Evolution is a F A C T
Darwinian evolution is a fact people!
I am sick of people not understanding that evolution is a fact, just today in conversation with a friend, i explained to him, all you have to do is walk into the museum of natural history and you can see for yourself. he replied with “How do I know if those fossils are ceramic or plastic? They are behind glass” lordy. So just read Richard Dawkins book, “The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution”. Here is an excerpt for you below. To all who still don’t belive in evolution.
Evolution is a fact Beyond reasonable doubt, beyond serious doubt, beyond sane, informed,intelligent doubt,beyond doubt evolution is a fact. The evidence for evolution is at least as strong as the evidence for the holocaust, even allowing for eye witness to the holocaust. It is the plain truth that we are cousins of chimpanzees, somewhat more distant cousins of monkeys, more distant cousins of bananas and turnips…continue the list as desired. That didn’t’ have to be true. It is not self-evidentlly, tautologically, obviously true, and there was a a time when most people , even educated people, though it wasn’t. It didn’t have to be true, but it is. Evolution is a fact. No reputable scientist disputes it.
What is a theory? what is a fact?
only a theory? lets look at what “theory” means. The OED gives two meanings (actually more, but these are the two that matter here)
Theory, sense 1: a scheme of system of idea or statements held as an explanation or account of a group of facts or phenomena; a hypothesis that has been confirmed or established by observation or experiment, and is propounded or accepted as accounting for the known facts; a statement of what are held to be general laws, principals or causes of something known or observed.
Theory sense 2: a hypothesis proposed as an explanation hence, a mere hypothesis, speculation, conjecture, an idea or set of ideas about something; an individual view or notion.
Obviously the two meanings are quite different from one another, and that short answer to my question about the theory of evolution is that scientist are using sense 1, while the creationists are- perhaps opting for sense 2. A good example of sense 1 is the heliocentric theory of the solar system, the theory the earth and the other planets orbit the sun. Evolution fits sense 1 perfectly. Darwins theory of evolution is indeed a “scheme or system of idea or statements” It does account for a massive “group of facts or phenomena”/ It is a “ a hypothesis that has been CONFIRMED or established by observation or experiment” and, by generally informed consent, it is a “ a statement of what are held to be the general laws, principals, or causes of something known or observed. It is certainly very far from “ a mere hypothesis, speculation, conjecture”. Scientist and creationists are understanding the word “theory” in two different senses. Evolution is a theory in the same sense as the heliocentric theory. In neither case should the word “ONLY” be used, as in “ONLY” a theory. As for the claim that evolution has never been ‘proved’ proof is a notion scientist have been intimidated into mistrusting. Influential philosophers tell us we can’t prove anything in science.
