[QuantumOverlord]

I really do not understand given the irefutable amount of chemical, genetic, biological, geological evidence for it, given its utility and predictive power as a theory, given its observability and relevance to fields even outside biology. How is it even possible to deny it totally.

[ct2k7]

Maybe because some people believe that the flaws are too big to ignore?

[QuantumOverlord]

(Original post by ct2k7)
Maybe because some people believe that the flaws are too big to ignore?

There arn't any fundemental flaws in evolution, granted some of the more complex processes are not yet understood, and specific unknowns still exist, this is very different to an irreprable contradiction.

[Dirac Delta Function]

most of the time because it is not well presented to them.

The theory is pretty simple, but the background knowledge of genetics and the actual evidence for it needs to be presented in a simple and straight forward manner.

EDIT: btw, your quotes are hilarious.

[Gofre]

Because some people will outright reject anything which they feel compromises the legitimacy of their religion. Others are uneducated on the subject or brainwashed by the likes of Kent Hovind from an early age. There are also genuine academics like Behe who come to reject it through their own research, but to say they're a minority is an understatement.

(Original post by ct2k7)
Maybe because some people believe that the flaws are too big to ignore?

Those people are woefully misinformed.

[Pinkhead]

They usually misinterpret the information they are given regarding evolution.
Usually it is not taught properly, with the correct accuracy needed in approaching a subject as complex as evolution. Being ambiguous when teaching evolution does more harm than good. You might as well not teach it at all.

[ExMuslim]

Muslim Cleric Zakir Naik, a famous Muslim intellectual, rejects evolution because it's called the "theory of evolution" and not the "fact of evolution". No joke....

[evolutionaryme]

I thrive off it

[abdiz12]

Cuz its a theory.

[YahRah]

Religious brainwashing.
People who refute evolution for creationism are generally also the type of people who use the bible to persecute everyone else around them.

[chickenonsteroids]

(Original post by ExMuslim)
Muslim Cleric Zakir Naik, a famous Muslim intellectual, rejects evolution because it's called the "theory of evolution" and not the "fact of evolution". No joke....

But he accepts the big bang theory because apparently it's in the Quran (which a really bad claim lol)

[Gofre]

(Original post by abdiz12)
Cuz its a theory.

Not sure if serious...

[ExMuslim]

(Original post by Gofre)
Not sure if serious...

He's Muslim, he's serious. That's one of the major Muslim criticisms about evolution lol

[JollyGreenAtheist]

Sometimes their pastors/imams/favourite lunatics get there before science teachers, and spew the usual nonsenses; "X religious book is irrefutable, therefore evolution is wrong", "evolution is just a theory, therefore evolution is wrong", "it's full of flaws making it completely invald, therefore evolution is wrong", "I'm an [insert religion] and I'm going to heaven. You're going to hell, therefore evolution is wrong".

It would be good if evolution could be simplified and introduced at a much earlier age than when I learnt it in school - year 9 I believe.

[miser]

In my experience, people that reject it either don't understand what evolution by natural selection actually is, or they don't understand the evidence. My father used to tell me when I was growing up that although they might teach me that evolution is true in school, by the time I get to university it would be treated much more as 'a theory'. Now that I'm older and I can reflect on it, I think it's both that he doesn't accurately grasp what evolution is purported by scientists to actually be, and he isn't aware of how difficult to refute the available evidence for it is. His thoughts on evolution mostly come from biased religious sources, and his disagreement with it is based on a pre-existing conviction to creationism with which belief in evolution as an explanation for the diversity of life is contradictory. Because of this religious conviction he becomes automatically pre-dispositioned towards an attitude of dismissal to any information that would otherwise convince him.

[SnoochToTheBooch]

because it goes against a lifetime of brainwashing, threatening beliefs they've based their whole lives on. it's not surprising that the religious get all defensive about it. nobody likes being wrong, and it's a hell of a thing to be proven wrong about.

[Aoide]

Unfortunately i've heard the

Cuz its a theory

idea come up a lot of time. It still shocks me how many people (including those with a decent science understanding) seem to not be able to grasp that theory in sceince doesn't mean the same thing as theory in normal language.

I think it mainly comes down to poor explaination. In my experince the fact that it is a slow process and can take thousands of years is brought up a lot. Many people use this as a reason that we haven't found any proof. If they better understood the process they would probably understand that while the formation of a new species takes a long time we can see minor evolution occuring all around us.

[Gofre]

(Original post by izzaha)
many muslims accept evolution in other animals, just not humans.

A position not much further up the scale of incorrectness.

[mmmpie]

Because people have a unique capacity for self delusion. It's one of our weak points as a species.

[xylas]

From Wikipedia: A scientific theory is “a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment.”

From the UN Declaration of Human Rights (Article 19): "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."

Therefore since a theory is only an explanation of facts and not the facts themselves, it is completely valid to not accept it on the basis that it does not explain the natural world well. Also, anyone has the complete freedom to not accept the theory without justifying their reasons beyond this.

If the OP wants responses to a different question i.e. "what flaws are there in the theory of evolution?" or "what further evidence would you like to see before you can accept it?" then he should ask these questions in a direct way.

/pedantism