What convinced you that Evolution is the truth?

[Dao Hao Now]

Que?

Huh?

What on earth are you babbling about

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Of course this question is addressed both to theists and to atheists. Both to those who believe in evolution and those who believe it's untrue.
Explain why you, through your intelligence, reason and mind developped the awareness and the conviction that Evolution is the historical truth.

If you are a theist, please explain the theological implications, as well.

I will underline that we are not talking about Intelligence Design, here: we are talking about Darwinian evolution based upon the Darwinian principles like natural selection, etc..etc...
Thank you for participating-

I was raised to believe that the Genesis accounts were literal and historical. I was firmly convinced. In those days, the public schools did not teach the evidence for evolution, so I basically went unchallenged.

That was until I began attending the university. I had enrolled in an Anthropology 100 course. Half the class was about cultural anthropology, and the other half was on physical anthropology.

We were learning about the various hominid fossils, and were focusing in on Homo Habilis. The professor was describing some traits that were very manlike, and other traits that were very apelike. He mentioned that scientists had actually debated whether to classify the fossils as genus homo (man) or whether to create a unique category, as with the Australopithecines.

Suddenly it struck me that that is EXACTLY what you would expect to happen if you had a transitional form, that it would be difficult if not impossible to classify.

And with that thought, the dominos began to fall. It was not a pleasant feeling, and in fact was very frightening. When I had left for school that morning, I had been a creationist. By the time I got home, I had accepted evolution. It was overturning many of my religious assumptions, and I had no idea where I would ultimately end up.

In the end, my belief in God and my religion did survive the overhaul, but in a new and different way. For example, I still saw God as the Creator, but now saw evolution as his modus operandi.

 

[YoursTrue]

I was raised to believe that the Genesis accounts were literal and historical. I was firmly convinced. In those days, the public schools did not teach the evidence for evolution, so I basically went unchallenged.

That was until I began attending the university. I had enrolled in an Anthropology 100 course. Half the class was about cultural anthropology, and the other half was on physical anthropology.

We were learning about the various hominid fossils, and were focusing in on Homo Habilis. The professor was describing some traits that were very manlike, and other traits that were very apelike. He mentioned that scientists had actually debated whether to classify the fossils as genus homo (man) or whether to create a unique category, as with the Australopithecines.

Suddenly it struck me that that is EXACTLY what you would expect to happen if you had a transitional form, that it would be difficult if not impossible to classify.

And with that thought, the dominos began to fall. It was not a pleasant feeling, and in fact was very frightening. When I had left for school that morning, I had been a creationist. By the time I got home, I had accepted evolution. It was overturning many of my religious assumptions, and I had no idea where I would ultimately end up.

In the end, my belief in God and my religion did survive the overhaul, but in a new and different way. For example, I still saw God as the Creator, but now saw evolution as his modus operandi.

Very interesting, thanks for sharing. I had a somewhat different experience since my school taught evolution and I believed it. Now I have a lot of questions about evolution. I do not take the Bible literally in all cases, however. Here is something some will find wonderful I think. Enjoy.
Bach on Piano for a Bull Elephant:

 

[Bthoth]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing. I had a somewhat different experience since my school taught evolution and I believed it. Now I have a lot of questions about evolution. I do not take the Bible literally in all cases, however. Here is something some will find wonderful I think. Enjoy.
Bach on Piano for a Bull Elephant:

Sure, people learn religions too!

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing. I had a somewhat different experience since my school taught evolution and I believed it. Now I have a lot of questions about evolution. I do not take the Bible literally in all cases, however. Here is something some will find wonderful I think. Enjoy.
Bach on Piano for a Bull Elephant:

What a heart warming video. Thanks. You know, when you consider that we are related, it really should not surprise us that other mammals have things in common with us, but of course it always does. Here's another video...

 

[YoursTrue]

Sure, people learn religions too!

This wasn't about an elephant learning music. Or religion. If that's what you thought I meant. Ok. Anyway...

 

[YoursTrue]

What a heart warming video. Thanks. You know, when you consider that we are related, it really should not surprise us that other mammals have things in common with us, but of course it always does. Here's another video...

Not sure. Was this Mahler he was listening to?

 

[YoursTrue]

Sure, people learn religions too!

Ok I take back what I said. God made animals and then told Adam to have them in subjection. Once Adam sinned, however, the world was no longer a real peaceful place. The prophecies given in the scriptures do refer to the future though regarding peace between men and animals.

 

[Little Dragon]

Explain why you, through your intelligence, reason and mind developped the awareness and the conviction that Evolution is the historical truth.

The vast array of multi disciplinary evidence for the theory of evolution via natural selection is overwhelming. Including the observation of actual speciation events.
There is no other testable hypothesis that comes close in terms of predictive power and concordance/congruence with the other sciences.
I do not believe the theory will ever be falsified. Only refined.

 

[YoursTrue]

@Bthoth ok I take back again after rereading your post. Yes people are taught religion

 

[Little Dragon]

God made animals and then told Adam to have them in subjection.

I think of all the narratives that puts me off Christianity the most, it is the idea that humans are elevated above all other life forms.

 

[Little Dragon]

I wonder how many times you will be told that, when there is a selection mechanism (and there is, naturally), dice and cards are not apt analogies, before you finally get it. Throwing dice and shuffling cards randomizes the results. Selecting for reproducibility is precisely the opposite.

Yes the only random aspect of the theory, is the role of mutation, which is essentially a random process, although rates of mutation are of course influenced by other factors including radiation exposure and carcinogenic chemicals, in the environment, and so on.
Only a tiny minority of mutations are beneficial, most are harmless, some are not. Natural selection, selects for the fittest of that ecological niche.

Natural selection is as you say definitely not a random process.

Genetic drift, which accounts for a minor aspect of most organism's evolutionary pathway, is random.

Sexual selection, which has a very important impact on evolutionary pathways, is not random.

Sorry for using your post to platform. I am certain you know all this already.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Not sure. Was this Mahler he was listening to?

I'm afraid I don't recognize the piece.

 

[IndigoChild5559]

Yes the only random aspect of the theory, is the role of mutation, which is essentially a random process, although rates of mutation are of course influenced by other factors including radiation exposure and carcinogenic chemicals, in the environment, and so on.
Only a tiny minority of mutations are beneficial, most are harmless, some are not. Natural selection, selects for the fittest of that ecological niche.

Natural selection is as you say definitely not a random process.

Genetic drift, which accounts for a minor aspect of most organism's evolutionary pathway, is random.

Sexual selection, which has a very important impact on evolutionary pathways, is not random.

Sorry for using your post to platform. I am certain you know all this already.

And it looks like they are questioning if mutation is random. Here is a fascinating article:
“We always thought of mutation as basically random across the genome,” said Grey Monroe, an assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences who is lead author on the paper. “It turns out that mutation is very non-random and it’s non-random in a way that benefits the plant. It’s a totally new way of thinking about mutation.”

Study Challenges Evolutionary Theory That DNA Mutations Are Random

UC Davis researchers have found that DNA mutations are not random. This changes our understanding of evolution and could one day help researchers breed better crops or even help humans fight cancer.

www.ucdavis.edu

 

[Little Dragon]

For example, I still saw God as the Creator, but now saw evolution as his modus operandi.

That is at least more logical, and I concede, more probable than unexplained "magic". Not that it explains what form such a God takes mind...or if such a God is also a product of evolution or not.

 

[Little Dragon]

And it looks like they are questioning if mutation is random. Here is a fascinating article:
“We always thought of mutation as basically random across the genome,” said Grey Monroe, an assistant professor in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences who is lead author on the paper. “It turns out that mutation is very non-random and it’s non-random in a way that benefits the plant. It’s a totally new way of thinking about mutation.”

Study Challenges Evolutionary Theory That DNA Mutations Are Random

UC Davis researchers have found that DNA mutations are not random. This changes our understanding of evolution and could one day help researchers breed better crops or even help humans fight cancer.

www.ucdavis.edu

Well, kind of, in fact they identified certain areas of a genome, which experienced more resistance to mutation and or can repair those sections more readily, somehow. I suspect these are mechanisms, evolved abilities at the genomic level, to protect vital gene sequences from mutating.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Not sure. Was this Mahler he was listening to?

Iffy recording, but I think it's the Adagietto from Mahler's Fifth symphony.

 

[Dimi95]

Of course this question is addressed both to theists and to atheists. Both to those who believe in evolution and those who believe it's untrue.
Explain why you, through your intelligence, reason and mind developped the awareness and the conviction that Evolution is the historical truth.

If you are a theist, please explain the theological implications, as well.

I will underline that we are not talking about Intelligence Design, here: we are talking about Darwinian evolution based upon the Darwinian principles like natural selection, etc..etc...
Thank you for participating-

Science - the most simple answer i can give.

 

[YoursTrue]

T

Iffy recording, but I think it's the Adagietto from Mahler's Fifth symphony.

Thanks, I thought it sounded like Mahler. Interesting background Mahler had. I'll look for the piece, gorgeous in my world, oh I mean worldview...no wonder the cat listened.

 

[YoursTrue]

I think of all the narratives that puts me off Christianity the most, it is the idea that humans are elevated above all other life forms.

Man was supposed to take care of the animals. Not hurt them.