Co-Workers and "Evil"olution

We hired 2 new cashiers this week and neither of them believe in the Theory of Evolution (I know, odd conversation starter, but it breaks the ice quite well). I figured I'd give them a few months before telling them all the evidence for it, but I'm not sure it will do much good.

I have talked with another 2 co-workers quite a bit about it. I explained the fossil record, genetic and chromosomal evidence, etc. And you know what they said? "Wow, evolution does have a lot of evidence. But I don't want to believe it". I reply with "are you telling me you can push all this evidence to the side of your brain and just ignore it even though you know it's true?" The reply was "yes".

Sad. Someday I will try to understand the thought processes of the bible belt.

So how should I go about the 2 new co-workers?

smack them with a board to their face, and then tell them that they don't have to believe that they're in pain.

I had a co-worker who believed the world was really going to end on december 2012. She believes she and everyone else she knows will die this year, if not, suffer and suffer beyond reason.

She had no desire to continue her education. She had no desire to get a career. No desire to get a real job. No desires to save up money. Marriage, kids, not likely. Going to die. I've met people who didn't know what to do with their life, but its not that she didn't know what to do. She decided....NOTHING.

Im such a goal orientated person I was left with "But, but but but........!"

:banana:

sometimes you meet people, and its like hitting a brick wall really hard.

there really isn't anything you can do. you'd be best to never bring up the subject again to save yourself from a really bad headache. their egos are heading for a really hard crash and burn - I'd stay clear when this happens!

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Originally Posted by sephiroth clock

smack them with a board to their face

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Do it.

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Originally Posted by Needcatscan

So how should I go about the 2 new co-workers?

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So their beliefs differ from yours; it shouldn't affect relations with them in normal matters (your cashiers not scientists after all). Go about them how you would go about any other person.

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Originally Posted by psychology student

So their beliefs differ from yours; it shouldn't affect relations with them in normal matters.

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It shouldn't? Beliefs are the constituent of ones world view which is again a major constituent of the personality. They affect the way you think and behave. Of course it should affect relations with them.

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Originally Posted by psychology student

So their beliefs differ from yours; it shouldn't affect relations with them in normal matters (your cashiers not scientists after all). Go about them how you would go about any other person.

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There's a really big difference between 'respecting' someones particular brand of sky-wizard, and someone who doesn't grasp one of the most basic (and FOUNDING) principles of modern biology.

You can't 'not believe' in facts. They are true independent of whether you accept it or not. Unlike sky wizards.

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Originally Posted by Alextanium

There's a really big difference between 'respecting' someones particular brand of sky-wizard, and someone who doesn't grasp one of the most basic (and FOUNDING) principles of modern biology.

You can't 'not believe' in facts. They are true independent of whether you accept it or not. Unlike sky wizards.

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Exactly. And I wasn't saying that it affected the way I treat them, I meant, how should I go about de-brainwashing them. It's one thing to brainwash a kid with religion, it's another to teach them that science is wrong and scientists are evil godless people out to destroy everything christians hold dear.

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Originally Posted by Korittke

It shouldn't? Beliefs are the constituent of ones world view which is again a major constituent of the personality. They affect the way you think and behave. Of course it should affect relations with them.

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Originally Posted by Alextanium

There's a really big difference between 'respecting' someones particular brand of sky-wizard, and someone who doesn't grasp one of the most basic (and FOUNDING) principles of modern biology.

You can't 'not believe' in facts. They are true independent of whether you accept it or not. Unlike sky wizards.

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So because someone is different you should approach them differently? The belief or disbelief in a scientific theory does not determine or immensely influence one's personality. I don't see how you can judge someone, or treat someone with consternation in social relations just because of their religious or scientific beliefs.

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Originally Posted by Needcatscan

Exactly. And I wasn't saying that it affected the way I treat them, I meant, how should I go about de-brainwashing them. It's one thing to brainwash a kid with religion, it's another to teach them that science is wrong and scientists are evil godless people out to destroy everything christians hold dear.

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De-brainwashing them? If it comes up, tell them of your own beliefs, and why you believe them (becuase they are supported by science). I don't see why you should aim to de-brainwash a person.

Ignorance bugs me :)

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Originally Posted by Needcatscan

Ignorance bugs me :)

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So would you challenge a co-worker in any of the following situations?

if he smoked,
ate fast food,
took drugs,
had unprotected sex,
was loose with money and clearly getting into debt

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Originally Posted by psychology student

So would you challenge a co-worker in any of the following situations?

if he smoked,
ate fast food,
took drugs,
had unprotected sex,
was loose with money and clearly getting into debt

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I would.

If he smoke; probably right away
If he ate fast food; possibly, it depends on other things
Took drugs; ABSOLUTELY
Had unprotected sex; Not unless he/she got themselves in a fix
was loose with money and clearly getting into debt; yes, I would.

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Originally Posted by Seismosaur

I would.

If he smoke; probably right away
If he ate fast food; possibly, it depends on other things
Took drugs; ABSOLUTELY
Had unprotected sex; Not unless he/she got themselves in a fix
was loose with money and clearly getting into debt; yes, I would.

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A co-worker, not necessarily a friend? If yes, well then good for you. However, excluding the third one, most wouldn't.

Evolution and creationism can co-exist. We could have been created out of matter into life, and then evolved to what we are now. I believe in evolution, but I don't believe in the current evolution theory, for me it's hard to believe such complicated beings came to existence through the process of natural selection, which is basicly a process of extinction. Also how would you explain the sudden lapses between species? There's got to be more to evolution than just natural selection. Besides, you can't explain evolution from matter to life through natural selection. That's the missing key! How did first DNA get created? How did the first single celled organism get created?

Of course, if you believe Adam was created out of clay, and Eva was created out of the rib of Adam, then thats a whole other story.. I don't understand why some people take this story litterally. It has truth to it, because in the end, nobody can deny that we were indeed created out of matter. There had to be some point where matter changed into life. I also think this problem of 'creationism' is something typical to America. Here in Belgium none of the dedicated christians came up with that kind of creationism... we intrepreted the Bible completely differently..

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Originally Posted by ChaybaChayba

Evolution and creationism can co-exist. We could have been created out of matter into life, and then evolved to what we are now. I believe in evolution, but I don't believe in the current evolution theory, for me it's hard to believe such complicated beings came to existence through the process of natural selection, which is basicly a process of extinction. Also how would you explain the sudden lapses between species? There's got to be more to evolution than just natural selection. Besides, you can't explain evolution from matter to life through natural selection. That's the missing key! How did first DNA get created? How did the first single celled organism get created?

Of course, if you believe Adam was created out of clay, and Eva was created out of the rib of Adam, then thats a whole other story.. I don't understand why some people take this story litterally. It has truth to it, because in the end, nobody can deny that we were indeed created out of matter. There had to be some point where matter changed into life. I also think this problem of 'creationism' is something typical to America. Here in Belgium none of the dedicated christians came up with that kind of creationism... we intrepreted the Bible completely differently..

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Science says:

Abiogenesis > Evolution

You say:

God > Some strange and simplified form of Abiogenesis > Evolution

Why? There's no reason at all to believe there was anyhting "external" involved at all!

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Originally Posted by psychology student

A co-worker, not necessarily a friend? If yes, well then good for you. However, excluding the third one, most wouldn't.

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Okay.

Redrum. And your doing it for nothing, it wont bring back your crops.

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Originally Posted by Needcatscan

We hired 2 new cashiers this week and neither of them believe in the Theory of Evolution (I know, odd conversation starter, but it breaks the ice quite well). I figured I'd give them a few months before telling them all the evidence for it, but I'm not sure it will do much good.

I have talked with another 2 co-workers quite a bit about it. I explained the fossil record, genetic and chromosomal evidence, etc. And you know what they said? "Wow, evolution does have a lot of evidence. But I don't want to believe it". I reply with "are you telling me you can push all this evidence to the side of your brain and just ignore it even though you know it's true?" The reply was "yes".

Sad. Someday I will try to understand the thought processes of the bible belt.

So how should I go about the 2 new co-workers?

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It's hard to believe someone 100% when talking in a conversation. I can say something, people will agree. Where is my support evidence? it's online. I once heard a conversation about OBE's and the brain from my coworkers, i just told them what i have heard, i silenced them up after lol.

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Originally Posted by juroara

I had a co-worker who believed the world was really going to end on december 2012. She believes she and everyone else she knows will die this year, if not, suffer and suffer beyond reason.

She had no desire to continue her education. She had no desire to get a career. No desire to get a real job. No desires to save up money. Marriage, kids, not likely. Going to die. I've met people who didn't know what to do with their life, but its not that she didn't know what to do. She decided....NOTHING.

Im such a goal orientated person I was left with "But, but but but........!"

:banana:

sometimes you meet people, and its like hitting a brick wall really hard.

there really isn't anything you can do. you'd be best to never bring up the subject again to save yourself from a really bad headache. their egos are heading for a really hard crash and burn - I'd stay clear when this happens!

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That's hilarioius! it would be hilarious seeing her when nothing happens. 2012 is not the death of the world, it's just a concsiousness shift the Mayans last had on their calandar. Nothing happens on 2012 i say, i don't think anything has ever happened yet from people or a calandar that's predicted for the future.

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Originally Posted by Needcatscan

"are you telling me you can push all this evidence to the side of your brain and just ignore it even though you know it's true?"

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That's actually how the mind works. It filters out inconvenient things that don't match its own beliefs, no matter how obvious.

As for how to go about it... don't. Seriously, why do you let it bother you what these people think? Don't be preachy - that's just as bad as door-to-door assholes. I like George Carlin's mantra: "I love and respect individuals as I meet them, but I loathe and despise the groups they identify with."

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Originally Posted by Needcatscan

We hired 2 new cashiers this week and neither of them believe in the Theory of Evolution (I know, odd conversation starter, but it breaks the ice quite well). I figured I'd give them a few months before telling them all the evidence for it, but I'm not sure it will do much good.

I have talked with another 2 co-workers quite a bit about it. I explained the fossil record, genetic and chromosomal evidence, etc. And you know what they said? "Wow, evolution does have a lot of evidence. But I don't want to believe it". I reply with "are you telling me you can push all this evidence to the side of your brain and just ignore it even though you know it's true?" The reply was "yes".

Sad. Someday I will try to understand the thought processes of the bible belt.

So how should I go about the 2 new co-workers?

---

The Bible Belt is horrible. :( I'm from Texas, so I'm surrounded by that.

The other day, my Latin teacher told me about her friend who went hitchhiking across America. One lady that picked her up was a fundie, and she ended up tearing apart her beliefs logically, evidentially, etc. Eventually, the lady just said, "Look! I can't not believe this. It's just impossible for me to."

It's sad... The mind can become so distorted.