mojo said:
Actually, I have to disagree on this one. Despite what you choose to believe, both creationism and evolutionism are both valid *theories*. This holds true because evidence exists both ways, especially when you start to consider that creationism is built upon the assumption that there is an all-powerful being at work. Under the theory and that assumption, if God wanted to snap his fingers and create a world in motion 6000 years ago, then so be it- it would be impossible to disprove either way, because all measurements would be based on a world already set in motion.
This really belongs in its own separate thread, but I just can't let this go unchallenged...
You are missing the point. Despite what YOU choose to believe, comparing creationism and evolution is like comparing apples and oranges (or, more accurately - apples and elephants). While you may regard creationism as a theory, it is strictly a <U><B>religious</B></U> theory based solely on religious (in this case Christian) dogma found in the Old Testament of the Bible. There is absolutely NOTHING scientific about it. The Old Testament is a collection of parables written by human beings and has absolutely no basis in fact. It was written over a period of time in which man knew next to nothing of the observable world around him, and religious speculation was the order of the day and the best he could do to explain that world. Hence the simplistic and ridiculous nursery rhyme-like assertions that the universe was created in 6 days, woman was created from a man's rib, etc. The fact is they just didn't know any better.
In contrast, evolution by way of natural selection is a <U><B>scientific</B></U> theory based on verifiable observations of the natural world. Like all scientific theories, it was formulated over many years and was subject to independent peer review every step of the way. It exists as it does because it agrees with and reliably predicts observations. And there is an enormous amount of observable evidence that supports the Theory of Evolution, gaps in the fossil record notwithstanding.
The mistake that proponents of creationism make is confusing their personal religious, faith-based beliefs with science. In fact, the ongoing efforts in this country to portray creationism as a science are nothing more than veiled attempts to introduce Christianity into the public classroom, where most Americans recognize it does not belong. Creationism should be taught in Christian Sunday schools and Christian churches, NOT in science/biology classrooms.
Another falsehood promoted by creationists is that the scientific Theory of Evolution rules out the existence of a divine creator. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Theory of Evolution says NOTHING regarding the existence of a creator one way or the other. Such an assertion is beyond the scope of science since it can never be proven nor disproven through observation and/or experimentation. The existence and/or nature of "God" (or "the Gods") is a subject that belongs strictly in the realm of religion. Creationists attempt to associate the Theory of Evolution with atheism to set up a false choice - believe in the Biblical story of creation or disbelieve in a divine entity. In this way they hope to drive less-than-critical-thinking people into their camp.
You can believe, if you wish, that a divine, conscious being created with a wave of his (hers? its??) hand life on Earth just as we see it today. You can never, ever hope to prove it or quantify it in any way, but you are certainly free take it on blind faith. You cannot, however, use that belief to refute conclusions reached via the scientific method. History is replete with such attempts. As science has progressively pushed the envelope of knowledge and understanding, it has often contradicted and undermined established religious beliefs and traditions. This, of course, is and always has been inevitable. The reaction of certain members of the unobjective faithful has often been to attack and attempt to discredit or even destroy the offending science (or scientist) in whatever way possible. So it is today with the "scientific" creationists, whose goal is to discredit evolution - a theory that holds up to scientific scrutiny and is accepted by virtually everyone within the scientific community. By erroneously defining Biblical creationism as being rooted in "science", they attempt to contradict that which threatens their chosen dogmatic and simplistic beliefs regarding the creation and development of life on Earth. But make no mistake - while the Theory of Evolution without a doubt blows Old Testament creationism right out of the water, it DOES NOT address much less cast doubt on the existence or nature of God. Anyone who tells you it does is either lying or simply lacks a basic understanding of the theory. The Theory of Evolution and belief in the existence of a divine power are totally compatible, as evidenced by the fact that most scientists (including myself) subscribe to both.
You, I and everyone else on this planet are (or should be) free to believe anything we wish about the existence and/or nature of God. But the world would be a much better place if everyone recognized that these beliefs are in fact a personal faith-based choice and can never - repeat NEVER - be proven nor disproven. In other words, don't take your religion too seriously because there are many, many alternate faith-based "theories" that are equally valid or invalid (whichever way you wish to look at it).
mojo said:
As a side note, I would suggest reading "Darwin's Black Box" - a very interesting read questioning evolution from a biochemistry standpoint (NOT from a theological standpoint). Evolution can be questioned because we have never seen a full evolution of any animal. Natural selection, however, has been shown to exist, and thus is indisputable. Be careful about lumping them together.
Note: Natural selection is the mechanism by which the evolution of living organisms occurs.
You can question the Theory of Evolution all you want, but to be credible you must do it within the framework of the scientific method. You cannot use religious dogma (such as stories and parables contained in the Bible) to refute science. They are oil and water and do not mix. Science is based upon repeatable, verifiable observations that agree with theoretical predictions. Religion is based solely upon the imagination and the writings of man. Scientific theories are subject to peer review and a barrage of objective scrutiny before they are finally accepted. Religious beliefs are accepted at face value and without question.
By the way, by your stated criterion you could also question quantum mechanics since no one has made (nor likely ever will make) direct observations at the sub-atomic level. Acceptance of quantum mechanics is based on indirect observations that can be made and that agree with predictions made by quantum mechanical theories. The Theory of Evolution has gained acceptance in precisely the same way.
