Quote:
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Originally Posted by RCAlyra2004
EVERY ONE..... STOP TELLING US WHAT YOU BELEIVE AND TELL US WHAT YOU KNOW!
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Evolution is a theory .... (a damn good one but still a theory)
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Ok, I'll tell you what I know.
It is "only" a theory that the earth is round. It is "only" a theory that the earth orbits the sun. It is "only"
a theory that allows us to pilot airplanes accross the Atlantic. It is "only" a theory that things fall down and not up.
The
it's only a theory argument is not even an argument.
<HR>
1 The word "theory," in the context of science, does not imply uncertainty. It means "a coherent group of general propositions used as principles of explanation for a class of phenomena" [Barnhart 1948]. In the case of the theory of evolution, the following are some of the phenomena involved. All are facts:
* That life appeared on earth more than two billion years ago;
* That life forms have changed and diversified over life's history;
* That species are related via common descent from one or a few common ancestors;
* That natural selection is a significant factor affecting how species change.
Many other facts are explained by the theory of evolution as well.
2 The theory of evolution has proved itself in practice. It has useful applications in epidemiology, pest control, drug discovery, and other areas [Bull and Wichman 2001; Eisen and Wu 2002; Searls 2003].
3 Besides the theory, there is the fact of evolution, the observation that life has changed greatly over time. The fact of evolution was recognized even before Darwin's theory. The theory of evolution explains the fact.
4 If "only a theory" were a real objection, creationists would also be issuing disclaimers complaining about the theory of gravity, atomic theory, the germ theory of disease, and the theory of limits (on which calculus is based). The theory of evolution is no less valid than any of these. Even the theory of gravity still receives serious challenges [Milgrom 2002]. Yet the phenomenon of gravity, like evolution, is still a fact.
5 Creationism is neither theory nor fact; it is, at best, only an opinion. Since it explains nothing, it is useless.
http://talkorigins.org/indexcc/CA/CA201.html