[extropy-chat] proto-extropian religions

[Bryan Moss]

Spike wrote:

>The shocking truth is that the *average* typical American
>is a creationist!  Or might as well be.  Adventist historian
>Ron Numbers, in his excellent book The Creationists, shows that 
>when people are randomly selected and given questionnaires about
>evolution, their answers demonstrate so little basic understanding
>of evolution, answers that are clearly and repeatedly self-
>contradictory, it is almost meaningless to label the person either 
>creationist or evolutionist.  Fellow Americans, we know not
>jack about evolution.  Sad.
>  
>

An interesting question might be: In lieu of actual knowledge, is it 
better to have unjustified true belief or justified untrue belief (given 
a pop philosophical notion of justification [and knowledge])?  I.e., who 
would you prefer, someone who believes evolution to be true (a true 
belief) but knows none of the arguments and none of the evidence, just 
the raw fact "evolution is true," or someone who believes creationism is 
true (an untrue belief) but has read the Bible from cover to cover and 
has a bookshelf full of books on creation science, intelligent design, etc?

I submit that as long as the proles believe that evolution is true, the 
details don't matter.

BM