The Evolution of Evolution...?

Question

Can someone explain why so many people swear by science when it is constantly changing due to advancements? Not too long ago science was absolutely positive that the earth was flat, that the earth was at the center of the universe, and that Pluto was a planet. Is that what truth is...? Believing that what I conceive to be fact will probably change in a couple of generations when someone comes up with another theory to disprove all the so-called scientific facts (i.e. evolution)?

My question said nothing about medical science or religion (I'm asking mostly about holding the theory of evolution as fact) and yet Atheist still find it neccessary to attack the Bible. Interesting...

Answer 1

Well, the scientific thought is a bit different from the theist perspective.

Science will often proclaim something as 'the best possible current answer' but everything should be understood as testable.

It works like this:
Hypothesis - a possibility that has not been tested
Theory - A hypothesis that has passed initial tests
Paradigm - A theory that has been tested time and time again, and as passed all current methods of testing.
Axiom - A universal constant

Basically, everything up until axiom is considered subject to change. For instance, evolution. Evolution does have a few holes. There are parts of evolutionary theory that would fall under theory and hypothesis, there are other parts of evolutionary theory ... such as Natural Selection ... that most scientists would agree are paradigms. That means that future tests could still disprove natural selection, but for the time, it's passed all that's been thrown at it.

Scientific theory is supposed to welcome to methods of testing, and that is why things change so much. It is the nature of science to change its beliefs.
It is the nature of religion to hold fast to its beliefs.

Answer 2

Genesis has been disproven yet people cling to it. Genesis is clearly written from a geocentric viewpoint. You need to learn the difference between redefinition and revision and outright change.
Modern science never saw the world as flat. Eratosthenes calculated the circumference of the Earth around 240BC. Pluto was redefined as a dwarf planet, but nothing about it has changed physically. It was always problematic, but the discovery of another body which was more like Pluto and Ceres than Mercury. Newtonian mechanics were replaced by relativity, but for most circumstances, Newtonian mechanics apply.

By the way, medicine is changing a lot faster than evolutionary theory.

Answer 3

I'm sorry, what?

We've known for thousands of years the earth was round.

It's not that pluto was 'discovered' not to be a planet; there is an artificial distinction between something that's big enough to be a planet and something that isn't.

And understanding the general principles of science is not the same as understanding a single scientific fact.

Remember how nice the church was when scientists have shown that the earth revolves around the sun? Yeah, you must be really proud of your religion there.

And you don't know what the word 'theory' means in scientific context either.

Answer 4

Simple. It is exactly the power of science that it can change, when new facts are discovered to require it. The demotion of Pluto from being a planet is strictly a matter of nomenclature. It was never a scientific belief that the world was flat; indeed, Aristarchus noted that it was spherical several hundred years BC, and Eratosthenes measured its diameter a few hundred years BC. The Newtonian laws of physics stood for 300 years, until Einstein interpreted new data that demanded a change. But religious texts cannot change in the face of new knowledge, and over time, more and more religious precepts have been shown to be false -- including most of the bible. For technical reasons, most scientific theories are unproveable. But evolution is an exception: it is possible to prove that evolution is correct, and I have done so. (Details on request.)

Answer 5

So, er, you're saying it's GOOD to refuse to admit it when you're wrong?
Anyway, the churches of the time believed in things like flat earth theory too. "Science" isn't a group of people, it's the collective beliefs of a society. That included clergy as much as academicians. I just don't understand though. You're trying to make the adaptability of science into a bad thing and the inflexibility of the supernatural into a good thing just by using hostile wording. And even if what you were saying is true, if religion doesn't change, why is there a New Testament?

EDIT: You mentioned science in general, which medical science is included under. You said you believe evolution to be incorrect because it changes, which applies to ALL fields of science. Either you realize that, in which case you should see how the question is one of science in general, or you don't, in which case you don't understand science well enough to discuss it. As for the aspect of religion, I'm not sure if you have Aspergers' or you're deliberately ignoring the concept, but there is such a thing as subtext in writing. Your mention of "atheists attacking the bible" (which didn't even occur, no less) kinda cements that people were correct in assuming what you were getting at even if you didn't say it outright.
But hey, thanks for the downvote! I look forward to seeing which item of mindless agreement you decide to champion as your chosen best synchophant- uh, I mean, answer!

Answer 6

principles do not change - fundamentals remain the same - their applications difffer with time.
Earth as the center of the universe wasnt scientifically proven. Definitions of a planet is what removed Pluto from the list.

Answer 7

Science is about learning & improving.

Science was absolutely positive that the earth was flat?
I don't think so.
Revelation, chapter 7
1: After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth..

Revelation, chapter 20
8: and will come out to deceive the nations which are at the four corners of the earth, that is, Gog and Magog...

Answer 8

You're right. The next time you or someone you love suffers an accident or a medical emergency, make sure that you or that someone else denies medical intervention. After all... modern medicine got where it is through SCIENCE... and what can science really do for you, hm?

Answer 9

A flat earth and center of the universe were religious beliefs that were debunked by scientists.

Answer 10

Science is not afraid to question itself or admit when it is wrong-it is asking questions-and looking for answers-and finding-more questions.It is looking at things-and then turning them over and looking at them again-it is learning-and yes it is constantly evolving-and that is why .