More Questions for Christians

[Cyberman]

Dear atheist acquaintance:

I appreciate the definition of "theory" that you provided from the National Centre for Science Education - whoever they are. The Centre's definition proves my point. Notice that it says the theory's "explanation" can include facts, laws, INFERENCES, etc. What is an inference? And the word, "CAN," demonstrates that the theory might have some facts in it, as well as other things including "inferences." Therefore, a theory isn't a 100%, absolute fact. Nice try, though.

No, a theory isn't a fact, because in scientific terms theories outrank facts. A fact, if you'd bothered to follow the link, is "an observation that has been repeatedly confirmed and for all practical purposes is accepted as “true.” ". Theories can include facts, laws, inferences etc but theories themselves are not any of those things. For example, gravity, evolution, plate tectonics are all facts - the theory of gravity, theory of evolution, theory of plate tectonics etc are models which explain how those facts operate and allow predictions based on that knowledge. There is no higher accolade in science.

To think of something as 'just' a theory is to call a world-class athlete as 'just' a gold medal winner, or a lifesaving drug treatment as 'just' a cure for cancer.

Nice try, thoiugh.

BTW, I found your "Centre." It's located here in the states, so you misspelled "Center."

That the best you got? So I'm English. Great, you caught me. And?

Grow up.

It also heads its website with the statement: "Defending the Teaching of Evolution and Climate Science." So much for its objectivity.

When did I say they were objective?

So long, "neighbour."

Cheerio, cuz.