It's funny, in my head I always think that it's not worth discussing this subject with religious people, but then I end up doing it again and again. Thankfully, others here already pretty much made my point, so I'll only add this:
My girlfriend is a biologist, with one specialty in genetics.
But, she is also very religious (at least for a European, who, as Matrix stated, a very liberal and most of them only go to church on Christmas. She is one of the very few younger people who actually go to church quite regularly, like twice a month or so). But even for her, Theory of Evolution is a well-know
fact in the sense that creatures (plants, animals (<- and yes, humans are animals, too!!!)) evolved and were not put on earth by a god. I think this is a good read:
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/evolution-fact.html
However, I will make two statements which might be offending to some:
- You can't reason with people who believe in Creationism. A friend of mine (yes, a friend! ...but also an American) replied, after I had asked him about the Dinosaurs: "
God put them there to test our faith and to give us puzzles". Now, while I'm sure that's not the
official policy, it sure illustrates the problem: An ignorant person can disqualify science in thousand different ways and they will be immune any argument that goes against their belief.
- Creationism is just a new way for the churches to stay in power (= collect tons of cash from poor fellas who donate to the church). In that sense the church is much like Microsoft: You will never hear MS saying: "[i]Well, we know now Windows was a bad idea and the world would be a better place if everyone would just switch to Open Source programs". Even now, when the majority of people is unsatisfied with Vista, MS still goes out and tells everyone that Vista was a great success, instead of admitting that after such a long development circle, the end result could (and should) have been much better.
The church is the same: They hold on to their view on the world as long as they possible can until there is no more way around it. For them, the earth was flat and only when people started to come back at the other side, they finally "revised" their position.
Imo the behavior is very similar to the ongoing sacrifice of human rights in the name of the "fight against terror" (not only in the US). Civ 4 players know the phrase:
Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both. While it does sound a little cheesy and out of place in the modern (and seemingly complicated) times, I do find it is still true today, maybe even more than ever. While politicians use fear to pass more laws restricting the rights and justify spying on people, the church creates fear and doubt (of science) to strengthen its own position.
- People are stupid, that's why they fall for that crap.
- That, and the fact that many people who believe in God do so because they are simply afraid of the alternative: That they'll just die and rot away, only leaving their children behind.