This article is not a comprehensive discussion of all the scientific discoveries of biological evolution by natural selection. This is, however, an analysis of how the Mormon Church misinterprets a mistaken view of evolution mingled with fiction. As of 2009, Pew Research found that 31% of US citizens believed in creationism, 22% believed in evolution guided by some deity, 15% shrugged their shoulders, and a pitiful 32% of Americans understood the facts. Less than 1/3 of the “World’s greatest nation” paid attention in school. Among Mormons, only an embarrassing 11% understand evolution to some degree. Almost one in ten Mormons! With that being said, let’s dive right in to this important topic.
I invite all readers to go to The Church’s official website, churchofjesuschrist.org and search ‘evolution’. The very first result that shows up (the most important result!) is a short anecdotal story about a young student, their biology teacher, and some friends. The real author's name is withheld to dodge blame or embarrassment as I am led to assume. Maybe to avoid credibility, I don’t know. This unnamed student is asked how they rationalized a belief in a supernatural god of creationism and a contradicting understanding of scientific evolution. In a complete escape avoiding the actual question they share their personal testimony of faith believing in a god unsupported with any verifiable evidence. Saved by the bell they are excused from class and any difficult follow up questions leaving them to be the supposed victorious debater. A deceptively uplifting and faith promoting story for the typical blind faith believing Mormon, but nothing of any real substance.
Perhaps the second result of searching evolution will add more resolve? The article titled ‘What does the Church believe about evolution?’ starts with “The Church has no official position on the theory of evolution.” Need we discuss the topic any further? No. But perhaps a further analysis will reveal a better understanding of this delusion. The Church once again avoids the topic of evolution by emphasizing the difference between demonstrable scientific evidence and god’s magical revelation. Basically, God has been completely silent concerning evolution, therefore they shrug their shoulders as an official stance. Besides, what has science ever proven anyway?
The very next paragraph claims with confident certain knowledge that God in fact created the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, and we are all descendants of the first male and female human parents. *Palm to forehead. The 97% of scientists who understand the science of evolution know that there has never been one male and one female parent to a new species. It doesn’t work that way. Evolution is an incomprehensibly slow process over millions of years indistinguishably transitioning between thousands of generations of one species to another. No two parents of one species have ever given birth to a new species. That’s not how evolution works. The Adam and Eve myth is a verifiable fiction.
Unfortunately, there is not a third paragraph to critique concerning this fundamentally important issue. In a further reference titled, “The Origin of Man” the Church continues to perpetuate the myth of Adam and Eve. They claim “Truth has but one source, and all revelations from heaven are harmonious with each other.” Curious why all scientific evidence contradicts their one source of truth. According to Mormonism’s unsubstantiated truth, all biological life on Earth has evolved by a process aided by God, but Homosapians were poofed into existence by God, in God’s image, because God thinks we’re special. This hypothesis would almost seem plausible if it weren’t for the wealth of scientific evidence that proves we are just as animal as every other animal. Fossil records, DNA, anatomy, embryology, biology, and decades of scrutinized scientific studies confirm that we are average and ordinary among fellow animals that are 98.8% similar to our closest cousins.
Let’s wrap up this cognitive dissonant delusion of Mormonism with their pinnacle of sacred indoctrination taught ad nauseam in their temples. In their temples, Mormons watch the same movie on repeat about God conjuring Adam and Eve into existence in the Garden of Eden. After they eat the magical fruit, God teaches them the secret handshakes and passwords required to return to heaven. I wish I was making this up.
And with that we add yet another falsifiable black swan to the list of nonsense proving Mormonism a deceptive and delusional cult. They accept a misunderstood version of evolution guided by the supernatural, but Adam and Eve were totally legit. Discover the truth and liberate your mind. Learn scientific skepticism and protect yourself from fraudulent claims. And for Darwin’s sake, study evolution.
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