Donald,
Hmmm... let me clarify what I mean when I said that I believe in evolution. I could easily be wrong, but these are the things I think are supported by scientific data:
1. anything with DNA evolves because of mistakes in copying and selection;
2. there is a common ancestor to man and apes... and fish, &c.;
3. the Big Bang theory seems to be a pretty good one; and
4. humans are animals in all their glory, but nothing more.
Sorry... I guess I diverged from just evolution. To me, evolution is the progression of life ruled by selections and mutations. Evolution is just a theory. Actually, science is JUST theories. Why do we teach just theories in our school system? Because these are the theories that have been chosen by the educators. Are they the truth? Well... you can't prove a theory... you can only disprove a theory. And I don't even know if that ol' adage is really true... ha ha... So why do we teach just theories in our schools? Why do we teach science in schools? Evolution is a theory of science; perhaps it is just like Newtonian physics - not true, but close enough.
Creationism is also a theory - no matter how many Bibles you want to thump. Where's the data that supports Creationism? Tell me there's more than just the Bible. Tell me there's more than just your faith. Tell me there's more than just, "I believe it to be so." If you think the schools are teaching your children the wrong theories, then who's fault is that? Hmmm... sorry... how'd I end up on my soapbox... jumping up and down; flailing my arms... :-)
How do you weigh data of different types that support different, mutually-exclusive theories?
You asked how we can trust a mind that has been molded by evolution to just react like instinct. Bottom line... trust is faith. Faith, IMHO, is flawed if it isn't tempered by doubt. By questioning, you strengthen your faith; sort of like: that which does not kill you faith, makes it stronger. But blind faith, faith without doubt, is fanaticism or zealotry. Some might find strength in zealotry. Zealotry is not for me, though. Do I trust my mind (which I believe I got via evolution and probably does just react like instinct)? Yes. Why? That's exactly what I meant when I said I believe in believing in free will. Does it really exist? I don't know if that question can ever really truly be answered. Will I take it as a working assumption that it does exist? Yes. Why? Eh... I take it on faith. :-)
There are some very easy experiments that show that, in fact, our senses actually do lie to us. And our minds can suffer information overload. There are instinctual reactions that are very hard (impossible?) to overcome. Computer programs can be written to emulate evolution of a process to a final state that looks like it was influenced by an intelligent hand; but, it was just the result of mutation and selection. All this points to the mind being just a machine. But what is that spark within us all (well... there are some brain-damaged people who don't appear to have such a spark) that screams to us that we have free will... that we are conscious... that we are sentient beings... that we have souls...?
I keep going back to Kant saying something to the effect that we may never really reason the truth about God, freedom, and immortality. At least that's my interpretation (perhaps faulty) of what he was saying. Hmmm... I don't know if you can ever find the TRVTH about God, freedom, and immortality of the soul... but I plan to keep looking.
Greg |
