Evolutionary Narratives and the Rise of Atheism
Scientific programs that cover topics such as planets, biology, and evolution can shape atheistic views because they provide explanations for the origin of the world and living organisms based solely on natural processes, without invoking supernatural or godlike forces. Essentially, these programs demonstrate that life and the universe can develop according to the laws of physics and biology, which, in turn, encourages the audience—especially young people—to view the world through a purely scientific lens.
As noted in one source, the impact of such lessons and broadcasts manifests as follows:"What does a biology textbook instill in a schoolchild?There is no God, everything appeared on its own as a result of evolution, and you evolved from a monkey. This means that all you have is several decades of life, and then nothing more—eternal death. The conclusion is obvious: seize everything you can from life, at any cost!" (source: link txt).This quote emphasizes that educational materials based on the concepts of evolution can lead young people to see life as a fleeting phenomenon and existence as the result of blind natural selection, devoid of any higher purpose or divine plan.Additionally, the vivid demonstration of evolutionary processes through convincing illustrations and explanations (for example, drawings showing the similarity of embryos in different species) contributes to a gradual shift toward scientific atheism. One source describes this process as follows:"When we talk about the influence of science on culture and worldview, the Darwinian understanding of evolution is taught to students from a very young age. The persuasive drawings by Haeckel, in which all animal embryos look the same at an early stage, only intensify this effect, and the student naturally begins to perceive evolution as the truth. In terms of worldview, this leads young people to reject religious beliefs in favor of scientific atheism." (source: link txt).Thus, scientific broadcasts instill in the audience the belief that all phenomena in the universe operate within the framework of natural laws, contributing to the abandonment of religious views. The audience, particularly the youth, receives a systematically presented picture of the world that excludes a sense of existence connected to belief in God, and instead, the idea of a random and continuous process of evolution dominates. This trend can influence one’s worldview, prompting people to seek meanings rooted exclusively in scientific knowledge and empirical experience.