What if you are trying to explain evolution to someone and he states “Evolution is just another religion.” Is that a stop sign? To me it is, in the sense that the only reason to continue at that point would be to enjoy the sound of your own voice. The person has just signaled his membership in a tribe …
Oh, I agree that it is a tribal slogan, signaling tribal membership. But before interpreting it as a stop sign, I’d want to ask myself just why he had come up with that particular slogan at that point in our conversation. Did he somehow perceive that I wasn’t really explaining evolution, I was preaching it? That I wasn’t just trying to correct misconceptions regarding a set of ideas, that I was trying to convert him? That I wasn’t really interested in his opinions, but that I wanted him to enjoy the sound of my voice?
Well, yes, if that seems to be the reason that slogan just happened to pop into his head, then stopping is probably the best option.
But if it seems that he said that simply because it was his turn to speak and that is one learned slogan he hadn’t used yet, then I would treat the statement as a question, “Evolution is just another religion, isn’t it?” And I would answer, “No not like a religion at all. Evolution only deals with the subject matter of two chapters of Genesis; it doesn’t even attempt to answer the questions that the rest of the Bible deals with. Some evolutionists are Catholics, some are Jews, some are Protestants, some are atheists. What kind of crazy religion is that?” Who knows? Maybe that will make him think a bit. But yes, beyond trying to clarify what evolution is and is not, I wouldn’t try to get him to leave his tribe. I would feel rather silly if I had been trying to do that in the first place.
Evangelizing, rather than simply explaining, about science is pointless. You cannot succeed unless the person is open to learning. And if they are open, then explaining should be all that is needed.
Oh, I agree that it is a tribal slogan, signaling tribal membership. But before interpreting it as a stop sign, I’d want to ask myself just why he had come up with that particular slogan at that point in our conversation. Did he somehow perceive that I wasn’t really explaining evolution, I was preaching it? That I wasn’t just trying to correct misconceptions regarding a set of ideas, that I was trying to convert him? That I wasn’t really interested in his opinions, but that I wanted him to enjoy the sound of my voice?
Well, yes, if that seems to be the reason that slogan just happened to pop into his head, then stopping is probably the best option.
But if it seems that he said that simply because it was his turn to speak and that is one learned slogan he hadn’t used yet, then I would treat the statement as a question, “Evolution is just another religion, isn’t it?” And I would answer, “No not like a religion at all. Evolution only deals with the subject matter of two chapters of Genesis; it doesn’t even attempt to answer the questions that the rest of the Bible deals with. Some evolutionists are Catholics, some are Jews, some are Protestants, some are atheists. What kind of crazy religion is that?” Who knows? Maybe that will make him think a bit. But yes, beyond trying to clarify what evolution is and is not, I wouldn’t try to get him to leave his tribe. I would feel rather silly if I had been trying to do that in the first place.
Evangelizing, rather than simply explaining, about science is pointless. You cannot succeed unless the person is open to learning. And if they are open, then explaining should be all that is needed.