IDealogues Insulting Theistic Evolutionists

Posted 6 April 2004 by Ed Brayton

I have lately been engaged in a conversation that is just making me more and more annoyed. It began with a blogger named Rusty Lopez saying,

Yet, one wonders what thoughts the likes of Eugenie Scott, Daniel Dennett, Richard Dawkins, et. al., are having as they smirk behind Miller's back.

And quoting Bill Dembski saying,

Not to put too fine a point on it, the Darwinian establishment views theistic evolution as a weak-kneed sycophant that desperately wants the respectability that comes with being a full-blooded Darwinist but refuses to follow the logic of Darwinism through to the end. It takes courage to give up the comforting belief that life on earth has a purpose. It takes courage to live without the consolation of afterlife. Theistic evolutionists lack the stomach to face the ultimate meaninglessness of life, and it is this failure of courage that makes them contemptible in the eyes of full-blooded Darwinists.

9 Comments

PZ Myers · 6 April 2004

Moonies are evangelical christians.

wvmcl · 6 April 2004

Only in America could there be a converstation like this. Everyone else in the world has long gotten over the idea that evolution and religion are incompatable. (Oh wait, maybe one exception, somebody told me that Osama bin Laden is a creationist.)

The Pope has said that there is no conflict between religious faith and accepting the scientific reality of evolution. But then I guess these guys don't consider the Pope to be a true Christian.

Muness Alrubaie · 6 April 2004

Pardon me: I am confused. Can someone point me to resources that illustrate how theism and evolution can, in fact, be compatible?

The only possibility that comes to mind is that God set up the Big Bang, and then left leaving everything up to physical (in contrast with His metaphysical) processes. Is this the religion and evolution are compatible view?

Steve Reuland · 6 April 2004

Is it possible that he doesn't realize how irrational it is?

Not just possible, I'd say quite probable. This is a classic case of projection. People who are intolerant towards other belief systems simply don't understand pluralism. In their eyes, it's unthinkable that Christians and atheists can get along and share a common purpose, so there must be some sort of sneaky underhandedness going on. Because that's what they would do.

DS · 6 April 2004

Muness Alrubaie,

I'm not dead certain what you're asking for but I'll give it a shot.

Theistic Evolution is the idea that [a] God created and then used natural processes like evolution, chemistry, gravity, etc to build the universe to His Will

Here are some folks who explain how they've managed to reconcile their Christain Faith with modern science:
http://www.theistic-evolution.com/theisticevolution.html
and
http://home.entouch.net/dmdperson.htm

~DS~

Kenneth Fair · 6 April 2004

In response to Muness Alrubaie: The interpretation you cite is one possible way to reconcile theism and evolution, but it is not the only one. See the following:

God and Evolution: Can you accept both?

Reed A. Cartwright · 6 April 2004

*cough* Th. Dobzhansky *cough*

Loren Petrich · 6 April 2004

Moonism, it must be said, is very heterodox in some ways. The Moonies believe that Jesus Christ had failed to set up the perfect family, and that Sun Myung Moon will succeed where he had failed, turning all of humanity in to the perfect family with Moon as its head.

However, Moon gets away with his heresies by being a big moneybags for right-wing causes, like bailing out Jerry Falwell's college and supporting the money-losing Washington Times newspaper.

Sarah Berel-Harrop · 6 April 2004

Muness Alrubaie

try
http://www.asa3.org/ASA/topics/Evolution/index.html

Ed - good post. I have always found the attitude of the ID folk and the YEC types who denigrate Christians who accept evolution to be particularly repugnant.