Evolution a proven fact! (ritual, Abiogenesis, creation, genesis, atheist)

[Hacker]

Originally Posted by Mike182

evolution is inevitably founded on life appearing from non life, evolution is a forwards-moving process, so to speak, ergo we should be able to trace the current state of things back through time, and back through the process of evolution... we should eventually find the point where we have the first form of life, that came from some form of non life.

if evolution was not based on life appearing from non life, it would be the same as saying lifeforms have, in one state or another, existed for eternity, which is scientifically bull-plop

can science explain the miracle or life appearing from non life? any explanation given will sound just as vague and "iffy" to me, as me saying "God did it" sounds to you.

EXCELLENT ANSWER!!!

[Sunstone]

Originally Posted by YamiB.

I'll admit that I don't know his position well. It seems to be willful ignorance to me to acknowledge that there is evidence, but to ignore it. If they denied the evidence then I would just consider it regular evidence. There are plenty of ways to reconcile faith with Evolution. To simply continuing following Creationism seems nothing short of ignorance to me.

Try thinking of Creationism as a metaphysical position, Yami. It might make more sense then how some people can view it.

After all, while there is no proof of creation, there is no disproof of it either. While creation seems implausible, it is not impossible. In that respect it is like the metaphysical position that the material world doesn't really exist. While that seems implausible, it is not impossible. There simply is no proof one way or the other, even though there is a weight of evidence on the side that the material world exists.

Buddy, if I understand him correctly, is not one of those creationists who are woefully ignorant of evolution and whose criticisms of it are laughable. Again, if I understand him, all he's saying is that as long as there exists the possibility of creation, he's going to choose to believe in that possibility.

[YamiB.]

Originally Posted by tlcmel

EXCELLENT ANSWER!!!

Not really. Evolution doesn't have anything to do with how the first life came to exist. It just deals with what happens to the life forms once they did exist.

The idea that life came from non-life is abiogenesis and evolution does not depend on it. You could still see it that the first life was caused by a divine being and evolution could still be true within that view.

[Willamena]

Originally Posted by BarryPrays

Quote:
"Quite frankly I think that in this day and age, the fact that evolution is still questionned shows our society's fundamental failure to accept obvious truths. This in turn indicates to me the dangerous hold that religion has over people's minds," SheepFarmer

Actually, it indicates the tenuous hold people have over the understanding that a decent education is necessary to get by in the Western world.

[YamiB.]

Originally Posted by tlcmel

Exactly again! What is so hard to understand about the word theory(Ryan), it's not a fact what's so hard to understand?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory#Science

This was just on the last page. Is it that difficult to click it?

[Sunstone]

Originally Posted by tlcmel

Exactly again! What is so hard to understand about the word theory(Ryan), it's not a fact what's so hard to understand?

This is the relevant meaning of the word "theory" used in the context of the "Theory of Evolution". The other definitions of "theory" are irrelevant here.

"A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena."

The notion that the Theory Of Evolution is just conjecture or speculation is based on a simplistic confusion of two separate meanings for the same word.

[Hacker]

I just took a philosophy class in the summer and my professor said "A GOOD scientist will tell you that evolution is only theory, we can't prove it, that's why it's a theory." He said that a GOOD scientist won't argue trying to prove that it's a fact. I SWEAR he said this, that's why it stuck in my head.

[Mike182]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

This is the relevant meaning of the word "theory" used in the context of the "Theory of Evolution". The other definitions of "theory" are irrelevant here.

"A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena."

The notion that the Theory Of Evolution is just conjecture or speculation is based on a simplistic confusion of two separate meanings for the same word.

agreed, people really need to seperate the two for evolution debates

can we predict how future human evolution will take place?