As a caveat I feel I need to explain that I define the term “theory of evolution” is an extremely loose phrase used by ignorant people and the media to interchangeably describe several extremely different and distinct theories regarding the nature of the universe. It vexes me greatly when this term is used as it is now so completely diluted by ignorance as to be ineffective for serious discussion.
It isn't about accepting or not accepting science. It is about trying to reconcile two ideas, theories or principles that both seem true but at the same time contradict one another.
Let me elaborate from my own experience: I came to my belief system in my late teens. I believed I had found “truth” in the bible. However I also knew that science is a reliable source of facts. As a side note it is important to point out that facts and truth don’t always align.
So what do I do? When someone talks to me about Evolution I didn’t have at that time the knowledge to debate the issue. However at the same time I felt what was written in the bible was also true. So the easiest thing to do was to avoid the subject. I know both are true, so I have a contradiction, but I don’t have the answer.
After some time I realised this situation wasn’t satisfactory, in fact it was never satisfactory but I didn’t have the time or energy to solve the problem. But then I started studying. Reading science journals, articles, absorbing information, theories, facts, philosophy, cosmology, physics etc. What I discovered was that there are in fact massive gaping holes in all of the theories of evolution as well as the theories that religious people have.
No theory is perfect and so what is important is to give weight to the theory that seems most reasonable based on the amount of evidence produced.
Personally I like the theory of the big bang. There isn’t anything in the bible that contradicts this theory for me, in fact it points to the concept of a creator for many reasons. As an example one of the arguments around this is; 1) Causality a. That which has a beginning has a cause. b. The universe has a beginning. c. Ergo the universe was caused.
Just because someone doesn’t believe the theory or facts that you present, doesn’t mean they are stupid.
In answer to your question:
To save ourselves conflict over what to watch on TV, I had to go and buy a second TV for the bedroom. We needed a TV that was smaller then 29 inches to fit on the stand and we also wanted a flat screen CRT TV (This was a few years ago when the price of CRT's was next to nothing because panel TV's were taking over). We got a 27 inch Sony CRT. After it arrived I heard a loud hissing noise from the TV. It was extremely irritating believe me. We organized for a replacement TV because I wasn't happy with the quality. The new one arrived, same problem. Replaced again, when the second new one arrived I didn't even take it out of the box, I plugged it into the wall whilst it was still in the box and it made the same noise. I rang up the company and told them to take the TV back and give me a refund (totally within my rights as a consumer). They said "no come on, lets make a deal, we can do something for you!". I said okay and we went to look in the store for a different model. The only one the appealed to me was a Panasonic 28 inch 100 Megahertz TV. I told the salesman that it wouldn't work because the difference in price was 600 dollars. The sony was $900 and the Panasonic was $1500. To cut a long story short they did the deal and I got the new Panasonic for 1100 (new zealand dollars btw).
Anyway when the sales guy was doing the transaction, for some reason he reversed the charge on my credit card, refunding in full the purchase price and said "we will send you a bill for the new total amount and you can come in and pay it when you want". I said fine. The bill arrived, but instead of being for $1100 dollars, it was $175. I went down to the shop and explained the situation and the fact that they were short changing themselves by a lot of money. They refused to accept I had to pay the proper amount and only let me pay $175.
I rang the head office and got the same response, according to them the full price had been paid and they didn't want any more money. I tried another three times to pay them the correct amount and each time fell flat. I gave up after this and kept the money.
On another note I took some pens with me when I left an employer once. I got a case of the conscience and rang them up and admitted I took some pens, the boss simply told me to put ten bucks in the companies favorite charity. He thanked me for my honesty! Weird, I felt like an idiot.
The point is that theft is theft. Taking something that doesn't belong to you is wrong. If someone makes a mistake and over pays you, don't abuse them and yourself by thinking that you will "get away with it". You won't, because stealing will change you as a person. It makes you less then you should be. It chips away at the character you have. Honestly I pity anyone who thinks that stealing is profiting them.
Having software on your computer that wasn't purchased is stealing, even if you think the company that made it is evil.
Having music on your computer that you didn't buy, either with CD's or off itunes is stealing, even if you tell yourself that you "could just borrow the cd off a mate and so it's the same thing." it isn't, it's stealing.
Keeping the 1 dollar that the bank accidentally puts in your account, thats stealing whether they screw you around on a regular basis, or they are evil, or they foreclosed on your parents mortgage. It's stealing.
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As a caveat I feel I need to explain that I define the term “theory of evolution” is an extremely loose phrase used by ignorant people and the media to interchangeably describe several extremely different and distinct theories regarding the nature of the universe. It vexes me greatly when this term is used as it is now so completely diluted by ignorance as to be ineffective for serious discussion.
It isn't about accepting or not accepting science. It is about trying to reconcile two ideas, theories or principles that both seem true but at the same time contradict one another.
Let me elaborate from my own experience:
I came to my belief system in my late teens. I believed I had found “truth” in the bible. However I also knew that science is a reliable source of facts. As a side note it is important to point out that facts and truth don’t always align.
So what do I do? When someone talks to me about Evolution I didn’t have at that time the knowledge to debate the issue. However at the same time I felt what was written in the bible was also true. So the easiest thing to do was to avoid the subject. I know both are true, so I have a contradiction, but I don’t have the answer.
After some time I realised this situation wasn’t satisfactory, in fact it was never satisfactory but I didn’t have the time or energy to solve the problem. But then I started studying. Reading science journals, articles, absorbing information, theories, facts, philosophy, cosmology, physics etc. What I discovered was that there are in fact massive gaping holes in all of the theories of evolution as well as the theories that religious people have.
No theory is perfect and so what is important is to give weight to the theory that seems most reasonable based on the amount of evidence produced.
Personally I like the theory of the big bang. There isn’t anything in the bible that contradicts this theory for me, in fact it points to the concept of a creator for many reasons. As an example one of the arguments around this is;
1) Causality
a. That which has a beginning has a cause.
b. The universe has a beginning.
c. Ergo the universe was caused.
Just because someone doesn’t believe the theory or facts that you present, doesn’t mean they are stupid.
In answer to your question: To save ourselves conflict over what to watch on TV, I had to go and buy a second TV for the bedroom. We needed a TV that was smaller then 29 inches to fit on the stand and we also wanted a flat screen CRT TV (This was a few years ago when the price of CRT's was next to nothing because panel TV's were taking over). We got a 27 inch Sony CRT. After it arrived I heard a loud hissing noise from the TV. It was extremely irritating believe me. We organized for a replacement TV because I wasn't happy with the quality. The new one arrived, same problem. Replaced again, when the second new one arrived I didn't even take it out of the box, I plugged it into the wall whilst it was still in the box and it made the same noise. I rang up the company and told them to take the TV back and give me a refund (totally within my rights as a consumer). They said "no come on, lets make a deal, we can do something for you!". I said okay and we went to look in the store for a different model. The only one the appealed to me was a Panasonic 28 inch 100 Megahertz TV. I told the salesman that it wouldn't work because the difference in price was 600 dollars. The sony was $900 and the Panasonic was $1500. To cut a long story short they did the deal and I got the new Panasonic for 1100 (new zealand dollars btw). Anyway when the sales guy was doing the transaction, for some reason he reversed the charge on my credit card, refunding in full the purchase price and said "we will send you a bill for the new total amount and you can come in and pay it when you want". I said fine. The bill arrived, but instead of being for $1100 dollars, it was $175. I went down to the shop and explained the situation and the fact that they were short changing themselves by a lot of money. They refused to accept I had to pay the proper amount and only let me pay $175. I rang the head office and got the same response, according to them the full price had been paid and they didn't want any more money. I tried another three times to pay them the correct amount and each time fell flat. I gave up after this and kept the money. On another note I took some pens with me when I left an employer once. I got a case of the conscience and rang them up and admitted I took some pens, the boss simply told me to put ten bucks in the companies favorite charity. He thanked me for my honesty! Weird, I felt like an idiot. The point is that theft is theft. Taking something that doesn't belong to you is wrong. If someone makes a mistake and over pays you, don't abuse them and yourself by thinking that you will "get away with it". You won't, because stealing will change you as a person. It makes you less then you should be. It chips away at the character you have. Honestly I pity anyone who thinks that stealing is profiting them. Having software on your computer that wasn't purchased is stealing, even if you think the company that made it is evil. Having music on your computer that you didn't buy, either with CD's or off itunes is stealing, even if you tell yourself that you "could just borrow the cd off a mate and so it's the same thing." it isn't, it's stealing. Keeping the 1 dollar that the bank accidentally puts in your account, thats stealing whether they screw you around on a regular basis, or they are evil, or they foreclosed on your parents mortgage. It's stealing.