Out of Curiosity,

[LuisDantas]

No, I mean any religious theistic person. And by 'creationist' I mean a person who believes that God or gods came or appeared on Earth as they are. Ie/ no evolution.

God(s)? You mean either humans or living beings, don't you?

 

[Penumbra]

As an atheist, do you tend to assume that the theists you meet or talk to are Creationists? Is it something you have to remind yourself at times that there are theists who agree with the theory of evolution?

Just curious.

No.

I was raised with both theism and appreciation for knowledge and reason, so when I first found out that there are people that have such a radical misunderstanding of the planet's history, I was surprised.

If someone identifies their self as evangelical, calvinist, or baptist, though, I think the likelihood of them being a creationist increases substantially.

 

[Madhuri]

God(s)? You mean either humans or living beings, don't you?

Sorry, yes that is what I mean.

I meant to say that either God created us as we are, or the gods came and populated the Earth, thus bringing about humans and all variety of animals as they are.

 

[YmirGF]

I assume the opposite. Only once have I been surprised by someone angrily insisting she wasn't descended from a monkey when I mentioned something interesting I had read about human evolution.

For the most part, I am the opposite. I usually smile and wish them a "Good day". It's sort of like ruining images of Santa with rather small children. Just pat them on the head and be off.

 

[kai]

As an atheist, do you tend to assume that the theists you meet or talk to are Creationists? Is it something you have to remind yourself at times that there are theists who agree with the theory of evolution?

Just curious.

to be honest there's such a diversity of beliefs i don't take anything for granted.

 

[Alceste]

For the most part, I am the opposite. I usually smile and wish them a "Good day". It's sort of like ruining images of Santa with rather small children. Just pat them on the head and be off.

As would I, if she hadn't surprised me with that. Interesting stuff I read about biology comes up from time to time in casual conversation. It never occurs to me I might be talking to somebody who doesn't believe in science.

 

[dallas1125]

No.

I was raised with both theism and appreciation for knowledge and reason, so when I first found out that there are people that have such a radical misunderstanding of the planet's history, I was surprised.

You should have seen the trauma I went through when my friends tried to convince me that evolution was a hoax. I kept thinking, I should have paid more attention in class!

I was about to convert to atheism and then my roommate (A freaking genius) jumped in and proved them wrong.

 

[evolved yet?]

I simply assume that most people haven't put enough thought into either creation or evolution to have a meaningful opinion on either. When either of these topics do come up, this assumption usually turns out to be correct.

Exactly my thoughts.

 

[YmirGF]

You should have seen the trauma I went through when my friends tried to convince me that evolution was a hoax. I kept thinking, I should have paid more attention in class!

So, in effect, they played on your ignorance. Spiffy.

I was about to convert to atheism and then my roommate (A freaking genius) jumped in and proved them wrong.

This is such a loaded sentence, on so many levels, that it got me laughing. How, exactly, does one "convert" to atheism? Is there some formal ritual, handshake or credo? Are you saying that your friend, the alleged "genius", was able to seemingly defeat the Theory of Evolution? Or did he debunk the people who were saying that the ToE was a hoax? My guess is that no genius, worthy of the title, would seek to malign the ToE, as doing so would only succeed in proving ones inherent stupidity.

 

[dallas1125]

So, in effect, they played on your ignorance. Spiffy.

hey, I'm ignorant of science. Sorry, its not my best subject.

This is such a loaded sentence, on so many levels, that it got me laughing. How, exactly, does one "convert" to atheism? Is there some formal ritual, handshake or credo? Are you saying that your friend, the alleged "genius", was able to seemingly defeat the Theory of Evolution? Or did he debunk the people who were saying that the ToE was a hoax? My guess is that no genius, worthy of the title, would seek to malign the ToE, as doing so would only succeed in proving ones inherent stupidity.

im religous, so the term I use is convert. If you really want to get into political correctness be my guest.

Im not sure what your goal is, cause your confusing me. I wasn't able to pull the facts of evolution off the top of my head but my roommate did.

P.S. Me and my roommate were trying prove evolution. (Which we did.)

 

[Vansdad]

I only make the assumption that a theist has a belief in some kind of god.

Honestly I get a little surprised when I learn someone rejects evolution. I'm used to it so it doesn't leave me speechless or anything, quite the opposite, but I really don't expect it as much as I probably should given the statistics.

I will never understand how a reasonable, rational person can be so completely unreasonable and irrational about anything regarding their religion. So I guess I will just keep being surprised .

Sounds like alot of assumptions

 

[yourhopeboundheart]

P.S. Me and my roommate were trying prove evolution. (Which we did.)

thanks. we've been trying to prove it for decades.

 

[dallas1125]

thanks. we've been trying to prove it for decades.

Well, they didnt really accept it in the end. They went to the God knows everything and he doesnt like evolution argument. :banghead3

 

[YmirGF]

Well, they didnt really accept it in the end. They went to the God knows everything and he doesnt like evolution argument. :banghead3

I heartily recommend The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins. No doubt others could provide you with other equally excellent books.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

As an atheist, do you tend to assume that the theists you meet or talk to are Creationists? Is it something you have to remind yourself at times that there are theists who agree with the theory of evolution?

Just curious.

Well, here everybody is apathetic Lutherans or Baptists or Catholics. It isn't really a major topic, religion isn't, in my town. Though I know my teacher was into it kind of, also politics a lot. He was one of my favorite teaches, possibly my most favorite, he was a Catholic Evolutionist. He claims to be Conservative, though he preached to us a lot about not calling people "gay" because he had friends that were gay and it wasn't bad to be gay.

So otherwords, I do, unless they are smart and wise about their beliefs.

 

[kai]

As an atheist, do you tend to assume that the theists you meet or talk to are Creationists? Is it something you have to remind yourself at times that there are theists who agree with the theory of evolution?

Just curious.

I tend not to assume anything with theists.

 

[St Giordano Bruno]

As an atheist, do you tend to assume that the theists you meet or talk to are Creationists? Is it something you have to remind yourself at times that there are theists who agree with the theory of evolution?

Just curious.

No, I think that it would be getting a bit paranoid if atheists write all theists off as being creationists. It would be like writing all Muslims off as being Islamic terrorists.

 

[E. Nato Difficile]

I tend not to assume anything with theists.

That's part of the problem in these discussions, though.

I can understand having a wide range of opinion among theists, but it's odd that we can't even make a statement like theists believe in an actual God or gods without having people dismiss it as a gross generalization. It's as if we have to abandon all our definitions of words like God and belief and truth and evidence as soon as we start talking about religious belief.

I wonder whether this isn't just a defense mechanism among believers who resent having their beliefs subjected to the same rational scrutiny to which we subject any other belief in our society.

-Nato

 

[Copernicus]

I agree. It is not unusual for people to try to defend their strongest position and ignore those that might be less easy to defend. Atheists like to fall back on "burden of proof" arguments rather than give positive reasons for rejecting belief in gods. Theists like to defend the existence of a non-anthropomorphic generic "creator" god that is essentially the type of gods that only deists believe in.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I agree. It is not unusual for people to try to defend their strongest position and ignore those that might be less easy to defend. Atheists like to fall back on "burden of proof" arguments rather than give positive reasons for rejecting belief in gods. Theists like to defend the existence of a non-anthropomorphic generic "creator" god that is essentially the type of gods that only deists believe in.

I've noticed that most of the more rigorous "proofs" of God's existence tend to end up being proofs (or purported proofs, since there have been flaws in all the ones I've ever seen) of some esoteric concept, at which point they tack on "... and we call this God." However, it usually has little to no bearing on what real theists actually worship.