Evolutionists, how do you explain this?

originally posted by: StanFL
a reply to: peter vlar
You might ask the question as to how anti-science beliefs are perpetuated, generation after generation. That would make a very interesting discussion, and possibly even lead to some insights on how to stop the negative effects those holding such beliefs have on society. It's easy in these short postings to just throw some slogans around, like 'not enough education' or whatever, but that does not lead to any deep insight on how to fix this problem.

Perhaps it would help to have a more open mind, and invite the more communicative of the anti-sciencers to describe how they came to their beliefs.

In my eyes, the solution is pretty simple. Treat indoctrination of children into religion prior to age 8 as child abuse. I know it sounds harsh at first and religious parents would probably flip out at first, but before age 8 children are at their most impressionable, and the further back you go the more impressionable they are. When you put them in church since birth, it develops a deep rooted psychological connection to the faith of choice. Children should be given until around age 8 and then be taught about religion and given a free choice to believe or not believe. Irrationality is really what leads to this long term science denial and these deep psychological connections are fueling that irrationality and close mindedness.

And teaching religion to younger children wouldn't be so bad if it were actually taught as a belief or possibility. It's taught as absolute fact to kids and forced on them before they can even talk, let alone think. And this happens because their parents taught it to them, whose parents taught it to them at a young age, and this goes all the way back to the dark ages.

a reply to: StanFL

I don't disagree with you at all. But to be fair, that conversation has been put forth many times in the past 7 1/2 years that I have been an active poster on ATS. I realize that I probably appear curt and closed minded to the casual observer, but that really isn't the case if one were to go back and read through my posting history.

It's more a matter of keeping it short because in my experience, the more thought and effort that I have put into replies, post and open ended dialogue, the higher the probability that the entire thing will be ignored in it's entirety. And there have been posters here who have said straight up that they were not going to take the time to bother reading what
I have written. Open mindedness goes both ways or it goes nowhere.

If the other parties aren't willing to engage in a rational dialogue, then there isn't much point in going the extra mile became e someone isn't willing to entertain the notion that they could in fact be in error. I'm always willing to look at both sides of the equation and not only will I, but I have admitted when I was wrong. If we aren't able to do they, then we aren't moving forward and we aren't learning. We're just treading water.

I'm here to learn as much as I am to share what I know and what I have learned over the last 25 or 30 years of studying these topics both casually and professionally.

a reply to: Barcs

In my eyes, the solution is pretty simple. Treat indoctrination of children into religion prior to age 8 as child abuse.

That would be counter productive to their cause, get them while their young and impressionable. They have no use for independent thinkers in an army of slaves who will blindly follow indoctrination.
Brainwashing children for personal gain is God's will, just think of all the tax free cash that is at stake here.

Georgetown Study: Religion Worth $1.2 Trillion in U.S. Economy, More Than Google and Apple Combined

Pew found that a majority of the religiously unaffiliated think that religious organizations are too focused on such things as money and power, and on rules and politics.

www.cnsnews.com...

a reply to: Barcs

''...Treat indoctrination of children into religion prior to age 8 as child abuse...''

Could not agree more. Education is the culprit, we teach our kids whatever. Religions and religious beliefs need to be ousted from schools forever. Once and for all.

What we need to teach is spirituality, to make kids think on their own about who they are and what the universe might be to them. This is important.