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About Austin Cline
Expertise
I can address questions regarding atheism, agnosticism, skepticism, humanism, religious philosophy & history, and arguments both for and against theism. I am also familiar with many of the skeptical and atheist resources in print and on the internet.

Experience
I have been an atheist and a secular humanist for many years. I actively run a site about agnosticism & atheism and attempt to help people understand more about these topics. I have made extensive study of both philosophy and of a wide vareity of religions.

Organizations
I belong to the Freedom From Religion Foundation and the Council for Secular Humanism.

Publications
My writings appear every week on the Agnosticism/Atheism site

Education/Credentials
I have a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MA from Princeton University. I have also studied in Germany and Switzerland.

Awards and Honors
Phi Beta Kappa and a Fulbright Scholar.

You are here: Experts > Religion/Spirituality > Agnosticism/Atheism > Atheism > Superstition Taken To Far

Atheism - Superstition Taken To Far

Expert: Austin Cline - 11/3/2009

Question
Hello. My name is Zach Shanks and I'm 18. First off I just want to clarify i was raised as a Methodist Christian. Or, now i prefer saying i was indoctrinated into being a Christian. I've grown up going to church and Christian camps. But I've always thought for myself as to why the Christian God seems to be somewhat immoral and, for a lack of a better word, fictional. I'm an Atheist now, but I am "In a way" open to the idea of a higher power, so i guess i fit under the Agnostic category. I am a well rounded individual, and understand why religion can be beneficial and why it can be harmful, making me non bias on the subject. I've look at many products from individuals such as Richard Dawkins, Bill Maher, Christopher Hitchens, and the under appreciated genius Charles Darwin. Which then gets to my question, why are people so against the theory of evolution by natural selections, and the theory of ape to human transformation from it? It is beyond me to consider people being so naive to this idea, when it has presented an overwhelming amount of evidence backing it up. It would only make sense to teach the "proof" of evolution, instead of the "theory" of evolution in our schools today. We can then progress ourselves logically and rationally, by scientific means. It is then the peoples decision to except it, or refuse to believe it. It is not my place to decide what a person is to believe, or not believe in, but to simply display the flaws, logic, rationality, and morality, in they're beliefs. Thank you very much Mr. Cline, and please answer as soon as you see fit.

Answer
There are a couple of reasons:

1. The truth of evolution is incompatible with a literal reading of portions of the Bible - specifically creation and much of Genesis. This undermines the validity of other interpretations (if those passages are allegorical, how do we tell which other portions are?). This also undermines the salvation story of Jesus (without a literal Fall and Original Sin, what need is there for a literal sacrifice and resurrection?).

2. People are afraid that evolution will undermine traditional morality and moral beliefs. More broadly, they are afraid of egalitarian social orders. Evolution Deniers are almost uniformly committed to authoritarian social orders with God on top, then religious leaders, then men (fathers, brothers, husbands), then women and children. In such strict, vertical hierarchies everyone knows their place, knows their role, knows what to expect, etc. In more egalitarian, horizontal systems there can be a lot more uncertainty and some people object to this.

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