>>You misunderstand
>>If you are trying to make a point, then it is your responsibility to communicate it in a clear and concise manner, not mine to be psychic.
>>evolution is both a theory and a fact. How so?
It is a theory based on facts water can be steam, or ice, not both at once.
There are facts like Fossils, they exist, there are theory’s about the fossils, how old, how they lived, what they looked like… some things we will never know for sure unless we can literally see the past. Evolution is a theory, based on facts most religions are philosophies of men, backed up by scripture.
>>there is so much evidence for evolution and considering observed speciation, it's laughable to deny it. It's equivalent to sticking your fingers in your ears, shutting your eyes, and shouting, "I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"
First, I challenge you to show me a single instance of observed “speciation” http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/speciation Evolution within a species is not speciation, show us something that has evolved to the point there it is not genetically compatible with its grandmother. (Species: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/species ) Dogs are a species, they can mate with one another, but you and I would be very surprised if two Pedigreed Danes gave birth to a poodle)
Second, you remind me of the quote from Helen Thomas saying: “How did Reagan get so many votes, I don’t know anyone who voted for him.” Just because something seems obvious to you does not mean I will accept it without evidence, or argument. Quite the contrary, I’m afraid. (I find challenging the “norm” to be most enlightening of how and if others think)
>>In the same manner, there is the fact, law, and theory of gravitation.
I disagree, there is the Law of gravity (independently verified by apple growers world wide) and theories about strength, cause, and even refinements of the mathematical formula used to describe gravity, but that there is gravity is not doubted as it is repeatable, constant, and measurable.
Evolution is neither repeatable, constant, nor measurable by us mere mortals.
>>As for competing theories however, there isn't any evidence that really supports anything else.
“I can’t imagine a better…” has been uttered by provincial self proclaimed illuminati for generations, then someone comes along with a better idea, and they can’t imagine that there could be a better idea than the current “best” idea.
>>…They couldn't withstand the scientific scrutiny, but evolution did.
Really, when did that happen? I must have missed the proof that turned a highly speculative, and tenuous theory into a law; please post links the scientific paper(s) that prove The Theory of Evolution, along with filling in all the gaps in the Fossil record, and the explanation on how sentience cam about.
Just so you understand my position, I am not saying I have a better explanation, just that we aren’t done on this frontier yet, we don’t know, so lets have more exploration until we have the answers. Shutting off the debate and saying this is now a law will not get us more answers.
“True science is merely another form of Theology.” – Me 20 years ago.
Delphi User said, "It is a theory based on facts water can be steam, or ice, not both at once.
There are facts like Fossils, they exist, there are theory’s about the fossils, how old, how they lived, what they looked like… some things we will never know for sure unless we can literally see the past. Evolution is a theory, based on facts most religions are philosophies of men, backed up by scripture."
False analogy. Evolution is a theory in that it explains the diversity of life and the relation of all to each other. It is also a fact in that there is the well-supported observation of evolution, both directly and indirectly.
Sure, there are some things we may never know. The fossil record is necessarily incomplete. I don't understand this sentence though: "Evolution is a theory, based on facts most religions are philosophies of men, backed up by scripture." I know it's English but I haven't clue what you just said.
Delphi User said, "First, I challenge you to show me a single instance of observed “speciation” http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/speciation Evolution within a species is not speciation, show us something that has evolved to the point there it is not genetically compatible with its grandmother."
Simple: http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-speciation.html
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/speciation.html
"I disagree, there is the Law of gravity (independently verified by apple growers world wide) and theories about strength, cause, and even refinements of the mathematical formula used to describe gravity, but that there is gravity is not doubted as it is repeatable, constant, and measurable."
You realize that the Law is a mathematical description of the tendency for objects will mass to accelerate towards each other, and that the theory is an explanation of that phenomenon - right?
"Evolution is neither repeatable, constant, nor measurable by us mere mortals." Hardly. It's repeatable in experiments and continually occurs. What do you mean precisely by "measurable?" Are you referring to rates of evolution or what?
"'I can’t imagine a better…' has been uttered by provincial self proclaimed illuminati for generations, then someone comes along with a better idea, and they can’t imagine that there could be a better idea than the current 'best' idea."
Certainly. After all, all theories are tentative and are subject to change. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that evolution is the best explanation according to current data. Therein lies the problem of creationism/ID ignoring the evidence.
"Really, when did that happen? I must have missed the proof that turned a highly speculative, and tenuous theory into a law; please post links the scientific paper(s) that prove The Theory of Evolution, along with filling in all the gaps in the Fossil record, and the explanation on how sentience cam about."
Proof is non-existent in science though.
You know what's funny? I searched PubMed for articles relating to vertebrate evolution alone. You know how many hits I found? 108,159 papers. That's right; nearly 108,000 papers on only vertebrate evolution alone. You don't have to listen to me, search for it yourself: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&DB=pubmed
No scientific papers showing evidence for evolution? Really?
There are of course some small compilations of the evidence, one of the most readable of which is:
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/comdesc/
You stated that "I must have missed the proof that turned a highly speculative, and tenuous theory into a law." You know that theories are not highly speculative (if anything, that would be hypotheses) and theories never become laws. Things can be simultaneously laws and theories - ergo, gravitation.
However, theories are the goals of science - explaining the observations.