"Evolutionary theory holds that chemicals self-organized into a primitive replicator. This developed over millions of years into a complex DNA-based common ancestor from which all known life, extant or extinct, descended.
Beginning in the late 19th century,
--many thinkers applied Darwinian concepts to human society (‘Social Darwinism’).
--In the 20th century, evolution became increasingly linked—through exhibitions, museums, media, and education—to narratives of scientific progress and human advancement.
--It was simultaneously being used to argue against the existence of a creator.
Richard Dawkins famously wrote,
“It is absolutely safe to say that if you meet somebody who claims not to believe in evolution, that person is ignorant, stupid or insane (or
Writing in this distinctive literature genre, Jerry Coyne confidently added,
“To me, anyone who doubts the truth of evolution is either ignorant of the evidence, hasn’t understood it, or is in the grip of a religious ideology that simply won’t allow acceptance of the facts.”
The global saturation of the message that ‘evolution is a scientific fact’ may represent the most extensive—and most expensive—marketing campaign in history once all direct and indirect costs are considered.
Hidden Cost Examples: include
--the evolutionary idea of ‘junk DNA’, which impeded the progress of genetic science for some 30 years.
--Also, the horrific social and human costs of the increasingly discredited idea that humans have many useless ‘vestigial’ organs. In addition to the way this removed incentives to look for their function, when such organs were actually removed for no good reason in years past it caused a great deal of unnecessary suffering."
CMI
