(June 22, 2013 at 7:32 pm)Alter2Ego Wrote: ALTER2EGO -to- ESQUILAX:
What tests are you referring to? You have not quoted any sources that back up your claims about evolution being a "clear fact." Instead, you are simply telling the forum what you have chosen to believe.

He doesn't need to quote any sources, evolution is a scientific fact. The only people that don't believe in evolution don't understand it.

Quote:FYI: There is no such thing as "evolution fact." There is only evolution theory, and theories are merely attempts at explaining why a phenomena occurred. Or didn't you realize that?

Saying evolution is just a theory is like saying: I only have a masters degree.
In science, a theory is the highest status any hypothesis or idea can achieve. Theories are rigorously tested through peer review and other such processes that ensure they work. Thats a hell of a lot better than any creationist theory as evolution can actually be tested to see if it works.

(June 22, 2013 at 7:32 pm)Alter2Ego Wrote: FYI: There is no such thing as "evolution fact." There is only evolution theory, and theories are merely attempts at explaining why a phenomena occurred. Or didn't you realize that?

Anyone feel like telling this maroon that theories explain how - not why - phenomena occur, that they are made up of facts and laws, and that no amount of testing will turn a theory into a fact because they are totally different things (it would be like expecting a painting of a sunset to turn into the real landscape)?

Because clearly s/he doesn't reaise that.

(June 22, 2013 at 7:32 pm)Alter2Ego Wrote: ALTER2EGO -to- ESQUILAX:
What tests are you referring to? You have not quoted any sources that back up your claims about evolution being a "clear fact." Instead, you are simply telling the forum what you have chosen to believe.

FYI: There is no such thing as "evolution fact." There is only evolution theory, and theories are merely attempts at explaining why a phenomena occurred. Or didn't you realize that?

I find it very, very interesting that you skipped over my very next response to you in this thread, where I linked to several sources of scientific evidence for evolution, precisely like you're asking me for right now.

(June 22, 2013 at 7:32 pm)Alter2Ego Wrote: FYI: There is no such thing as "evolution fact." There is only evolution theory.

(June 23, 2013 at 8:47 am)Stimbo Wrote:

(June 22, 2013 at 7:32 pm)Alter2Ego Wrote: FYI: There is no such thing as "evolution fact." There is only evolution theory, and theories are merely attempts at explaining why a phenomena occurred. Or didn't you realize that?

Anyone feel like telling this maroon that theories explain how - not why - phenomena occur, that they are made up of facts and laws, and that no amount of testing will turn a theory into a fact because they are totally different things (it would be like expecting a painting of a sunset to turn into the real landscape)?

Because clearly s/he doesn't reaise that.

ALTER2EGO -to- STIMBO:
Wait a minute, at Post 118, I was correcting Esquilax who told me that evolution is a fact. But I get the privilege of being referred to as a "maroon"? Interesting.

Below is the weblink to Post 118, followed by a quotation of what Esquilax said.
http://atheistforums.org/thread-18176-po...#pid467105

(June 14, 2013 at 3:24 am)Esquilax Wrote: No: because over a century of science says so. You know, that "the earth was once thought to be X, therefore science can't be trusted" argument is so flawed; once we had the ability to test it it became pretty quickly clear that a flat earth, or a geocentric universe, or whatever else was untenable.

But when we gained the ability to test evolution, multiple times over since we've developed genetic, geological and observational tests since the inception of the theory, evolution only becomes a more clear fact. We keep running tests... and those tests keep confirming that evolution is true.

(June 23, 2013 at 6:08 pm)Alter2Ego Wrote: ALTER2EGO -to- STIMBO:
Wait a minute, at Post 118, I was correcting Esquilax who told me that evolution is a fact. But I get the privilege of being referred to as a "maroon"?

YES! (see, I can show off with big letters as well. However I don't generally feel the need to compensate for anything.)

Now think about that; and when you're done thinking, maybe you'd like to address the substance of my post instead of stopping at the one word you understand.

(June 23, 2013 at 6:08 pm)Alter2Ego Wrote: Interesting.

Isn't it? Revealing too.

(June 23, 2013 at 6:08 pm)Alter2Ego Wrote: Wait a minute, at Post 118, I was correcting Esquilax who told me that evolution is a fact. But I get the privilege of being referred to as a "maroon"? Interesting.

It is kind of hard to correct someone on an issue when you are wrong and they are right. Frankly your stance on this particular issue has gone beyond the realm of humor and entered that of the macabre. You don't understand that the meaning of the words theory and fact are dependent upon context when talking about evolution. Neither are you interested in learning why you are wrong because doing so would conflict with your dumb ass dogma. However your refusal to accept reality does not change the fact that evolution is both theory and fact.

(June 14, 2013 at 4:58 am)orogenicman Wrote: The biologic theory of evolution is not a personal philosophy. It is a scientific theory that describes natural phenomena. Dismiss it at your own choosing, but that's on you, and no one else.

The fact that you believe the popular myth perpetuated by the lazy and uninformed that fossils show some kind of continuum consistently over time is rather sad and demonstrates a lack of understanding of the theory of evolution and a lack of basic understanding of modern biology. Of course there are gaps in the fossil record. Fossilization is the exception, not the rule.

ALTER2EGO -to- OROGENICMAN:
You just don't get it; do you? A theory is merely an attempt at explaining why a phenomena occurred. Just because the word "theory" is preceded by the word "scientific," that does not change it from being just a theory.

Theories are never defined as facts. In the case of evolution, it attempts to explain why our planet has a variety of living creatures. The explanation it presents is that all creatures that have ever existed on earth evolved from a single "common ancestor." Too bad the fossils record debunks this claim.


If all creatures that have ever existed came from a common ancestor, the fossils should be overrun with examples of various creatures evolving into something entirely different. Yet, not one single bone has ever been found that supports this opinion. Instead, the fossils record is full of nothing but gaps.

Gaps in the record. A very short story of the evolution of lobe finned fish into tetrapods.

Just a few decades ago there was a gap in the fossil records between lobe finned fish and tetrapods. Scientists believed that tetrapods had evolved from lobe finned fish. The problem was there was a gap in the fossil record between lobe fin fish and tetrapods. Creationists were happy with this state of knowledge. They could point at the gap and say, “See! There is a gap. Evolution cannot possibly be true.”

Scientist on the other hand weren’t so happy. They knew that if evolution was true then at some point after the first lobe fined fish and before the first tetrapod appeared in the fossil record there should be an animal with the characteristics of both. So they started looking for it. Then in the early 90’s on the cold and barren shores of Greenland in rocks of just the right age they found exactly what they thought should be there. A fossil with the skull of a lobe finned fish and limbs half way between those of the fish and the tetrapod.

The scientists were happy. Science had worked. They used the theory of evolution to make a prediction. Then they found the evidence they thought should be there. The theory based prediction had worked. They had added yet another piece of evidence to the ever growing mountain of facts that evolution is true.

Much to the surprise of the scientist however the creationists were even happier with the new state of knowledge than before. Instead of looking at the new evidence and seeing their precious gap disappear they now saw two gaps instead of one. This made the scientists sad. The creationists it seemed were doomed to forever live in the ignorance forced on them by their own religious dogma.

(June 23, 2013 at 7:04 pm)Alter2Ego Wrote: If all creatures that have ever existed came from a common ancestor, the fossils should be overrun with examples of various creatures evolving into something entirely different. Yet, not one single bone has ever been found that supports this opinion. Instead, the fossils record is full of nothing but gaps.

Where's the evidence that your god magicked all life into existence precisely as we know it today?