Founders? Really? We’re going the founders route? I’d think the Athenians who came up with democracy or the Romans who came up with the Republic might find it a bit odd that we don’t have huge temples to zues or jupiter sitting around. Not relevant at all though.
I have no historical basis for this but I imagine every time a new scientific theory came around this whole thing repeats for a few centuries until it died out.
Eaxmple: The world was proved round. This was actually a hypothesis long before testing to which people said “nope” flat.
Later on people where like “HEEEEYYY maybe the sun is the center of the universe.” this is where I think it might get interesting. Much like Hold fast is doing I think people of that day probably said this “Oh yeah just like people thought the world was flat right?” See what’s happening? They’re not saying “no” anymore they are equating new scientific evidence to old , and obviously in hindsight untrue, held beliefs.
This continues to today where in some miracle some creationist have actually latched on to the “Evolution is as bogus as the earth being flat” bus. Which is mind blowing to say the least.
By the way Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson (as has been shown) where two founders I can pretty much say for sure where not lovers of religion or religious ideology.
Another thing Hold Fast. Stop using the Lay definition of Theory. I’m serious, stop. It makes you sound completely uninformed. I know people say things like “Hey rick’s not acting like himself. I think his wife might leave him but that’s just my theory.” The word Theory in the Theory of Evolution does not have nearly anything in common with the theory from that example. In order to be elevated to “Theory.” Pretty much everything that needs to be proven about it is airtight and proven and the only thing lacking is a time machine where we can go back and directly watch it. Notice that scientists don’t refer to global warming as a"theory?" Sure there’s some solid evidence and some numbers but it really takes a whole hell of a lot to get there. Making something a “Theory” in the scientific community I suppose might be akin to etching it on stone for moses way back when. You can still erase it but it’s actually damned hard and requires more than some shoddy carbon dating of a snail shell and some idea about fossil redistribution.
The only time real scientists might even discuss intelligent design might be after a few joints, a bag of funions, a 6-pack and a 48 hour halo marathon and even those scientists are the christian ones.
Which brings me to my next point which is really really really really important. Falsifiability. This is really where creationism vs intelligent design falls apart and I wish more people where more well read about it. In order for something to be accepted as scientific it must be falsifiable. That means it must be possible that an assertion can be shown false through observation and experiment. That is to say you can make predictions based on the theory of evolution and see if they come true or not. This would either prove wrong (falsify) or confirm your assertion. This has actually been done. This is why Evolution is a theory and creationism is not.
The other point Hold Fast made was that it was accepted that the earth was flat by a majority. Honestly science has never needed a majority to be right. Evolution does not need your personal belief to be true. 99.999% of the people on the planet could disavow evolution tomorrow and it wouldn’t change the fact. This is another key difference. Creationism requires belief to be held up. If the same 99.999% of the same people stopped believing in creationism and at the same time didn’t believe in evolution then creationism would disappear completely while evolution would still continue. Evolution does not need you or me or scientists to be fact. If humans never existed evolution would still exist while the bible wouldn’t.
Scientists didn’t come up with evolution they just observe and measure it. You seem to think that scientists sit around all day just writing stuff down and seeing what sticks. Scientists are really nothing more that historians. It’s just that the history they study requires a bit more testing than “I was there and here’s what I saw.” Scientists are more like crime scene investigators. Putting together odd bits until what happened starts to emerge. Where as creationists are the like a turn of the century Mississippi jury who don’t need evidence because they already know “the black guy done it.”
You do also realize another important aspect of science? It’s another good one. Scientists aren’t big fans of agreeing. Takes quite a bit to get them on the same page. They’re kind of cocky like that. You don’t think some young gun wouldn’t love to be in the lab one day and disprove evolution? Good lord the money and fame and renown that goes along with that. Scientists live to knock down theories, they love it, it’s like sex to them. Why do you think we even have an expanding universe theory? For decades most scientists were dead set on the steady state then some young guns came along and said “wait a minute.”
I really wish I could convince you to read up on the actual science behind evolution. I actually think it is absolutely beautiful and enriching a theory. To know that this complex living system developed of millions of years and eventually gave birth to us is to me breath-taking. I don’t think it’s “we’re all monkey.” It’s so much more. Trial and error, failings, extinctions and finally us. Sitting here. Arguing, inventing, being self aware. Even being able to see all of this is stunning to me. I don’t need there to be a creator to see life as beautiful and wonderful. I don’t need a creator to cherish every single day or to love my family or to help my friends. I don’t need a creator to care for the sick or visit the imprisoned. I’m not trying to attack you when I say evolution is fact. I’m trying to show you that it is so much more fulfilling to be a good person without the fear of punishment and without the constant knowledge that you owe some big creator a debt. I’m a good person because I want to be not because I have to be.
By the way much like the original poster. Former fundamentalist, alter boy, church going, praying every night, sacrament receiving, reconciliation getting Catholic.