"Some scientific explanations are so well established that no new evidence is likely to alter them. The explanation becomes a scientific theory. In everyday language a theory means a hunch or speculation.
Not so in science.
In science, the word theory refers to a comprehensive explanation of an important feature of nature supported by facts gathered over time. Theories also allow scientists to make predictions about as yet unobserved phenomena.
"A scientific theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment.
Such fact-supported theories are not "guesses" but reliable accounts of the real world.
The theory of biological evolution is more than "just a theory." It is as factual an explanation of the universe as the atomic theory of matter or the germ theory of disease.
Our understanding of gravity is still a work in progress. But the phenomenon of gravity, like evolution, is an accepted fact."
Here endeth the lesson.
BTW, Darwin, despite his limited equipment and next to no knowledge of DNA, is nearly 100 percent correct about his Theory of Evolution.
If we took everything out of our biology, or well any science books that was "just a theory" We wouldn't have very much to teach.
"When you throw things up, they'll come down unless you throw them hard enough... alright, congratulations your ready to graduate college... now go believe whatever the @#$@ you want to... Everything else we know is just a theory so we can't teach it in school anymore."
God and evolution are not mutually exclusive. Any argument which attempts to disprove one by arguing the existence of the other is pointless.
+1
I never could understand the hatred and revulsion towards evolution. The rejection never made sense to me, people claiming they knew, for fact, that God didn't create evolution but made everything at once, with his wand. People more willing to believe foolish superstitions and neanderthal explanations than math, fact and sequence. There is no sin to an admission of learning, we are NOT born in personal sin. Our sins begin upon our realization that we are behaving badly and refusing to alter this bad behaviour. That is a sin, a stupid, hurtful, unnecessary sin.
People who refuse to acknowledge or aggressively deny DNA, and it's analysis, look pretty silly in a courtroom, thank God. It is interesting to note that DNA can also free the innocent as readily as it can convict the guilty. People who deny evolution are blind or still have their blinders on and usually, support a myriad of other fairy tales because the same denial provides them with an easy out. It is not surprising to find so many failed ideas in today's society have come from the people who promote, and champion, their fairy tales over hard science and the fairy tales of others.
I dont mind crazy religious people, for the most part, until I see them campaigning to affect democracy, politics and civil policy. If churches want to open their primitive ideology up to politic then... pay your taxes first and bring facts to the table! Otherwise, they should be quiet, private, simple and personal.
Why do fringe groups with an "intelligent design" agenda get the time of day in a society of mature, educated adults? The fear of reality drives the faithful's machine to denounce even the most basic math, truth, fact or common sensibility. Enough seems to be enough huh?...... We need to read, research, and awake to an age of science and reason unparalleled in human, primate evolution.
What is so wrong with a man that he looks to his links to the natural world with shame and fear and denial?
Isaac Newton said that a scientific theory should be accepted until a better one is found. I am not seeing a serious alternative to the theory of evolution at the moment.
Sure, we still need to fill large gaps, for example how the present DNA mechanism came into being or the so called Gould's events, but I am pretty confident about the future.
LeKiwi,
Bonjour to you too.
I'm sorry, I don't accept wikipedadictionary definitions as the last word, mon amici.
Neither do I accept the commonly held belief that the creation account in Genesis conveys that "the God" created everything in six literal days. Six epoch-like periods called days is more like it, n'est pas ?
Darwins' observed species variations ( such as Galapagos finches ) does not prove to me that they evolved. BTW, consulting a thesaurus yields the following antonyms for the word theory: certainty, fact, proof and REALITY...
You do know what an antonym is, right ? If not, perhaps you can look it up on Wiki ?
Au revoir,
LeKiwi,
Bonjour to you too.
I'm sorry, I don't accept wikipedadictionary definitions as the last word, mon amici.
Neither do I accept the commonly held belief that the creation account in Genesis conveys that "the God" created everything in six literal days. Six epoch-like periods called days is more like it, n'est pas ?
Darwins' observed species variations ( such as Galapagos finches ) does not prove to me that they evolved. BTW, consulting a thesaurus yields the following antonyms for the word theory: certainty, fact, proof and REALITY...
You do know what an antonym is, right ? If not, perhaps you can look it up on Wiki ?
Au revoir,
Nero, it's this simple.... DNA is accepted by the supreme court of the United States of America and every other modern, reasonable society. There is no denying it unless one is afraid, ignorant, guilty or profiting from said denial. That doesnt mean that DNA cant be planted at a crime scene or mixed up in the lab however, arguing against it's validity, after the certainty of the source is established, is not really all that credible any longer. I am sure that you understand this. What it does mean is that I can find the donor of a DNA sample out of six quadrillion possible donors... with extreme accuracy and reasonable enough odds to declare it so. If I compare that to circumstantial speculation, indoctrination or courtroom fairy tales... well there is no comparison. The Genome is similar in it's mathematical, scientific and undeniable accuracy... Evolution is no longer a theory, like the earth being round.. it is a fact. Good ol math does it again. We split from the primates and evolded to human stature and status. No big sin there.
I suppose we'll have to listen to flat earth superstitions and flat out denials for another generation but that's it, after that we will hold DNA and Genome the same esteem as we hold round earth philosophy.
Get a grip of reality and move forward! Wacky religions cause all kinds of bizarre denials, just look at Islam! Christianity deepens in inanity, especially when comparing itself to Islam! If you believe in God, who told you "it is certain" he didnt create evolution... God himself? Why is it unholy to believe what you see when it comes to scientific proof?
Let me make a suggestion... If you find yourself following a lead that turns out to have a mountain of credible, scientific evidence against it's truth or fruition, follow a different lead... try the new lead, with open intellect, reason and humility.... thank you.
Gog,
I can't see gravity, but i clearly see it's effects. I can't see God, but I can clearly see his effects. DNA in all lifeforms to me doesn't disprove a God, it solidifies my belief in intelligent design. His using the same DNA in different ways to create different living things is much like an architect using similar construction materials to design different structures. Some with totally different uses. Don't be so quick to dismiss God just because you hate religions. The two things (God and Religion ) have little in common. Maybe it's not me that has the closed mind ? By the way, the Earth is a sphere.
I can't see gravity, but i clearly see it's effects. I can't see God, but I can clearly see his effects.
I can see gravity at work. It's dependable, predictable and reliable. I never see or hear God however, I see the effects of 'believer's' actions as sure as I see gravitational effects. The difference is that I can prove gravity exists. The God thing? Well, lets just say "It's not for everyone". Your God can be proven to be the meanest devil as easily as you can prove he's the divine creator. Not so sophomoric when you apply science to your investigations now is it? We know that people denying scientific reality will usually have many denials and, low and behold, it's true.
What I am "dismissing" is the foolishness of intelligent design and the arrogance of those who claim God is telling them the truth or defending them or enlightening them. Quite the opposite. God is an excuse for people to be lazy, derelict and lame in their research. Science is work, work and more work. It doesnt compromise like faith does. You cannot come to the scientific world with fairy tales. Faith is a done deal for the believes from the moment they decide that science is in second place to their mathematically debilitating emotions.
You should understand that your faith in God, and it's degree, is determined by your affiliations and indoctrinations Science uses facts, data and research and tries to make you understand those predisposed, emotional, unscientific habits you have before proceeding to teach you how to observe your world and learn scientifically. . . . . faith is fiction and science is fact. That doesnt mean I cannot love God. God would want the truth wouldn't he/she? Not a bunch of lies, distortions or denials from folks who refuse to acknowledge fundamental truths and yet elevate themselves unto God's bosom while claiming that they need not evolve further....
I cannot imagine claiming that my holy book has any authority over any other holy book or science or that crap poor theological excuses and blatant lies should replace hard fought scientific understanding. All that said, it is hard to watch religious people, who's grasp of earthly reality is so convoluted, entering politics or education, I think that's a sin. If you study your history of Christianity, you will find that it adheres less and less to it's claims and directives as time goes by. Science will remain forever... becoming more and more perfected!
I have to ask you... Do you believe the knowledge gleaned and drawn from DNA and genome research, understanding, breakthroughs and conclusions?
If one holds so strongly to the theory of evolution etc and science and math then it would be foolish to assume that a god (a devine being or whatever) is behind anything...
given that geological time can be calculated with the help of radioactive isotopes found all around us math will support the theory that the earth we stand on has been around a hell of a long time and the universe even longer! thus again math would support the theory that given a long enough period of time everything could very easily have come to be by pure statistical probability, even life in all it's forms since it only had to happen once successfully.... ie. CHANCE ! Thus taking the aforementioned into account it would be pure delusion to assume that there is such a thing as a intelligent design or creation by a god.
infact the human body (as an example) is so ineffeciently, succeptibly, and in many regards counterintuitively 'designed' that it is laughable. If there really was an "intelligent creator" then this creator really missed the ball on many aspects. Even first year med school or biological/biochemical students could point out these weaknesses, and remedy them if the possibility to "redesign" the organism existed. Thus calling it intellignet design is a misnomer and speaks to the intelligence of man kind actually not of the creator.
I guess some would leave these extraneous variable to "god's" doing.... but that is just weak, the reality is that the organism only needs to survive long enough in it's environment to produce viable offspring. It doesn't need to be perfect is the point!
Evolution doesn't make things perfect..... in fact evolution doens't make anything! Evolution is the process of the environment selecting for characteristics of the organism that are good enough to work/survive...until the enviroment once again changes. (lol I can see it now, some saying god is the environment and the one in control lol then you really dont get it)
A funny statement and I paraphrase richard dawkins to the effect 'the truly crazy people are those that believe in a god not those that look to the sky and believe in life outside our solarsystem'
It seems I am greatly outnumbered here at this forum by the "faithful" or more precisely, the "faithless". No matter. It doesn't seem the least bit foolish as some of you insist that an intelligent creator designed all of this. I'm not prejudiced by a hatred of all things divine as some of you seem to be.
to say that there is any hatred would be simply an attempt to paint one as an opponent or to discredit based on a lack of any logical argument based in reproducible, measurable quantifyable information. Usually of last resort. there is no hate what so ever.
The notion of divinity is a construct of the human mind, and fear of mortality and a need for security is what is behind it.
....The notion of divinity is a construct of the human mind, and fear of mortality and a need for security is what is behind it.
I'm amused that your only explanation for those with a belief in something divine sounds like a description of mental illness. I think you assume too much and are speading your assumptions far too widely. I do find this discussion very interesting, though and it's good to have such a discussion without the all too common personal attacks or ad hominems.
I'm amused that your only explanation for those with a belief in something divine sounds like a description of mental illness. I think you assume too much and are speading your assumptions far too widely. I do find this discussion very interesting, though and it's good to have such a discussion without the all too common personal attacks or ad hominems.
ya , like the one where you are insinuating a hatred exists when I was simply replying to gog's argument....
at least we are both amused by each others opinions
I am not "faithless" Nero... that would be your arrogance typing that. I dont hate you personally. You think your faith is what the universe is based on or around. I think otherwise. I have faith that knowledge and truth can, will and indeed has explained your faith, this earth and the history of both and more.
The thought of world chaos building as faith's fight each other over fantasies... mind numbing and sad.
The reality white wash one must exorcise in order to be pure enough for God.. nuts.
The denial of the world around oneself for the comfort of God's bosom... gimmie a break.
The idea that you believe you are right and righteous and I am errant and wrong...your faith trumping my science... sigh.
Evolution..::
By the way, the Earth is a sphere.
Linear Mode
