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To: Dimensio

Someone's idea. Many, many people may agree with that idea but it does not make it a fact.


314 posted on 04/05/2006 2:27:48 PM PDT by yellowdoghunter (I sometimes only vote for Republicans because they are not Democrats....by Dr. Thomas Sowell)
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To: yellowdoghunter; Dimensio
Dimensio: What, exactly, do you believe that "theory" means when you say that "evolution is just a THEORY". Please be specific.

yellowdoghunter: Someone's idea. Many, many people may agree with that idea but it does not make it a fact.

Wow. That is so stunningly ignorant, I hardly know where to begin.

How about we begin with the second point? You're right about one thing. The number of people who chose to believe something is not relevant. Thank you. Now maybe creationists will stop pointing to polls as some sort of evidence. What is relevant is who supports it, and why. No reputable scientific organization has any serious doubt about the validlity of the ToE. Not even ID groups such as the poorly-named Discovery Center, which accepts the evidence of a common ancestor.

Now, as to your first point. Words mean things. In science, the word "theory" means a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena.

It does not mean "guess." Far from it. It requires actual evidence, which the ToE has in spades. It has been tested, and every test strengthens it.

Hint: if you have to re-define words to make your argument, your argument is weak. That's a leftist trick that Creationists have eagerly adopted.

327 posted on 04/05/2006 2:39:34 PM PDT by highball (Proud to announce the birth of little Highball, Junior - Feb. 7, 2006!)
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To: yellowdoghunter
Someone's idea. Many, many people may agree with that idea but it does not make it a fact.

Someone's idea is a opinion void of facts and not supported by any evidence. A theory is defined as observed fact, evidence and explanation of the fact. Not someone's idea.

366 posted on 04/05/2006 3:36:07 PM PDT by jec41 (Screaming Eagle)
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To: yellowdoghunter
Someone's idea.

Then I am afraid that you are misinformed. Within a scientific context, "theory" is far more than idea. A "theory" is an explanation that is founded upon independently-verified peer-reviewed observation and has made multiple successful predictions. If an "idea" has not met these criteria, then it cannot be considered "theory". That evolution is a theory indicates that it is well-supported by observation evidence and that it has made multiple successful predictions about observed events.
374 posted on 04/05/2006 4:03:44 PM PDT by Dimensio (http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif <-- required reading before you use your next apostrophe!)
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