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Evolution: It's Only a Theory, But One Worth Teaching

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posted on Mar, 3 2005 @ 09:07 PM
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space.com...

a good excerpt:


Dismissing evolution as "only a theory" is, at the simplest level, a misunderstanding of the meaning of "theory" in science. But, in the current controversy, discounting evolution as "only a theory" is more than a semantic debate. It’s a political statement at the heart of the attack upon teaching evolution in science classrooms in America.

Science is a powerful tool for understanding the natural world, and has a dominant role in modern economics and culture. Scientific theories are at the heart of the enterprise. In the science classroom, children should learn about major scientific theories such as gravitation and evolution.

Science is a way of knowing, but not the only way of knowing. There are things that science does not address. For example, music, art, emotion, and religious beliefs are all outside the domain of what science can address. I find it unfortunate that the controversy over the theory of evolution continues as science offers all humans a way to know about the natural world and how it works.


evolution IS only a THEORY because "they" have not found the "missing link"...

even though evolution IS a THEORY, it can still be TOUGHT (but not as the ONLY way humans "evolved")...

it can be tought because it IS a GREAT explanation of how we might have "evolved"...

would you teach this theory or a theory of aliens making us and putting us on this planet???

until we find this "missing link", the THEORY of evolution is ONLY a THEORY...

but it IS a GREAT one...




apc

posted on Mar, 3 2005 @ 10:11 PM
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Whether or not the theory of evolution is correct is not dependant on the discovery of a missing link because it is not defined by human existance. Evolution will always be a theory just as creation, gravity, electromagnetic radiation, the existance of atoms... are all theories. The only way evolution could migrate from theory to fact is if someone were to live for a few hundred thousand years... long enough to actually witness the process.

Theories are constructed to explain that which we see and experience but do not have full knowledge of. Because what we are capable of experiencing is somewhat limited, we make assumtions based on the facts. If any facts conflict with the theory the theory must be either modified or discarded. This must be remembered and reminded when discussing theories especially in education.



posted on Mar, 3 2005 @ 10:16 PM
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Sure why cant they teach theories in school? I learned about the theory of gravity



posted on Mar, 4 2005 @ 08:36 AM
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I read above that evolution will always just be a theory just as creationism.

I want to make a few points here. Humans can, and have forced other animals to evolve. We humans observe bacterias and infections evolve in our own bodies to defend themselves against our medicinces.

It is not a theory when it is observed behavior. However, christians will debate this topic until they cannot anymore. Creationism will always be a theory. Evolution will be proven eventually to a degree where those who disagree now will have to agree. Then, the christian community will have to evolve itself, adapting to what they now must accept. Much like they did with the whole...science claiming the earth is not the center of the universe thing.



posted on Mar, 4 2005 @ 08:52 AM
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Originally posted by Seapeople


It is not a theory when it is observed behavior.



Really? Wow, that's great news! People here will be delighted to know that all these UFO sightings are now officially fact!



Back to the topic - the idea that life began from some primordial ooze is the main dispute with most Christians I know. Most believe in evolution in the larger sense but not that humans evolved from some green slime. I agree that evolution should be taught, but at the same time to simply laugh off creationism is foolish. Many EXPERTS also thought the world was flat - remember?



posted on Mar, 4 2005 @ 09:14 AM
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Well as to the UFO sightings. I would never argue that all of the sightings are fake (though a lot are surely fake). However, seeing a UFO does not indicate extra-terrestrial life.


Here is the difference between creationism, and evolution. Creationism is based in books from a few religions. These books are very magical in nature. Walking on water, water to wine, parting the seas, global floods...ect. These problems all leave questions that are unanswerable due to the fact that they simply cannot happen. However, evolution only leaves one question. What started it all. That question, we may never answer fully. But eliminating all of the other questions is not going to be a problem someday. We can see that a sea just couldnt have parted, and that a person couldn't have built an arc that big. We can see these things. Denying observations is foolish. Evolution though, can exist with a god, just not the bible.



posted on Mar, 4 2005 @ 09:24 AM
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Do you know why it is a theory?

Take your time. It isn't for a grade...

Pencils down, quizzes to the front.

Ah, let's see. Theory because of primordial ooze. Good answer, but not correct.

Next one...because the Christians oppose it. Hah, but still not correct.

Class, here is the actual reason. You see, within the Theory of Evolution, there is this notion of Natural Selection. And Darwin asserted this idea of Natural Selection by a way of adaptation/evolution. But evolving due to Natural Selection is debated and unproven. Evolution itself is not only true, but actively happening. Germs evolve, lizards evolve, and birds and everything else elvolves. (Unless extinction occurs.)

In fact, you cannot possibly debate evolution by itself. You can even be religious and believe evolution. (Unless you are a Bible-literalist. i.e. 7 days was all it took to create Earth.) Evolution is not heresy. Evolution is not something that goes against your God. Evolution is much friendlier than many believe.

If you want proof, look at whale, bat, and human skeletons. You will notice several structures that are closely related. Such as the hand. Also, find out what the appendix does for some animals and then look at ours. Then you notice that our bodies "phased out" its importance. After all, we would not need it for that reason.


apc

posted on Mar, 4 2005 @ 07:34 PM
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I see what we have observed being adaptations. We have yet in recorded history witnessed one species become an entirely new species. This is what I feel would move evolution from the realm of theories into that of proven scientific fact. True the fossil record completely supports this is how every creature came to its current day being, but it is impossible for us to be 100% certain, yet. Eventually we will.



posted on Mar, 4 2005 @ 08:27 PM
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In fact, you cannot possibly debate evolution by itself. You can even be religious and believe evolution. (Unless you are a Bible-literalist. i.e. 7 days was all it took to create Earth.) Evolution is not heresy. Evolution is not something that goes against your God. Evolution is much friendlier than many believe.



Hey, I got no issues with evolution, for me it's a fact.

HOWEVER, I don't believe in spontaneous biogenesis, that life came from random elements that just sat around for a few billion years and then just happened to come together with some other random elements, some solar mist, and a little sunshine to ultimately create things like Michael Jackson. Sorry, just toooo much of a stretch. We are definitely missing a step somewhere in there.




apc

posted on Mar, 4 2005 @ 08:28 PM
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The "missing" step was most likely a bolt of lightning.



posted on Mar, 4 2005 @ 10:40 PM
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Well, I don't believe the theory goes that far into spontaneous generation. But, there have been studies where scientist put together all of the elements present in early Earth. Do you know what was produced? Some portion of protein...the building block of everything living. For the life of me, I cannot remember the name of the project.



posted on Mar, 4 2005 @ 11:17 PM
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geez does anyone study, or do they just cheat their way through college?

First the stupid experiment that you can not recollect used sterile water. Diffusion eliminates that possibility. Entropy for those who have studied Newtonian physics. Yes, Newton was initially shown to be mistaken, and bite my ... later vindicated.

Secondly, watch the bouncing ball, no one has been able to repeat that experiment.

Logically, would not the Darwinist (religion nothing more) repeat this thing over and over to prove Christians to be the nuts they proclaim?



posted on Mar, 5 2005 @ 12:53 AM
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Darwinism is no religion my friend. The only people who claim this are those who thinks it violates their religion. Okay, to some people maybe it is...but not to everyone else. Most rational people can see how evolution can work hand in hand with the Bible. After all, I believe in evolution and God. Again, let me point to 7 days. Only a Bible literalists believes it only took 7 days. (Actually six...7th was the rest day.) The rest know that it had to take longer. Why, because there was more than a day seperating the dinosaurs and us.

And besides...spontaneous generation was never in Darwin's book. It was never asserted by him in The Origin of Species. And guess what, that was a popular theory of that time. Not mentioned in his book...but popular during his time. Do you think he wanted to merge the two? Obviously not if it is not in the book. Spontaneous Generation was popular until Pasteur. But still, the theory of Evolution stood through that. Why? Because his theory was not based on it. Or at least not from what I have seen.




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