I'd like to take a stab at answering post 172.
Post 172: [Would you consider the words of Jesus, the Creator of the universe, to be of significant weight as compared to the "best guess" of an expert? After all, He said "I am the way, and the truth, and the life."]
If I were looking for the answer to a religious question such as "Should I forgive my neighbor who has stolen my gas grill if he returns it and says he's sorry?" I would grant the words of Jesus (or the ones translated as such in the Bible) to have significant weight. If I were looking for the answer to a scientific question such as "Why is the flame in my gas grill blue instead of green or some other color?" I would not give the words of Jesus significant weight because I WOULDN'T BE LOOKING IN THE BIBLE FOR SUCH INFORMATION TO BEGIN WITH.
Yours is the divided response that many are offering, in a refusal to make a commitment to their position that is consistent. I understand you to be saying the Bible has some significance to you when it speaks of moral issues, but no significance when it speaks of historical issues as relating to the origin of the universe or living creatures, including mankind.
However, God addresses both to some degree in Scripture. Even though the Bible is written primarily to show men (inclusive) the way to heaven, God does not depart from His ability to tell the truth when He caused inspired writers to record historical events.
Jesus also adressed Biblical events and personages as historical fact/truth, such an Noah and the flood that destroyed all people with the exception of eight individuals.
If scientists can genetically/biologically prove that all of mankind did not descend from eight individuals within recent history (10,000 years or so), then they can disprove the Bible's statements about the flood.
Have they done so?
Jesus claimed to be the truth, and that the word of God was absolutely true, not just in "religious" matters.
Coyoteman said he wasn't talking about religion, but this thread began with the assertion (with reasons) that Christians should accept evolution (macroevolution).
I suggest to do so is to reject the teachings of the Bible.