...understand that the theory is of great use to biological scientists...
It seems to me that much (perhaps all) biological science investigation could continue unchanged, without being affected by an evolution or creation backdrop.
Just how does the notion of evolution make scientific investigation more valid?
I suppose I'm looking for the practical implications of pushing evolution and squelching creation. I don't see how a belief in creation is such a horrendous thing that will somehow stop scientific investigation, as many on these threads infer. I think it's absolutely nuts to say that you have to accept evolutionary theory to "do real science"...abso-freaking-lutely nuts.
Just how does the notion of evolution make scientific investigation more valid?
Because die-hard evolutionists are soooo convinced of the fact of evolution that anyone who dares to disagree with them is simply and completely out of touch with reality. Therefore they are incapable of making intelligent, rational decisions, so ANY conclusions they arrive at are immediately suspect and promptly dismissed off hand. The minute you acknowledge a doubt about evolution, you lose all credibility.
That depends on what you mean by "accepting" the theory. Like I said, the validity of a theory rests on its ability to survive testing with new data. Understanding evolution is very important to fields like ecology and medicine. If we want to understand, for example, why certain diseases flourish in certain parts of the world, or why natural fish stock size is declining, for example, then people need to be trained to understand how biological evolution works.
Do you have to "accept" evolutionary theory to do any science? I don't think it matters whether anyone "accepts" any scientific theory, but if one is going to try to apply it, they'd better understand how it works. Science doesn't seek to "squelch" creation; there just aren't any observable empirical consequences to creationism that hold true under testing. You can believe God is responsible for Creation; I believe He ultimately is, but I won't pretend I can use science to prove that.