How many different types of people who believe in evolution?

Hi everyoneI am just wondering, is there any categorization of people who believe in evolution?For instance, there are people who absolutely believes in evolution. There are those who believes in God but also accept evolution (theistic evolutionist?). I'm sure there are A LOT more different categories, as many people take a reconciliatory approach. To name an example: Kenneth R. Miller, a professor of biology at Brown University, wrote a book named "Finding Darwin's God" is an excellent example of reconciliating both God and evolution.Instead of simply saying, "moderate evolutionist", "weak evolutionist", "weak evolutionist" or "moderate evolutionist", are there different types of categorization?Thanks a lot!
MThis message has been edited by middkid, 07-08-2005 07:03 PM

If you can go back over the OP and fix the sentence structure, particularly the last sentence in the third paragraph, I'll move this over to the coffee house. Post a reply to me here after you've done the edit and I'll move it.

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I have refined my question. Please have a look.Thanks!M

Thread moved here from the Proposed New Topics forum.

There are fat evolutionists, skinny evolutionists, evolutionists who climb on rocks,
Tall evolutionists, short evolutionists, even evolutionists who have chicken pox.I'm afraid I don't quite get your question. Are you asking for degrees of belief in God?I suppose you can group evolutionists as follows:There are evolutionists who are atheists and agnostics.There may be evolutionists who are deists, that is, they might believe a god created the universe and the physical laws billions of years ago, but then let the universe run its course without any further interference.There are evolutionists who believe that god created the universe billions of years ago, let the universe run its course, but then somehow come into some sort of spiritual contact with the intelligent beings that have arisen.There are the ID'ists, many of whom believe in an ancient universe and common descent but believe god has frequently tinkered with the physical universe, or at least with its biological creations, to ensure the humans would come about.I suspect that there are those who believe in an ancient universe and common descent but is continually intervening and directing, on a "day-to-day" basis the course of events.Then there are the creationists.But I'm not sure whether it's really useful to classify evolutionists in this manner. Why do you think some sort of classification is interesting?

I guess I could have stated my questions clearer.It's like a spectrum. On one side, you have strong creationist who believes nothing in Evolution and actually condemn the idea of evolution.Then in the middle, there are those who can reconcile both creationism and evolution.Then on the other side, there are those who supports evolution (to such a degree that they extent the idea of evolution to social, political issues, something that I don't think many people will agree with).But there must be a better-defined category than this. Did I make my question a bit clearer now? I hope I do.In reply to your question about the usefulness of this question, I'm working on a project that would enable me to categorize subjects/participants in terms of their stand on evolution/creationism.Thanks a lot~
M

hi, midkid.I don't think there is any formal categorization of "evolutionists". People refer to various degrees of accepting the theory of evolution while believing in a creative god, but these references are mostly informal.There are those strictly materialist evolutionists, who reject any place for a creator in considering the history of life on earth; there are the theistic evolutionists who believe that the natural laws and evolution are God's method of creating life on earth; and there are the ID'ists, some of whom believe in common descent but also believe that God has actively intervened in the process here and there.Other than that, I don't believe that there is any categorization.

I would "classify" the spectrum of thought on evolution/creation something like this:1. People who accept evolution because they have studied the evidence.2. People who accept evolution because it is accepted science, but who know little about it.3. People who don't much care one way or the other.4. People who are skeptical about science in general, but who know little about it.5. People who are rabidly opposed to evolution, but who know little about it.(If anybody is interested, I would be about 2.5 on that scale. )

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People who think they have all the answers usually don't understand the questions.

I'm one of these. I accept it on authority.

Even the former Pope John Paul, admitted that Evolution was more than just a "theory".That is a huge leap from the Catholic church's previous position which postulated that God and God alone created everything, end of discussion.This message has been edited by Max, 07-10-2005 04:31 AMThis message has been edited by Max, 07-10-2005 04:32 AM

somewhere between these two: i've seen enough of the scientific evidence myself that i'm fully convinced, but i'm not involved in it on any level really. not a biomajor, not in the field. just had a passing interest in paleontology as a child.This message has been edited by arachnophilia, 07-10-2005 04:39 AM

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אָרַח

i believe in god.i understand evolution. (it's not a belief system or "ism")i have no need to reconcile them. i simply believe god used evolution, possibly in a directed manner, in his creation. now, reconciling the bible and science i don't attempt either.

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אָרַח

Ringo, I would be a "1."I have shelves of books on the subject, & find it absolutely fascinating.I don't have religion, not that it matters seeing that others with religion accept the theory based on evidence, too.Mark

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There are 10 kinds of people in this world; those that understand binary, & those that don't

I would probably be thought of as a creationist since I belive that God initially created all things, including all definitions, all concepts, the very essence of thought itself.That being said, I believe that evolution on Earth is a mystery.There is no deism involved, IMHO. God is actively involved with humanity, yet humanity must "evolve" in our ignorance to conclude certain things that we have not yet allowed ourselves to consider.The obvious will become cloudy, while the fable will become obvious.

Hi there.
You say that you accept it on authority. Which authority are you referrring to? Academic people like professors?And, do you understand it? ie: notion of natural selection, speciation etc?