[quote=HPL;951592]Although an agnostic at most, I don't really see any serious incompatibility between a belief in God and evolution, just between evolution and pretty much any religion's creation myth. I suppose the rubber really hits the road when it comes to what children are taught in school. I want my tax money used to teach the most current scientific knowledge and if parents want to provide religious training at home, that's great, but they should at least understand evolutionary principles before refuting them. It has been my experience that many fundamentalists have no actual understanding of the principles of evolution and still just say "man is NOT descended from an ape" which is in fact true, but a misstating of evolution's position.
I would not have a problem with our children being taught the scientific side of evolution IF there were a competent teacher involved. And THAT is a mouthful.
As to the rest of the discussion over the existence of God, well, that is simply a matter of faith. Most of the time, I don't see where a belief in a supreme being is a negative thing and in fact it brings many people comfort. It is perhaps nice to believe that there is some loving, beneficent being that will take care of us in times of need, but, in looking around the world, visible evidence would tend to indicate that if God does exist, He is a mean, vindictive, SOB that must take pleasure in the suffering of what many claim is His most important creation.
The suffering we as humans endure is self inflicted. I do not believe He takes pleasure in it. In fact, I believe it saddens Him greatly. In giving humans free choice, sometimes we choose wrong. But, we can always change our minds
I will also say that according to what my fundamentalist friends tell me,
Just as most fundamentalists never took the time to really understand principles of evolution, Please don't take someone else's word in regards to the true principles of Faith. Not religion. Faith.
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Originally Posted by GoldenSail
