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“Evolution is just a theory”

Evolution is just a theory
Image by Colin Purrington via Flickr

Every time I encounter that sentiment, and that happens all too frequently, I cringe.

Theory as used by science means something quite different than our common, every day usage. It pains me when someone tries to denounce something without having bothered to learn something about the topic. I don’t ignorantly attempt to say that redeemed, which can mean “cashed in” or “exchanged for goods” means that when used in the Christian context. “I’ve been redeemed” would equate with “I’ve been exchanged for something of equal or greater value”. Is that reasonable? No, because it fails to consider context when using the language.

Most of those who have never tried to learn anything about evolution and the theory of evolution generally confuse the process of evolution with the theory of evolution.

Evolution is a process, observed and documented. The theory of evolution is our attempt to explain how evolution works. The theory is incomplete and ongoing. Does the theory of gravity mean that gravity is “just a theory”? Gravity is a fact of nature, like evolution. The theory of gravitation, like the theory of evolution, is limited and incomplete. But scientific theories are not philosophies, nor are physical processes theories or philosophies.

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  • Interesting post. I have made a twitter post about this. Hope others find it as interesting as I did.
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