"They wanted to tell high school students once a year that evolution is only a theory."
And gravity is only a "theory" too.
And gravity is only a "theory" too.
The difference is that experments can be desogned and do show the effects of gravity in a predictable manner. Any good theory can predict future behavior given initial conditions. This can be done even by HS physics students in Lab.
OTOH Evolutonary Theory is based on interpetion of the fossil record and cannot be used to predict future evolution. Also no mechanism is described to explain how the DNA changes other than 'random' mutation. This is inadequate to describe, the rapid, massive changes seen over relatily short periods of time in the fossil record.
Most dramatically there is no experement to show how life evolves from inorganic or organic chemicals. At best there are experments that show how some amino acids can be cooked in a lab from inorganic chemicals.
This part of biology is VERY soft science, it's not like physics or chemistry where there theories grounded in math and experement that can be described and produce predictable results.
There is work that has described order 'spontaneously' springing from disorder when energy is added to the system. This suggests a very different universe than the dumb random universe.
Ilya prigogine provided some Hints that lay a foundation the could be used to develop an ID theory.
his bio at U of Texas: http://order.ph.utexas.edu/people/Prigogine.htm
Stuart Kauffman's stuff about self organization in complex systems is also interesting. He applies his insights to evolution, but this approach could also be used in ID models.
Ultimatly science has not way to prove HOW the univevse came into exixtance, and how the initial conditions were what they were. The conditiosn that allow the universe we live in to exist (life and all).
All God had to do what bring the universe into existance with the correct conditiosn and God's 'design' will unfold according to the 'design'.
People of Faith can 'believe' in God and his primacy as the creator and Atheist can say God doesn't exist and wasn't neccesary for the universe to exist, neither side can 'prove' scientifically their position.
The current confilict over evolution is politics and not science. I am dismayed by the censorship being applied towards ID. That is not science. Both sides should be allowed to present their moldels, and supporting arguments.
I believe strongly in ID, but those who say it is not "religious" are wrong. That "higher power" is understood by many to be through God. He is the basis for my religious beliefs as he is for many others.
One is measureable and observable - ergo, subject to scientific positivism. The other is not.
And gravity is only a "theory" too.
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I thought it was the law of gravity.