There was an Evangelist (apparently associated with DisciplesUnited.org) on my campus today, with a portable microphone and speaker, mostly attempting to speak out against evolution and for creationism. You know, the same old rigmarole one can expect from such a person on a campus for higher education.
I tried to engage in conversation with him, respectfully. I didn't seek to argue, as I never really go into such situations seeking to argue- I just wanted to better understand.
It is exceedingly frustrating to try and have an intelligent discourse with someone when they will never actually answer a question, constantly talk over you, and never give you any real support for what they seem to insist you should believe. I know it is probably a pipe dream, but I hope that some day I can actually have a reasonable conversation with one of these people. I know what I know is true, I believe in the things that have been proven to me by science- but I really want to understand why and *how* some of these people can be so steadfast in their beliefs that are to the contrary.
I want to see the proof, and they can never give it to me.
He asked me what my degree was in, I told him I was nearly complete with my bachelor's in History- and he informed me that I was in no position to have an opinion on evolution, or biological mutation, or even the History of the Bible (since my focus isn't on Theology). When I asked him what credentials he had to make those determinations himself, and to be the authority on those same topics, he said "I don't have a degree- BUT .... " and then promptly changed the subject.
Pretty much every exchange I managed to have with this guy, every time I tried to get an answer to a question, it was much the same. Smoke and mirrors, circular logic that really wasn't logical at all. It made my head hurt.
I feel like I have blue balls walking away from that situation...
Ack.
Just answer my questions. You want me to respect your point of view and accept it as truth- give me an effing reason!!!
[He was handing out copies of "The Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin. This particular publication of it, however, has a lovely little blurb on the back about how all biology is based off his theories and is a science based entirely off of unfounded principles. I grabbed a copy, because I just found it to be too amusing not to.]
I tried to engage in conversation with him, respectfully. I didn't seek to argue, as I never really go into such situations seeking to argue- I just wanted to better understand.
It is exceedingly frustrating to try and have an intelligent discourse with someone when they will never actually answer a question, constantly talk over you, and never give you any real support for what they seem to insist you should believe. I know it is probably a pipe dream, but I hope that some day I can actually have a reasonable conversation with one of these people. I know what I know is true, I believe in the things that have been proven to me by science- but I really want to understand why and *how* some of these people can be so steadfast in their beliefs that are to the contrary.
I want to see the proof, and they can never give it to me.
He asked me what my degree was in, I told him I was nearly complete with my bachelor's in History- and he informed me that I was in no position to have an opinion on evolution, or biological mutation, or even the History of the Bible (since my focus isn't on Theology). When I asked him what credentials he had to make those determinations himself, and to be the authority on those same topics, he said "I don't have a degree- BUT .... " and then promptly changed the subject.
Pretty much every exchange I managed to have with this guy, every time I tried to get an answer to a question, it was much the same. Smoke and mirrors, circular logic that really wasn't logical at all. It made my head hurt.
I feel like I have blue balls walking away from that situation...
Ack.
Just answer my questions. You want me to respect your point of view and accept it as truth- give me an effing reason!!!
[He was handing out copies of "The Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin. This particular publication of it, however, has a lovely little blurb on the back about how all biology is based off his theories and is a science based entirely off of unfounded principles. I grabbed a copy, because I just found it to be too amusing not to.]
fadetoblack:
i hate those type of people. they make their organizations look like assholes.
