisms.

Like the many yet unsolved scientific questions.

Not unlike human relationships..once you are introduced to someone(something) you love when it dies your grieve. If you don't love someone, but only care a little the grief is not so deep.

I don't have an investment in a specific theory, only in figuring out what the answer is.

 

[LuisDantas]

Quote LuisDantas "I can't think of any. For that matter, I don't see how the ToE could be kept out of the public eye, either. Its discovery was very much unavoidable".

So we're exploring a relationship.... WHAT IF...ToE was disproved?

The only way would be by finding an even better fit to available evidence. It would be very exciting! Biologists worldwide would certainly be thrilled if that happened.

But really, what are the odds?

Use your imagination! Perhaps think back to the time that ToE was not around. I'm sure there were people that did not believe in God perhaps as a result of their experiences or whatever. I wonder what they thought. I expect the answer would involve not needing ToE as a basis for non belief. In this way perhaps it is not a close relationship.

Even today, Evolution is rarely if ever a factor in adopting atheistic beliefs. At most, by its existence it makes people a bit less afraid of admitting that they don't believe in God. In fact, I can easily see someone being inspired to believe in God due to the beauty of the variety of species. That is however no reason to assume that Evolution is some sort of misunderstanding when evidence is so definitive.

Then again, would an atheist grieve if ToE was put to death? If so, perhaps it's a close relationship.

Only if it were "put to death" by a movement founded on superstition and ignorance, I guess. Which is quite unlikely to happen, but proposed by a bewildering number of people anyway.

Not unlike human relationships..once you are introduced to someone(something) you love when it dies your grieve. If you don't love someone, but only care a little the grief is not so deep.

Scientific theories don't follow that mold at all well, however. They must prove their worth constantly if they are to survive

 

[gnostic]

What is the relationship between atheism and the theory of evolution?

They are not related.

From what I can tell, Charles Darwin wasn't an atheist. Was he?

His friend, T.H. Huxley was agnostic (and founder of agnosticism, or at the very least, coined the word, agnosticism, and defined it). Perhaps, Darwin was too.

 

[LuisDantas]

They are not related.

From what I can tell, Charles Darwin wasn't an atheist. Was he?

Nope. He was a Christian to death, although arguably tending to agnostic at the close of his life. In fact, it was largely because he was a Christian that he almost failed to revel his discoveries.

His friend, T.H. Huxley was agnostic (and founder of agnosticism, or at the very least, coined the word, agnosticism, and defined it). Perhaps, Darwin was too.

Who knows. It is such a personal and ultimately minor matter.

 

[Autodidact]

They are not related.

From what I can tell, Charles Darwin wasn't an atheist. Was he?

He is believed to be agnostic, but that's not the point. The point is, how are these two ideas related, if at all?