Why are there still Young-Earth creationists in the world?

[RedJamaX]

I love how no YEC have answered yet.

And its on the rise? thats news to me. Everything I have heard said its decreasing. Atheism and general non-theism is massivly on the rise. Islam is on the rise and paganism is on the rise. But christianity and especially evangelical fundamentalist christianity seems to be decreasing rapidly.

My understanding is also that it is NOT on the rise, but Atheism and non-theism definitely is. However, I think there is a misconception that is because the YEC's are making more noise lately.

When the Intelligent Design bowel movement started in the 90's, the scientific community initially held and position of non-argument/debate. That's because if you debate them, it makes them "seem" like they actually have something worth debating. The problem is that most people don't actually understand science. The science behind evolution is very complex... The idea of irreducible complexity is very easy to grasp when you use a "car" analogy. So they debates began because the ID proponents began to make an impact on science in our schools... that's a problem.

Something to take comfort in...
I remember a section in "The God Delusion", by Richard Dawkins, where he quotes somebody else in saying something to the effect of.... when you oppose a majority view that is wrong... first they will ignore you, then they will debate you, then they will scream at you... and then you win!
It would seem that the YEC's are in the screaming phase.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

As someone who was once a YEC, it has nothing to do with hedonism, willfull ignorance, not facing reality, or whatever. What you have to understand is it's not necessarily so much the individual as it is the environment. It is not uncommon at all to be exposed to pamphlets quoting scientist like Richard Dawkins who take stabs at religion, even using their own words, to prove that scientist have an agenda to attack religion. What they are assured that evolution is just a theory, and of every other attack on evolution, both valid and face-palm-worthy.
And of course there are those like Pat Robertson who leech off the gullible and naive, but many times it is a genuine belief.
It's why attacking and belittling YECs really isn't that great of an idea. There are many types of dating that all verify each other, there are fossils and the sedimentary layer, what we have been able to see and track of evolution, our knowledge of DNA and genetic replication, and so much more evidence, but we also live in a society that screams their rights are being threatened just because someone else wants to publicly voice their opinion and beliefs. It's kinda like fat shaming; there are so many very specific reasons why obesity happens, a handful of legitimate reasons, but we live in a culture the encourages and supports it and shaming isn't the way to fix it

 

[Willamena]

...the Intelligent Design bowel movement...

*blink*

 

[Kilgore Trout]

But how can this be? Do these people simply not understand the overwhelming amount of evidence that the Earth and the Universe are billions of years old?

Evidence is irrelevant to people who don't care about evidence.

 

[Sir Doom]

From Nietzsche: At times one remains faithful to a cause only because its opponents do not cease to be insipid.

 

[philbo]

..the Intelligent Design bowel movement...

..you might enjoy this, set to a possibly recognizeable tune

 

[Monk Of Reason]

I hope you're right - I was under the impression that Young Earth Creationism was on the rise and that the division between science and religion grows bigger.

By this site one might think that but overall there seems to be an ever decreasing number of fundamentalists.

 

[outhouse]

By this site one might think that but overall there seems to be an ever decreasing number of fundamentalists.

I don't know about that.

YEC don't really change their minds often. What I see is that with all those that die, a higher percentage of YEC are taken off the market.

The new generations are not as heavily influenced with that dogma, so we are breeding that sort of behavior out.


Don't ever kid yourself about their numbers or strength, there is no shortage.

 

[Monk Of Reason]

I don't know about that.

YEC don't really change their minds often. What I see is that with all those that die, a higher percentage of YEC are taken off the market.

The new generations are not as heavily influenced with that dogma, so we are breeding that sort of behavior out.


Don't ever kid yourself about their numbers or strength, there is no shortage.

About 46% of Americans are Creationists of some kind. Maybe more. But only a smaller section of that would be young earth creationists. Evolution is still being taught in school and to my knowledge ID has been smacked down every time. So that at least bodes well for us as a country.

 

[FranklinMichaelV.3]

Modern science is relatively new in regards to dating things right? People tend to believe the old over the new

 

[philbo]

Modern science is relatively new in regards to dating things right? People tend to believe the old over the new

A lot of scientists are still relatively new at dating things, especially things of the opposite sex

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

This is something that really puzzles me. It seems that the belief that Earth is only a few thousand years old, is in growth. Particularly in the USA, but also elsewhere it seems the polarity between science and religion is increasing.

But how can this be? Do these people simply not understand the overwhelming amount of evidence that the Earth and the Universe are billions of years old?

It is because they breed true to type.

 

[Sunstone]

Do these people simply not understand the overwhelming amount of evidence that the Earth and the Universe are billions of years old?

I think Young Earth Creationism is by and large just more evidence -- as if any more is really needed -- of the human capacity for willful ignorance and self-deceit.

If I told you that "gravity was a myth", you'd might laugh at that. But give me a little seed money and twenty years -- by then I'll have a sizable number of people running around swearing gravity is a myth.

 

[philbo]

If I told you that "gravity was a myth", you'd might laugh at that. But give me a little seed money and twenty years -- by then I'll have a sizable number of people running around swearing gravity is a myth.

Gravity is a myth. The Earth sucks.

I know this is true: I have it on a t-shirt. A very old (and very hole-y) t-shirt.

 

[Luke Morningstar]

But how can this be? Do these people simply not understand the overwhelming amount of evidence that the Earth and the Universe are billions of years old?

They probably have more important things to worry about and don't find the value in giving much thought to what happened in their own past, much less our shared past.

What I'm more curious about is, why do we find it so aggravating?

For me, I think because I could see how that could be me. Take away a love of books instilled in my early years, and a desperate need to know how my world works, because it was too unpredictable and chaotic for a child, I might not care so much either. I think another part is that I do care. I am proud of what I've learned. And I think it's made me a better person. I'm frustrated and scared. Why don't they find value in education, did I waste my time, and does it make as much of a difference as I believe it does?

 

[Reverend Rick]

I love how no YEC have answered yet.

This thread has really made an accepting environment for dialog.

Willfully ignorant stupid YEC's, why don't they just die and go away.

You cannot take the Bible literally 100% of the time, but that would take all the fun out of your hate fest.

Why would anyone want to be the object of your peer pressure and prejudice?

If you choose to worship carbon dating as 100% reliable, be my guest.

I look at it like this, the folks who wrote things down thousands of years ago might have got things wrong, imagine that!

I don't think the Bible is perfectly accurate so I can't technically be classified as a YEC.

I will say this, does the Bible say that Adam was born a child and became a man later?

No, it says he was created a man. I would say if this is true, it would therefore be possible to create billions of year old rocks as well.

If you base your religion on science being 100% correct all the time, your equally as ignorant as the YEC's IMHO.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Closed minds are a terrible thing to waist.

Is that not itself a closed minded opinion?

 

[Reverend Rick]

Is that not itself a closed minded opinion?

You have to ignore the herd mentality, they believe they know everything.

They think that there is other life out there somewhere but are too stupid to be able to find it.

They think that science is so superior, but yet they cannot create life from nothing.

 

[Debater Slayer]

I don't think all people who reject the scientific evidence for the age of the Earth, age of fossils, etc., are unaware of it. I believe that for some people, it comes down to what they believe to be a deity's literal, infallible word as opposed to "errant" human scientific findings. They lend more credence to the former, hence the belief in Young Earth creationism.

 

[philbo]

This thread has really made an accepting environment for dialog.

And that post was so wonderfully sarcasm-free, it has made things so much better

Willfully ignorant stupid YEC's, why don't they just die and go away.

You cannot take the Bible literally 100% of the time, but that would take all the fun out of your hate fest.

Why would anyone want to be the object of your peer pressure and prejudice?

If you choose to worship carbon dating as 100% reliable, be my guest.

I look at it like this, the folks who wrote things down thousands of years ago might have got things wrong, imagine that!

I don't think the Bible is perfectly accurate so I can't technically be classified as a YEC.

I will say this, does the Bible say that Adam was born a child and became a man later?

No, it says he was created a man. I would say if this is true, it would therefore be possible to create billions of year old rocks as well.

If you base your religion on science being 100% correct all the time, your equally as ignorant as the YEC's IMHO.

Hey, one of those "count the strawmen" posts.