Ok, I was thinking the other day about this issue relating to creationists. Don't ask how or why this popped into my head, because it just did...
So I was thinking about how creationists accept that wolves and all dogs share a common ancestor, but don't accept that all apes share a common ancestor. I just simply don't understand why they won't accept this (beyond "because the bible says so" that is) and I'll tell you why.
If you look at the comparative anatomies of all modern dogs and wolves, you will see that there is an extremely broad variety of everything from skull shape, size, limb length, limb proportions, spinal curvature, tail size etc. So, If creationists can accept that with only a few hundred years of selective breeding dogs could be completely re-designed so to speak, why can't they accept that given a million years or so, humans could also have developed from something that our modern chimp cousins also descended from? After all, the things I mentioned about the dogs all apply to our descent from monkeys. Skull shape? Size? Limb length and proportions? Spinal curvature? Tail size? None of these factors are particularly difficult for evolution to change. We share the exact same basic skeletal layout as all the great apes, our genetic code is also very similar. We look very similar to the Great Apes also.
So just where is the problem? The just simply don't want to accept something because they would rather believe in fairy tales than accept reality.
So, If creationists can accept that with only a few hundred years of selective breeding dogs could be completely re-designed so to speak, why can't they accept that given a million years or so, humans could also have developed from something that our modern chimp cousins also descended from?
ReplyDeleteTheir presupposition is that the entire universe is only about 6000 years old apparently. That's where the problem is.
Even Old earth creationists have problems with it, for reasons beyond me. Perhaps just wilful ignorance?
ReplyDeletePerhaps.
ReplyDelete'Wilful Ignorance' is an interesting topic for a blog I think.
Is it wrong? Is it right? Is it neither?
There's plenty of people who seek ignorance and total simplicity in order to live their life more at peace and plenty of other people who seek knowledge of many things, hoping that they too might live a life more at peace. Trés interesting if you ask me.
Wilful ignorance is fine as long as people keep it to themselves. When they start trying to teach it to others, and indoctrinate their kids with it is when it starts getting a bit sticky.
ReplyDelete