Are there any theists who know what a scientific theory is?

Answer 1

yes.
and many scientific theories are true.

Description and prediction

According to Stephen Hawking in A Brief History of Time, "a theory is a good theory if it satisfies two requirements: It must accurately describe a large class of observations on the basis of a model which contains only a few arbitrary elements, and it must make definite predictions about the results of future observations". He goes on to state, "any physical theory is always provisional, in the sense that it is only a hypothesis; you can never prove it. No matter how many times the results of experiments agree with some theory, you can never be sure that the next time the result will not contradict the theory. On the other hand, you can disprove a theory by finding even a single repeatable observation which disagrees with the predictions of the theory".

I do not know how many people here respect anything Stephen Hawking says, but I thought his statement was interesting.

Answer 2

A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena.
The branch of a science or art consisting of its explanatory statements, accepted principles, and methods of analysis, as opposed to practice: a fine musician who had never studied theory.
A set of theorems that constitute a systematic view of a branch of mathematics.
Abstract reasoning; speculation: a decision based on experience rather than theory.
A belief or principle that guides action or assists comprehension or judgment: staked out the house on the theory that criminals usually return to the scene of the crime.
An assumption based on limited information or knowledge; a conjecture.

Answer 3

I would say there are many who do. However, there are a lot of them who understand it when it comes to physics or chemistry as long as it does not contradict a book written by primative people. When that contradiction happens, they automatically assume that science is wrong and religion is right.

However, in the past whenever science and religion have disagreed, science has always turned out to be right.

One big problem is that science is not treated with too much respect in the education system. There are requirements, however, these are very minimal. There needs to be much more science, math, and logic taught in schools. The education system is so messed up. There are high school graduates who cannot locate the US on a world map.

Answer 4

Yes, compiled blueprint of factual physics
applied to theory.

Answer 5

The non-Creationists usually have a pretty good idea of the scientific definition.

Hint: It does NOT mean "vague or random guess".

Answer 6

An explanation that is generally accepted to be true, supported with repeated testing.

It's NOT an "educated guess" - that's a hypothesis.


EDIT: *laugh* If you had to cut and paste in the answer, you don't really KNOW it, do you?

Answer 7

Yes. It was theists who invented the concept.

Answer 8

To them, science is what God tells them and then it is not theory for them, but fact.

Answer 9

Yup.