Why do people belive that evolution is fact, when it is still a theory.?

Question

Not to long ago many sceintists came together and to dicuss the evedince for evolution, and found it wanting many scientist voted against evolution, for lack of proof. Darwin himself at his death said that his theory was incorrect so why do people hold on so strong to somthing that the orginal person who started it said it was false.

Answer 1

Scientific theory is an explanation for observed fact.

It doesn't mean it is on par with a wild, unfounded guess created by nomadic tribes wandering around in the desert.

Answer 2

I love it when people like you get on here and say "Not too long ago many scientists came together," etc. etc. When? Where? How many of them were there? Who were they? Of course, those mysterious scientists can prove you are right, even if you cannot produce any evidence that they even exist. What's the difference between this and believing in evolution? Hmm... The truth of the matter is that the majority of scientists believe in evolution, despite a very small minority that do not (if you want to come up with a half decent argument, why don't you look into the molecular theories these few scientists hold as evidence that evolution may not be true?). That said, it IS a theory. You are right about that, and very few people deny it. Hardly anyone believes it is a fact, contrary to what you say here. But it is a theory with a mountain of evidence to support it (see links below). The fact is that you, yourself, believe in literally hundreds and hundreds of things that are only theories, or were once theories that were commonly believed and proved to be true. That is how reason works. You hypothesize on something based on what evidence you have, and then you experiment and study to find out if it is true. At one time, the fact that the earth revolves around the sun was only a theory, and yet for centuries before it was proven, the majority of people held that it was true. Ah, but it was only a theory! Does that mean it wasn't actually true until we were able to prove it? To further make yourself look like an idiot, you claim that Darwin said it wasn't true when he died. That is a lie. I guarantee you that you cannot produce a document that says that, at least, not one that isn't written by some fundamentalist trying to prove that evolution is false. I've studied intellectual history for over a decade, including Darwin, and I know this isn't true. But really bugs me is that people like you get on here and start spewing this nonsense, and then the rest of us Christians have to deal with everyone thinking we're all a bunch of idiots who ignore any reason and logic. I, for one, am a Christian who believes in evolution. Do I believe it is a fact? No. But I can't prove to an atheist that God exists, either. Does that mean he doesn't exist? Based on the available evidence that I possess on both evolution and God, I believe in both. When the evidence suggests otherwise, I will change my mind. Why don't you go back into your hole, do some research on the reasons why some scientists DON'T believe in evolution, and come back here and make a logical and reasonable argument? You can do better than this. The argument is out there. Go find it and stop wasting our time with this amateur fluff.

Answer 3

What?! Scientists don't come together and vote and discuss evidence, and Darwin did not say that on his death bed. Even if he did, there's been plenty of evidence for it found since his death anyway so it wouldn't matter. If he did say that, he was obviously mistaken. People don't accept the theory just because Darwin said to.

And "theory", when used in a scientific context, means something for which no contradictory evidence has yet been found. Scientific method:
1. Identify a problem
2. form a hypothesis about how it may be solved
3. test the hypothesis, make predictions and see if they are borne out
4. If the hypothesis passes all tests, it becomes a theory. This theory is accepted as fact, unless new evidence emerges to contradict it.

Answer 4

Scientists don't vote for whether a theory has merits or not. No one decides what will be "accepted" and what won't. And no, Darwin did not recant his life's work. That is a falsehood that Christians continue to spread.

It is a fact that organisms evolve. We can observe this. We can even make it happen. There is no debate that organisms incorporate beneficial genetic mutations via natural selection.

Again, someone has no idea what a scientific theory is. It is not just a guess, as the word is used in everyday parlance. A scientific theory has graduated from a hypothesis when evidence is observed to support it. There is plenty of evidence supporting the theory that shows evolution as the means by which we got from the first life forms to complex humans. Do not begin to say that there is no evidence as that is blatantly false.

Answer 5

First, the story about Darwin on his deathbed is a lie.

Saying that something should be trashed because it is a theory tells me you have little or no scientific background. Gravity is "just" a theory. Go jump out of a tall building and show us why theories should be taken as truth until proven false.

Einstein's relativity is another theory that predicts, among other things, the conversion of mass to energy which is used in atomic reactors and bombs.

PRETTY GOOD FOR JUST A "THEORY".

Evolution is the same thing. Its assumptions and precepts have been proven time and time again. Is it 100% all correct? No, but that is what science is all about. Testing theories and finding out what is correct and what is not. Then letting others verify your conclusions.

Answer 6

LIE LIE LIE LIE LIE LIE LIE
As I said on a previous question about the Creation Museum:
Per Darwin's daughter who WAS at his deathbed he NEVER recanted Evolution. She told papers that this was a LIE told by a religious woman trying to discredit Evolution and who had not come anywhere NEAR Darwin's deathbed, or the man himself. But the religious have used this lie and spread it like the Black Plague.

Why do people hold to it? Because unlike ANY OTHER hypothesis (such as ID or Creationism which are not Theories as they have no positive test data to back them) there is some data to back it up. It is still a Theory and not a Law because, yes, there are problems with it that science is working on. As such, it is still our best guess as to the truth when compared to any other idea submitted.

Could Evolution be a false lead, yes...but until we come up with another idea with enough evidence to unseat it it will be considered the standard.

Science welcomes all serious challengers


<3 angel...No, DNA evidence does not suggest we come from 2 people. There is an idea that we all orginate from a single tribe in Africa with some evidence. Also, no Darwin never recanted so stop spreading the lie

Answer 7

You are making a basic error in referring to evolution as "just a theory". In science a theory is the best explanation that there is based on current knowledge. Would you say that gravity is "just a theory" because it is explained by the Theory of gravitation". Same for quantum theory, theory of relativity, etc.

There are no absolute facts in science. The current theory is the best explanation that exists. The so-called alternatives to evolution e.g. creationism and intelligent design are in no way scientific, as they are based on religious conviction. They don't explain anything and they cannot be tested. Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of the theory of evolution. There is no alternative theory and there are no facts in biology that contradict the theory of evolution.

By the way, Darwin lived before there was any understanding of genetics, heredity, molecular biology, etc. He never had a deathbed recantation and everything we have learned since his death fits into the theoretical framework he developed.

Answer 8

I would have to agree that a lot of people are weird if they believe the evolution theory, just because its favoured over creation, I'm a creationist, but I do agree with some aspects of evolution, like for example that we've evolved into taller people than we were 150 years ago, that in itself is fact, and many old towns which have heritage listed buildings are proof of this, you just have to look at the height (or lack of it) when it comes to door frames and things like that of older houses...

I do not, however believe that we were once living in an almost inhabitable place that was apparently really hot and we were just bacteria, I dont believe that, nor do I believe that we came from apes, just because they might look a bit like us...

Answer 9

Gravity is still a theory too. Why do people still believe that what goes up will come down. Germ theory says that germs cause disease. That's still "just" a theory.

But seriously folks, why can't people here seem to learn that a SCIENTIFIC theory does not mean an unsubstantiated guess or hunch, as it can in everyday speech? A theory is a logically self-consistent model or framework for describing the behavior of a related set of natural or social phenomena.

Answer 10

They just have a problem with the word theory, either not understanding it or thinking it means that its not true or unproven. I believe the evolutional theory is mostly correct and a lot of it can be documented and substantiated...but I am still one heck of a strong Christian woman.

Science and religion can exist in the same world...one is science, one is religion...they are not the same things and one does not mean the other is not true or real.

Answer 11

there is proof that evolution is apparent. intelligence - keep resetting the IQ test back to 100 because people are getting smarter. height - on average people are taller than their counterparts from 100 years ago. Darwin never said his theory was incorrect, he renounced it. something totally different there. the only argument that you can honestly make is that science has never found the link that connects us to another species, in fact they even call it the missing link. educate yourself it is free