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Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote: it is just a theory
Every scientist will agree that evolution is a theory. However, the "theory" in "scientific theory" doesn't mean what you seem to think it means:
A scientific theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on knowledge that has been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experimentation.
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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Dont tell that to Dave 
Every day, thousands of innocent plants are killed by vegetarians.
Help end the violence EAT BACON
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Ah yes, the argument that I must be wrong because I don't understand the definition of theory. I know where this is going.
I was merely stating a point. But, please, continue to make it for me : )
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I have no idea whether or not you understand the definition of "theory" as it relates to "scientific theory". However, from what I've seen, people who say "it's just a theory" are usually equating the word "theory" with the word "guess", which is the wrong definition.
Having the wrong definition of the word "theory" doesn't necessarily make you wrong, but it does make you more likely to dismiss scientific evidence as "guesswork", which would undermine your argument.
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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I think most educated people understand "scientific theory" as being much much more than guessing; however, that does not change the fact that it is not proof.
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
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RyanDev wrote: that does not change the fact that it is not proof
So what? We should just give up and believe the same thing as our parents, because a bunch of farmers 5000 years ago claimed that their ideas were "facts" and not "theories"?
A scientific theory may not constitute absolute proof, but until a new theory comes along that better explains the evidence, it's the best we've got.
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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Quote: We should just give up
Nope. That would be silly.
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
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RyanDev wrote: Nope. That would be silly.
Then we agree - we should continue to build on our scientific understanding of the world, adopting an evidence-based scientific approach.
We also have to accept that the caucus of human knowledge is too great for any one person to know everything. Sometimes it is necessary to accept that evidence - and perhaps proof - exists and can be examined by anyone, even though we might not possess the tools to understand it ourselves.
The only time we need to be concerned is when someone claims that evidence or proof exists but cannot be examined, or when those who are qualified to examine the evidence cannot agree on the cause.
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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Quote: or when those who are qualified to examine the evidence cannot agree on the cause.
Uh oh. I hear a global warming debate coming. 
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
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Richard Deeming wrote: The only time we need to be concerned is when someone claims that evidence or proof exists but cannot be examined,
But to be fair when was that last time that you did a scientific test that proved the authenticity, for yourself, for the dinosaur bones in your local museum? When was the last time that you even applied to the museum to do that?
Or what about dissecting a cadaver to check the that that thumping in the chest really, really is a heart.
The reality is that the vast, vast majority of 'science' that even scientists accept is based on faith and nothing more. Much less the general population. They haven't done the tests. They haven't even read most of the literature. They don't know the people involved. They don't even know the processes involved. After all do hear surgeons know what sort of review process a civil engineer goes through to get a bridge built? Presumably neither believes the other uses magic but that doesn't mean that their understanding of what the other does is any different than presuming it to be little more than magic.
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jschell wrote: The reality is that the vast, vast majority of 'science' that even scientists accept is based on faith and nothing more.
Not quite. It would be based on faith if the evidence was not available to be examined. In all of the cases you've mentioned, the evidence is available; it's just that not everyone has the necessary background in the subject to interpret it.
The days when any one person could understand the entirety of human knowledge are long gone. We all specialize in particular fields, so we all have to take someone else's word for it when it comes to subjects that we don't understand. It's just a question of whether we choose to believe a group of people who actively try to disprove their own conclusions and fail, or a group of people who argue that to question their conclusions is blasphemous.
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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Richard Deeming wrote: Not quite. It would be based on faith if the evidence was not available to be
examined
That would be valid if it was what I said.
I said that the practitioners are themselves accepting many, many things on faith. It has nothing to do with what they could do. It has everything to do with their mental state in regards to what they believe.
Richard Deeming wrote: It's just a question of whether we choose to believe a group of people who
actively try to disprove their own conclusions and fail,
Exactly - belief. Nothing else.
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Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote: So my fundamental believe is not in evolution but that evolution fits into a larger puzzle and that only time will tell which it is.
You "believe"? God gave you a brain. Stop being religious, and use what has been given.
Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote: <layer>evolution fits into a larger puzzle and that only time will tell which it is.
We already know what it's goal is; survival of the most well-adapted beings. Since it requires elimination, one can safely say that humans have stopped evolving. We're close to being a real "homo sapiens sapiens" (an arrogant human) by taking matter (or genes) into our own hands.
..and we also know how well that goes 
Bastard Programmer from Hell 
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
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Nice, an ad hominem attack and a suggestion that I was making a religious argument. More fuel to my point that the evolutionist are just as bad as the creationists.
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Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote: Nice, an ad hominem attack
It wasn't an attack on the person.
Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote: <layer>and a suggestion that I was making a religious argument
It certainly looks like one to me.
Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote: More fuel to my point that the evolutionist are just as bad as the creationists.
Whatever label, there's always people who actually refuse to think. Good and bad are als merely labels, and they're usually religously colored.
Bastard Programmer from Hell
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
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I followed a coursera course on the history of Humankind.
When the teacher explains what is science he calls it "The discovery of ignorance". In a good way.
The birth of Science is when humankind started to dare to say : "I don't know but let's figure out".
Before science, religion "knew it all".
By definition evolutionism is from religion, and religion is not driven by doubt, but by certainty.
Only science embraces doubt.
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"The average woman spends 16 months of her life crying"
I wonder if that includes the time as baby/child.
The good thing about pessimism is, that you are always either right or pleasently surprised.
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A lot will also depend on who she ends up marrying.
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
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Dalek Dave wrote: Shark Bay in Australia is now called “Safety Beach”. So it is.[^]
Ah yes, if you'd been anywhere near the surrounding suburbs, you'd realize just funny the name is. The Mornington Peninsula has been a spectacularly volatile hotspot at new-years-eve for decades now. Shhhhh! We just keep the name so we can continue to lure attract tourists in for a bit of er, 'entertainment'. wholesome family fun. I'd hazard a guess that there's actually more people hurt there every year than any beach you can name around here that does have sharks. (it's about 31 miles from where I sit presently)
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You cannot show me the evolution of man from apes - it cannot be repeated.
I'm sorry, but I only believe things that I can observe.
I'm just a scientist that way.
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MehGerbil wrote: You cannot show me the evolution of man from apes
Mainly because Man didn't evolve from apes; both species evolved from a common ape-like ancestor.
MehGerbil wrote: I only believe things that I can observe.
That's fine. As OG said earlier[^], evolution will continue whether you believe in it or not. 
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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Quote: both species evolved from a common ape-like ancestor.
Perhaps you missed the part where the OP said, "it cannot be repeated."
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
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People who do real science know the importance of the repeatability of an experiment.
When I worked in the pharmaceutical industry if we'd of done science the way the average evolutionist does science I would have literally been thrown in jail. Funny, but when you get a pharmaceutical company on the line for a billion dollar line of drugs science becomes the 'observable', 'repeatable', 'falsifiable' kind of science.
However, when some geek is blowing smoke about something that supposedly happened 500 million years ago nobody cares that it isn't observable, isn't repeatable, and isn't falsifiable - because truth be told, it doesn't matter.
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MehGerbil wrote: it isn't observable, isn't repeatable, and isn't falsifiable
Oh really?
http://atheism.about.com/od/evolutionexplained/a/ObservedEvolution.htm[^]
Or are you claiming that evolution happens in animals, but not in humans because we're special?
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."
- Homer
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As I stated before, I've no problem calling repeatable, observable, and falsifiable phenomena as science. So to the extent that evolution is observable, I believe it. The idea that Creationists believe that species are static is a straw man.
For example: I'm not aware of a single Creationist that holds that modern dogs didn't 'evolve' form wolves. That is significant deviation.
However, to make the claim that some change in genetic frequency (wolf -> poodle) says anything at all about the larger long time picture is nothing but unfounded conjecture.
Here is a little illustration:
Let's say I claimed that I'm an investment wizard that can double any amount of money you give me in 24hrs.
To test my claim you give me $5 and I give you $10 back the next day.
To test my claim you give me $20 and I give you $40 back the next day.
Are you ready to give me $100,000.00 cash yet?
If you'd apply that same skepticism to the merchants of the religion of evolution you'd have a crystal clear understanding of my perspective.
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