What's the difference in believe the theory of evolution is fact and believing that God is real?

Question

evolution is a theory, and theories are best guesses or explanations that are not backed with factual proof or a belief, policy, or procedure proposed or followed as the basis of action; an ideal or hypothetical set of facts...
believing in God is faith, and faith is firm belief in something for which there is no proof...
now to both the other is wrong, whether in the name of science or God...so the another question is why...is it intolerance of both parties...and why would either be taught in school when neither can be proven with facts...just belief...

guy at the top, please explain the difference to me...don't just give a non-answer...

KC, gravity and electricity can be proven...evolution cannot...

Answer 1

you need to learn the difference between scientific theory, and theory...

Scientific theories ARE backed with factual evidence. Scientific theories need to be generally well accepted in the scientific community. You must be able to test scientific theories. These guidelines are what make evolution a scientific theory. Scientific theories are NOT guesses... you are sadly mistaken


Evolution CAN be proven with facts. The fossil record, transitional fossils, DNA evidence, homologous structures, etc... all of these provide more than enough evidence to show that animals, including humans, have evolved. I think you need to do a little research on your own (and not at any religious websites)

non-answer? how is that a non-answer?

Answer 2

Your statement about scientific theory is totally wrong. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory

As you will read a scientific theory is not best guesses or explanations that are not backed with factual proof or a belief, it is the model built around the facts. If you do not believe the theory of evolution, you can indeed study all the facts (something that many of the contributes here have never done) and come to your own conclusion.

You are indeed the very person who needs such education at school before you are led into pseudo science and just plain nonsense like the creationist would have you believe.

Evolution is not a belief but real solid and evidential.

Answer 3

If you think theories are "best guesses" you are wrong, pure and simple. Don't confuse theories and hypotheses. Scientific theories are backed up by evidence and facts. What is taught in schools are the evidence and the facts - the theory is what is backed up by all of it. Religion has no basis in fact. Just faith. As such, it's strength lies in how many people believe it. If no-one believed in evolution, it would still exist. It is an irony that, if belief in religion were to give a genetic advantage, it would survive to the detriment of evolution.

The ancient Greek and Roman gods are no longer around because people no longer believe in them. But they were as real to people back then as the various Gods around today.

Answer 4

Do you guys have any integrity or honesty at all?

You wrote:
> "theories are best guesses or explanations that are not backed with factual proof or a belief, policy, or procedure proposed or followed as the basis of action; an ideal or hypothetical set of facts..."

I googled your wording and found that you copied selectively from the Webster's dictionary definition of the word "theory". Here is the full definition at webster.com (notice the wording of item 4 is word-for-word the same as yours):

Webster's Dictionary: Theory
1 : the analysis of a set of facts in their relation to one another
2 : abstract thought : SPECULATION
3 : the general or abstract principles of a body of fact, a science, or an art
4 a : a belief, policy, or procedure proposed or followed as the basis of action
b : an ideal or hypothetical set of facts, principles, or circumstances -- often used in the phrase in theory
5 : a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena
6 a : a hypothesis assumed for the sake of argument or investigation
b : an unproved assumption : CONJECTURE
c : a body of theorems presenting a concise systematic view of a subject

Not only did you omit most of the definition, but you added a definition of your own: "best guesses or explanations that are not backed with factual proof." Did you just make that part up?

The key thing you omitted was definition #5. That is the use of the word 'theory' in science ... which is why they gave "the wave theory of light" as an example ... that's the same use of the word in "the theory of evolution."

In science, it does NOT mean "a best guess not backed by factual proof."

If you're going to argue a point of definition, at least have the honesty to (a) cite the source you're copying from; (b) don't edit it down to just the parts that serve your purpose; and (c) don't add stuff to suit your purposes.

This was really slimy. Do you have any honor at all?

Answer 5

First off: You plainly do not know what the definition of a scientific theory is. A theory is not a "guess" at all. It is a hypothesis that has been tested, has evidence supporting it, and makes predictions that can be observed.

Further, like gravity and electricity, evolution has been observed in the wild and in the lab. Don't want to believe it? Here: http://talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-misconceptions.html#observe

God doesn't even qualify as a hypothesis, let alone a "theory" of any kind. It is an assertion based on religious belief with no evidence, no testability, and makes no observable predictions at all.

Answer 6

98% of our DNA matches a chimpanzee.

As for the people above that write off Evolution by saying it is just a theory, you need to study more. For one thing a scientific theory and a theory from your uncle George is two different things. A scientific theory is one, which has not been disproved but is not easily viewed. Since evolution takes hundreds of thousand of years it is rather hard for a person to see it in action. Humans don’t live long enough to view human evolution. This does not mean it doesn’t exist. We do have many fossils that do point to the truth of evolution. Just because they haven’t found a fossil for every single year of our evolution doesn’t discredit the whole theory. If you want to watch evolution, check out viruses. The common flu for example evolves every year.

For those of you idiots who say, "it's just a theory", perhaps you should also stop believing in other scientific theories like The Theory of Electricity or The Theory of Gravity. We cannot view these either but do you believe in them?

Answer 7

It's seeing that society has more and more turn out to be rationalized, and with this explanation additionally parallels a lack of faith. The complete debate of whether or not God does or does now not exist is foolish both means, not anything can end up or disprove it. The bible is not forged evidence, identical to Darwins guide on evolution (which many persons flip to as some way of disproving the life of God, and that's just like the atheist bible in a way), does not disprove/end up God.

Answer 8

This is so often asked and the common misunderstanding is so often displayed. Basic science education would show you what is meant by a scientific theory - its usage is NOT the same as the layman's (this should have been taught in grade or high school). Science continually modifies and challenges all of its models of nature, encouraging skepticism and making sure that data supports its models. Religious belief, on the other hand, is typically dogmatic and sees questioning and skepticism as threatening.

Answer 9

Evolution is evidenced. It is falsifiable and predictive. It is factual and YES, proven.

Oh, and NO NO NO NO NO NO NO, once again, a theory, in scientific terms, is NOT a "best guess" or "mere speculation".

Why don't you people GET that by now???

Look... here's an explanation that was created to be understandable for CHILDREN. I'm hoping it's simple enough for you:
http://wilstar.net/theories.htm

Answer 10

How can you explain each DNA different yet we look and bleed the same.How do you explain that the sun never rises in the west or sets in the east or that the moon never gets closer to the earth, how do you explain sea levels? There are too many things that could not have been except that they were created and have not changed since the dawn of time by a being more superior than anyone on earth and if that being is in a place above us watching us would that not explain the ever watching feeling some of us have even when no one is around? May be you can rule out that God did not create this world and us but to me I see no other reasonable choice.