Difference between revisions of "Atheism and evolution"

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== Atheist organizations: Church-state/creationism issues - poor largely ignored ==
 
== Atheist organizations: Church-state/creationism issues - poor largely ignored ==
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[[Image:228130875 35181424e3.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Per capita]] [[atheism|atheists]] and [[agnosticism|agnostics]] in America give significantly less to charity than [[theism|theists]] even when church giving is not counted for theists. See: [[Atheism and charity|Atheism and uncharitableness]] ]]
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[[File:Beggar in Cambodia.jpg|thumb|right|326px|A beggar in [[Cambodia]]. In Cambodia, the vast majority of the population adheres to a nontheistic form of [[Buddhism]] called the Theravada school of Buddhism.
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<br /><br />
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A comprehensive study by [[Harvard University]] professor Robert Putnam found that religious people are more charitable than their irreligious counterparts.<ref name="Burke Campbell">Multiple references:
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*Burke, Daniel, Religion News Service (May 13, 2009). [http://web.archive.org/web/20130310113024/http://www.pewforum.org/Religion-News/Religious-people-make-better-citizens-study-says.aspx "Religious people make better citizens, study says"]. Pew Research Forum. Archived on March 10, 2013 by Internet Archive.  Retrieved July 19, 2014.
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*Campbell, David and Putnam, Robert (November 14, 2010).  [http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2010-11-15-column15_ST_N.htm "Religious people are 'better neighbors'"]. USA Today website.  Retrieved on July 19, 2014.</ref> ]]
  
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See also: [[Atheism and charity|Atheism and uncharitableness]] and [[Atheism, social justice and hypocrisy]]
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''See also:'' [[Atheism and charity|Atheism and uncharitableness]] and [[Atheism, social justice and hypocrisy]]
  
 
In June of 2014, the African- American atheist woman Dr. Sikivu Hutchinson wrote in the ''Washington Post'' that white atheists organizations generally focus on church/state separation and [[creationism]] issues and not the concerns the less affluent African-American population faces.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/06/16/blacks-are-even-discriminated-against-by-atheists/ Atheism has a big race problem that no one’s talking about] by Dr. Sikivu Hutchinson, Washington Post June 16, 2014</ref> Hutchinson also mentioned that church organizations do focus on helping poor African-Americans.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/06/16/blacks-are-even-discriminated-against-by-atheists/ Atheism has a big race problem that no one’s talking about] by Dr. Sikivu Hutchinson, Washington Post June 16, 2014</ref>  
 
In June of 2014, the African- American atheist woman Dr. Sikivu Hutchinson wrote in the ''Washington Post'' that white atheists organizations generally focus on church/state separation and [[creationism]] issues and not the concerns the less affluent African-American population faces.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/06/16/blacks-are-even-discriminated-against-by-atheists/ Atheism has a big race problem that no one’s talking about] by Dr. Sikivu Hutchinson, Washington Post June 16, 2014</ref> Hutchinson also mentioned that church organizations do focus on helping poor African-Americans.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/06/16/blacks-are-even-discriminated-against-by-atheists/ Atheism has a big race problem that no one’s talking about] by Dr. Sikivu Hutchinson, Washington Post June 16, 2014</ref>  

Revision as of 20:32, December 30, 2015

Since World War II a majority of the most prominent and vocal defenders of the evolutionary position which employs methodological naturalism have been atheists.[1] The prominent atheist and evolutionist Richard Dawkins claimed that "Darwin made it possible to be an intellectually fulfilled atheist".[2]

The vast majority of Western World atheists are evolutionists. As far as nontheist Buddhism, as no major beliefs/principles of Buddhism are contrary to it, many Buddhists are also evolutionists.[3][4]

The atheist philosopher and evolutionist Michael Ruse admitted:

“ [E]volution, akin to religion, involves making certain a priori or metaphysical assumptions, which at some level cannot be proven empirically.[5] ”

Michael Ruse also indicated: "Evolution is a religion. This was true of evolution in the beginning, and it is true of evolution still today."[6] In the their Question evolution! campaign, Creation Ministries International asserts that evolution is a religion.[7]

Evolution as a secular origins myth

See also: Evolution as a secular origins myth

Evolution is a secular origins myth of atheists, agnostics and members of other theologically liberal religious sects (theologically liberal religious sects often dismiss out of hand various supernatural events in history due to their hostility towards God and the supernatural). See also: Atheism is a religion

The atheist philosopher of science Michael Ruse said "Evolution is a religion. This was true of evolution in the beginning, and it is true of evolution still today."[8]

The Canadian anthropologist Paul Gosselin wrote:

“ In the world of myth, miracles are commonplace and occur regularly. Much the same could be said of evolutionary myths of origins. Just like in the Aboriginal Dreamtime stories and the Wolverine stories from the First Nations of North America, in the evolutionary origins myth one regularly encounters phenomena that are contrary to natural law and which have never been observed by any human. And the first of these miracles is abiogenesis, the transition from inert matter to living organisms, capable of reproducing themselves. But that is just the beginning. From there we go on to the transition from invertebrates to vertebrates, then there’s the transition from marine organisms, such as fish, to terrestrial organisms, the transition from reptiles to mammals, the transition from land mammals to marine mammals and then the transition from crawling reptiles to flying birds. But the greatest miracle of all? This is undoubtedly the appearance of functional genetic code and its chemical basis, DNA, and all this without the intervention of a Programmer. It is clear that miracles abound in the evolutionary origins myth. The faith of evolutionary believers is great, but for my part I have to admit lacking enough faith to believe in such miracles.[9] ”

Although he is not a creationist, the atheist philosopher John Gray admitted in 2008 in The Guardian:

“ A great deal of modern thought consists of secular myths - hollowed-out religious narratives translated into pseudo-science. Dennett's notion that new communications technologies will fundamentally alter the way human beings think is just such a myth.[10] ”

Atheist organizations: Church-state/creationism issues - poor largely ignored

A beggar in Cambodia. In Cambodia, the vast majority of the population adheres to a nontheistic form of Buddhism called the Theravada school of Buddhism.

A comprehensive study by Harvard University professor Robert Putnam found that religious people are more charitable than their irreligious counterparts.[11]

See also: Atheism and uncharitableness and Atheism, social justice and hypocrisy

In June of 2014, the African- American atheist woman Dr. Sikivu Hutchinson wrote in the Washington Post that white atheists organizations generally focus on church/state separation and creationism issues and not the concerns the less affluent African-American population faces.[12] Hutchinson also mentioned that church organizations do focus on helping poor African-Americans.[13]

Also, according to a video posted at Freethoughtblogs storefront churches provide assistance to local residents including women, and this partly explains the dearth of Hispanic and African-American women atheists in America (Atheists give less to charity than Christians. See: Atheism and uncharitableness).[14]

In 2014, the atheist Chris Hall wrote in an article which was published by Salon magazine and Alternet:

“ Direct challenges to racism and sexism haven’t traditionally been the domain of the large organizations like American Atheists or the Secular Coalition for America. It’s been far more typical to fight incursions against separation of church and state or educate against pseudoscience like homeopathy.[15] ”

See Also

References

  1. ↑ Multiple references:
  2. ↑ Wieland, Carl (December 1, 2006). "Dawkins and eugenics". Creation.com [Creation Ministries International]. Retrieved on May 15, 2015.
  3. ↑ Religious Differences on the Question of Evolution
  4. ↑ Evolution doesn't bother Buddhists, Chicago Tribune, December 23, 2013
  5. ↑ Atheism needs evolution by ex-atheist Calvin Smith, Creation Ministries International
  6. ↑ Ruse, M., How evolution became a religion: creationists correct? National Post, pp. B1,B3,B7 May 13, 2000.
  7. ↑ 15 questions for evolutionists
  8. ↑ Ruse, M., How evolution became a religion: creationists correct? National Post, pp. B1,B3,B7 May 13, 2000.
  9. ↑ Myths of Origin and the Theory of Evolution
  10. ↑ The atheist delusion, John Gray, The Guardian, Friday 14 March 2008
  11. ↑ Multiple references:
  12. ↑ Atheism has a big race problem that no one’s talking about by Dr. Sikivu Hutchinson, Washington Post June 16, 2014
  13. ↑ Atheism has a big race problem that no one’s talking about by Dr. Sikivu Hutchinson, Washington Post June 16, 2014
  14. ↑ Sikivu, Ophelia, and Rebecca — who says atheism lacks women stars?
  15. ↑ Forget Christopher Hitchens: Atheism in America is undergoing a radical change by Chris Hall, Salon magazine, Thursday, Jun 5, 2014 12:25 PM UTC (originally published in Alternet)