Why Evolution Is Not A Religion

On the subject of Evolution being a religion, let's just dispose of this nonsense once and for all. To me, this accusation is ridiculous. I can't ever decide if Creationists who make this accusation are trying to weaken Christianity by equating it with Evolution as “just another religion”, or are trying to strengthen Evolution by doing the same thing.

Here's the thing. Evolution is not a religion. It is a scientific theory that describes one small, if overwhelmingly important, part of the natural world. The fact that this one small part is overwhelmingly important, and thus is taken seriously by billions of people around the planet, does not make it a religion. The fact that it deals with a part of nature does not make it a religion. In fact, nothing makes it a religion, and people who think that Evolutionary Theory is a religion are idiots.

Let's just make a side by side comparison of the two, shall we?

Religions are designed to ultimately explain all of existence; not just the physical realm, but the spiritual as well. Evolution, on the other hand, specifically and solely deals with the proliferation of animal species. Evolutionary Theory doesn't even include the origins of life; merely, its about why there's so much diversity in life. And that's all.

Religions describe humanity's place in the universe. Evolution does not. Evolution explains solely our biological background in relation to other animal species.

Religions almost always include recognition of and reverence for some supernatural power or powers. Evolution does not.

Religions have inherent social structures built around their beliefs. While there is a social structure amongst scientists, there is no social structure that pertains specifically to evolutionary biologists, and even if there was one, one would not be required to participate in it in order to be an evolutionary biologist.

Religions impose a moral and ethical doctrine on their followers. While evolution has, in the past, been misused in order to justify certain moral or ethical opinions in the past, those opinions are not a part of Evolutionary Theory, but rather are political and social opinions made by human beings that have nothing to do with the science of Evolution itself.

Religions have rituals and sacraments. Evolutionary Theory has no similar components.

Religious dogma is static and unchanging, and its adherents are often violently hostile to change, sometimes to the point of provoking bloody and destructive wars whose purpose is to somehow prove who is “right” and who is “wrong.” Ideas in evolutionary biology change rapidly, sometimes on a daily or even hourly basis, as new information is uncovered. This is in keeping with modern scientific methodology.

So, if Evolutionary Theory were, in fact, a religion, it would be a religion without adherents, doctrine, dogma, restrictions, ritual, or beliefs. The truth is, if asked their religion, the overwhelming response from people who are familiar with and who accept the truth of religion would label themselves as Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and so on. None would identify their religion as “Evolution”, because the idea of doing so is simply too stupid to be comprehended.

It Evolutionary Theory is a religion, it is unique in the whole wide world as being the single and only religion ever rejected by 100% of its so-called “members.”

There is, of course, one definition of “religion” that does apply to Evolutionary Theory. That definition is “something pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.” However, insisting that Evolutionary Theory is a religion on this basis also makes stamp collecting, baseball, raising chihuahuas, watching soap operas, NASCAR, jazz dancing, Star Trek, Harlequin romances, playing video games, putting together jigsaw puzzles, and Republican politics all religions. Calling Evolutionary Theory a religion in this manner makes the word “religion” effectively meaningless.

Lastly, its important to note that Evolutionary Theory has been ruled to not be a religion at all by the US government in Epperson v. Arkansas, Willoughby v. Stever, Wright v. Houston Independent School District, and in McLean v. Arkansas Board of Education.

So give it up already. Evolutionary Theory is not a religion, and you saying so over and over and over does not change this.