[Dan(9698)]

Dan, there's no faith involved at all. Evolution is clear-cut if you just follow the chain.

I believe that scientific studies of all these things should proceed. There has been much learned and much more will be learned.

My problem is when professors become dogmatic and refuse to give proper grades to students who don't "believe" that Darwin's theory explains the Origin of the Species as his book is titled.

If you read his book, it has some interesting observations, but in the book he does not even pretend to explain the origin of the species, so it cannot be taught as dogma the way it is treated by many professors.

It should be taught as a work in progress and to question some of the dogma is in the best scientific tradition.

Even a student who is seriously studying biology should not be penalized for "un-orthidoxy".

I am a Mormon and these studies are persued at Brigham Young University. They should be. Just don't get hung up on the dogmatic approach.

[phantomworker]

I believe that scientific studies of all these things should proceed. There has been much learned and much more will be learned.

That is well said.

[Coyoteman]

If you read his [Darwin's] book, it has some interesting observations, but in the book he does not even pretend to explain the origin of the species, so it cannot be taught as dogma the way it is treated by many professors.

How about being taught as a theory? Maybe combine Darwin's original work with, say, 150 years of addition research and testing?

Would that be OK with you?

My definitions follow:

Theory: 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; "theories can incorporate facts and laws and tested hypotheses"; "true in fact and theory"

Dogma: a religious doctrine that is proclaimed as true without proof