The Earth Is a Few Thousand Years Old

[Breathe]

Where though? It's not the ACLU, not Dawkins, Harris, or any other "figurehead" of the "new atheists", it's not David Silverman or Michael Shermer, it's not Talk origins or American Atheists, where are these anti-theists that are making the issue God OR evolution because the people and groups I named are a pretty big source of the anti-theist criticism of creationism and they don't make it about God OR religion.

Ah, that may be the reason why people have been misunderstanding me.

It's not coming from "figureheads", as far as I'm aware, as these people know better. It's coming from a few mouthy dickbags, often sitting behind a keyboard.

Yes, it is.
NLR district acknowledges creationism at school
Texas Public Schools: Still Teaching Creationism | Mother Jones
Evolving Creationism in the Classroom - Scientific American

God damn it, America.
Pun not intended.

 

[Simurgh]

Since 1982, between 40% and 50% of adults in the United States consider themselves "Young Earth Creationists." 76% of America's population is Christian. Other religions only make up 5 percent of the population, and the rest are non-religious (atheists, agnostics, deists, pantheists, etc.) which would have no need to believe in young-earth creationism anyway. That would mean that a majority of Christians believe in young-earth creationism.

almighty Wikipedia states "Since 1982, between 40% and 50% of adults in the United States say they hold the young Earth view that "God created humans in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years". that is not the same as saying they are automatically young earthers. although, in all reality, it's still a sad thing to behold, are so many bereft of rational thought that they just ignore science because it may be inconvenient to look at themselves as being accidents of nature rather than the result of an omnipotent being's whim?

here is the Gallup poll that this is based on.
One-Third of Americans Believe the Bible Is Literally True

 

[ImmortalFlame]

Oh please, new atheists are the edgy bedfellows of the very thing they claim to hate. The two live in an abusive codependent relationship.

Can you please define "new atheists"?

 

[adi2d]

Since 1982, between 40% and 50% of adults in the United States consider themselves "Young Earth Creationists." 76% of America's population is Christian. Other religions only make up 5 percent of the population, and the rest are non-religious (atheists, agnostics, deists, pantheists, etc.) which would have no need to believe in young-earth creationism anyway. That would mean that a majority of Christians believe in young-earth creationism.

I've heard that 76.3 percent of all statistics are made up while typing













Source?

 

[Triumphant_Loser]

I've heard that 76.3 percent of all statistics are made up while typing








Source?

I must be part of the other 23.7 percent then.

Statistics on Religion in America Report -- Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

 

[Slapstick]

More often than not, it's used as a straw man. The same as how many non-religious people's interpretation of religion and God are also made of straw.

Unfortunately, there are some with these kind of views, but it seems they are massively inflated in terms of number and correlated with all or the majority of religious believers so a few anti-theists, especially online, can stroke their own superiority complexes and talk about how intelligent and enlightened they all are, and pat each other on the back and congratulate themselves on it.

It's the equivalent of a group of bored mums outside of the school talking about one of the other mum's for dying her hair, or something equally trivial.

The majority of actual creationists are, from my limited experience dealing with them, Old Earth Creationists, or even Day-Age Creationists (or "Stage Creationists").

Creationism has managed to grow as a movement because of it being attacked, and scriptural illiteracy on both sides of the fence, and because of a lack of understanding of evolution, and how evolution has been wrongly pegged with atheism by a few morons and now seems to be an accepted doctrine amongst anti-theists.

This made me laugh. I agree, I think it is a straw man on both accounts.

Nowhere in the Bible does it give the age of earth or even the universe. So anyone that attacks the straw man in a debate or uses it, is just as bad as the people that created it. It’s kind of like beating a dead horse.

From what I recently read, only a small minority of people hold this view, and I still find it hard to believe that anyone actually believes the earth is only a few thousand years old.

From: Cosmology and Religion [FONT=&quot]False dichotomy between Science and Creationism[/FONT]
“There are [FONT=&quot]NOT[/FONT] just two sides in this issue that deserve equal time. Young Earth Creationism is a belief held by a small minority [~6%] of Christians, and Christianity is followed by a minority [albeit a large one: 33%] of all people on the world. For example, Catholics outnumber Young Earth Creationists by a large factor, and the Catholic Church has no objection to either Big Bang cosmology or evolutionary biology, which they regard as the mechanisms used by God to create the Universe and the living things within it. (See the text of a talk by Dr. George Coyne, SJ). Hindus outnumber Young Earth Creationists by a large factor, and believe in an infinitely old Universe evolving in cycles - a belief more in accord with Hoyle's Steady State Cosmology that the Big Bang, but directly contradicting the Young Earth Creationists.”

This basically comes down to a minority group of atheist or non-religious, attacking another minority group YEC, to make the totality of all religion look bad when all they are doing is making themselves look just as bad as YEC. All it takes is two seconds to pick up a bible or do some research to realize that the Bible does not state how old the earth is or when it was created. The same can be said about the Universe itself.

 

[shawn001]

Tax payer dollars being used.


Map: Publicly Funded Schools That Are Allowed to Teach Creationism.
Thousands of schools in states across the country can use taxpayer money to cast doubt on basic science.

Creationism in public schools, mapped. Where tax money supports alternatives to evolution.

 

[Slapstick]

Tax payer dollars being used.


Map: Publicly Funded Schools That Are Allowed to Teach Creationism.
Thousands of schools in states across the country can use taxpayer money to cast doubt on basic science.

Creationism in public schools, mapped. Where tax money supports alternatives to evolution.

Florida: At least 164 schools teach creationism while participating in the state’s tax credit scholarship programs for disabled children and children from low-income families.
Georgia: At least 34 schools teach creationism while participating in the state’s tax credit scholarship program for disabled children.

I don't think tax payer dollars should be going towards private schools to begin with. This money isn't going to private schools, but towards those with disabilities and low income families who choose to send their child to a private school vs. a public. Also, creationism isn't the same as YEC.

 

[Enai de a lukal]

If only. Unfortunately, many more. That's the depressing part.

Yes, depressing how many imaginary people hold these silly beliefs. Well, don't let me interrupt your strawman-beatdown here.

Experience.

In other words, you don't have any evidence. You are all bark and no bite, aren't you? Why go around making these patently false assertions, knowing that someone is likely to call you on them, and that you can't possibly back them up?

Oh that's right, because you're trolling.

 

[Enai de a lukal]

But anti-theists aren't making the issue "this or that", creationists are doing that. YEC's are saying evolution isn't true because it contradicts god. Anti-theists aren't saying god isn't true because it contradicts evolution, they are just saying evolution is true. Whether or not it contradicts god is irrelevant.

Exactly... Common sense, its like a breath of fresh air on this thread.

 

[Enai de a lukal]

Ah, that may be the reason why people have been misunderstanding me.

It's not coming from "figureheads", as far as I'm aware, as these people know better. It's coming from a few mouthy dickbags, often sitting behind a keyboard.

Oh wait, you mean, "anti-theists" claim no such thing in general, its just a few idiots on some online forum you came across?

The truth comes out. :clap

 

[Triumphant_Loser]

Ah, that may be the reason why people have been misunderstanding me.

It's not coming from "figureheads", as far as I'm aware, as these people know better. It's coming from a few mouthy dickbags, often sitting behind a keyboard.


God damn it, America.
Pun not intended.

You have such a classy and sophisticated way with words.:sarcastic

 

[Breathe]

Can you please define "new atheists"?

Those angsty, preachy atheists who know less about religion than they let on. The ones who embarrass other atheists, because of their simplistic notions.

Oh wait, you mean, "anti-theists" claim no such thing in general, its just a few idiots on some online forum you came across?

More than one forum, it's all over the place. But yeah.
If you spew stuff like that, how are you not an anti-theist?

You have such a classy and sophisticated way with words.:sarcastic

I'm a big supporter of saying it how I see it when possible. A spade is a spade, and a dickbag is a dickbag.

 

[Monk Of Reason]

Those angsty, preachy atheists who know less about religion than they let on. The ones who embarrass other atheists, because of their simplistic notions.

A berated conjecture based off of reddit forums and facebook memes? There are plenty of preachy old atheists. And there are plenty of respectable new atheists.

I understand that reddit has ruined the image of atheists for many individuals but I hope you are able to look past it and have honest discussions with atheists. Likewise atheists (well all people really) should try their best to look past the labels and have a productive conversation.

 

[Breathe]

There are plenty of preachy old atheists. And there are plenty of respectable new atheists.

But aren't they then new atheists and atheists?
You know what I mean. I think. Terms suck.

I understand that reddit has ruined the image of atheists for many individuals

Nah, I know reddit and a few places are the exceptions. And those type are the ones I consider to be "anti-theists", not atheists.

but I hope you are able to look past it and have honest discussions with atheists. Likewise atheists (well all people really) should try their best to look past the labels and have a productive conversation.

Of course.

I don't care if someone doesn't believe or believes different to me; I only care about someone's intention, tone, and so on, and if they're deliberately twisting words and trying to cause trouble, regardless of religious affiliation or lack of.

I live in godless, heathen Europe, so if I didn't talk to the non-religious or non-believers, it'd be a pretty quiet existence.

Despite seeming to have got involved in a few quite mean-spirited debates since I got back, I actually prefer productive conversations.

 

[Monk Of Reason]

But aren't they then new atheists and atheists?
You know what I mean. I think. Terms suck.

Indeed.

Nah, I know reddit and a few places are the exceptions. And those type are the ones I consider to be "anti-theists", not atheists.

well atheist and anti-theist are not conflicting or necessarily conjoined terms.

Of course.

I don't care if someone doesn't believe or believes different to me; I only care about someone's intention, tone, and so on, and if they're deliberately twisting words and trying to cause trouble, regardless of religious affiliation or lack of.

I live in godless, heathen Europe, so if I didn't talk to the non-religious or non-believers, it'd be a pretty quiet existence.

Despite seeming to have got involved in a few quite mean-spirited debates since I got back, I actually prefer productive conversations.

That is good.

 

[Breathe]

well atheist and anti-theist are not conflicting or necessarily conjoined terms.

Yeah, the differing definitions of what an anti-theist and so on is seems to be a source of confusion.

That is good.

It is.

 

[Sees]

I live in godless, heathen Europe....

Temporary stop on the way home

 

[Breathe]

Temporary stop on the way home

What is the destination?

 

[Sees]

What is the destination?

Freeeeedom!!!