The Theory of Evolution

When we were younger, the idea fed to us regarding the theory of evolution was that it – quite literally – meant that our ancestors were monkeys (much like the ones we saw in Disney’s Tarzan or National Geographic). We were made to understand that the common as well as professional opinion on the matter was of satire, that the only ones who believed in it were, for their own reasons, people who refused to accept either religion or even God.

As I grew up, I learned the exact opposite: the theory of evolution is the most important theory in all of biology according to most scientists and researchers. It is as important to biology as plate tectonics is to geology, as one man had put it. So what are the misconceptions that have pushed most of the world to reject this very important idea?

Understanding (and Debunking) Atheism

To begin, we must understand 'theism' and 'deism' and what their differences are.

Theism: the doctrine or belief in the existence of a God or gods.
Deism: the form of theological rationalism that believes in God on the basis of reason without reference to revelation.

Thus, theism includes deism, but not vice-versa. This has grown in such a way that theism has become associated with using revelations instead of reason, which is incorrect, as theism can use either or both to support the position of the existence of God.

Thus, atheism, in its purest form, is not a religion, nor is it an ideology. It is simply the argumental position of the nonexistence of God.

What is faith? What is belief? What is the difference between them?

Faith: loyalty or allegiance to a person or cause.
Belief: any cognitive content held as true.