<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12481483#post12481483 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Poorcollegereef
OK, in all defense to those who may have a limited understanding of exactly what evolution means for the greater advancement of human understanding, let avoid bad logic that further inflames other people.
Rejecting evolution does not completely reject biology, modern medicine (modern medicine might be better if there was no evolution because microbes would not become resistant to antibiotics), chemistry (pills) or the understanding of the human body. While evolution does have the better evidence, lets avoid flawed arguments.
While evolution is an important part, if not a foundation for many of our professions, we can not expect for those who have no association or dependence on evolution to always understand or accept what biologist and similar fields accept as a (near) universal truth. For individuals who do not depend on evolution or this type scientific thought or their profession, rejecting the basic principles in which they do not understand may enable them to feel less inadequate or confused. This happens in all fields, regardless of evolution, biology, theology, and philosophy. (Just think of all the newbies that reject good experienced advice in this hobby). For our fellow machinist, evolution does not affect his day to ay activity and therefore he/she has no dependence or constant exposure to it. Rather, he/she rejects it and defends a concept that he/she has been taught to defend their entire life. Now, if we turned this around, if biologist attempted to convince the machinists of the world to used unacceptable tolerances or materials, then we would see a similar reaction. The biologists would be flamed for their ignorance by the machinists.
While I am not suggesting that we avoid fields that are not our specialty, we should not assume we know THE answer about everything.
In my field as a transportation planner, I know that the personal automobile (especially SUVs) is ruining the American city and the environment. However, I can not come out and say that the average commuting individual is wrong, ignorant, or stupid. The American public deeply believes in the automobile and does everything in its power to protect it. (Heck look at my avatar…hahahaha) When I suggest transit (which I do use) or better land use policies, people do become rabid and think only of their known way of life. Just like creationism, this is all some people have been trained to think and will defend it to extremes. Those who are enlightened about how evolution and biology interact cannot rip people out of what they have known. It is scary for individuals to reject a certain aspect of their learned existence and accept something that is alien to them. (Try to convince someone to use/fund transit when they have never used it in their life) What we know is comfortable and what we don’t know is uncomfortable. Europeans can show us how transit can work but for Americans, it just is not acceptable because we do not always use it in our daily existence. It is the same with evolution.
