I asked a question about the word 'evolutionist' and I received an answer (plz read on)?

Question

... that referred to the "theory" of creationism.

What is that and why is it called a theory? I'm not a scientist (my best friend is) but I thought a theory is a credible hypothesis that has been accepted by the scientific community as the best explanation for a phenomenon due to empirical or experimental support.

Is that not how the word 'theory' is used in this context?

Answer 1

god is a hypothesis

Answer 2

There are many people who do not understand the meaning of he words "Theory" and "Hypothesis". Too, there are many who wish to elevate the concept of creation to be equivalent to a theory, advancing the idea that creationism is as credible as evolution as a scientific theory.

The problem with creationism is that All that we have to test is what is. It involves jumping to conclusions. It simply states that if there is complexity, that an intelligent being was required to create that complexity. The basic premise is that if we can't understand it, God must have done it. They might use a bit more complicated language to express it, but really amounts to assigning to God that which they have no explanation for.

Evolution on the other hand uses what can be observed as the basis for drawing conclusions as to how it may have come about. Such observations include genetic similarities, distributio of species, fossil records and expirementation.

Creationism is only a theory to those who wish to promote it to that level. It is not a generally accepted theory. It is not based at all on evidence or expirement.

Answer 3

I agree that many, if not most, creationists redefine terms to fit their own needs. Look at many of Ken Ham's posts on his website and you will see that he takes science terms that are well defined and redefines them to fit his own means, or completely makes up new terms ("macroevolution" and "microevolution" come to the top of my head) to point out differences that don't need to be made.

I don't have a problem with creationists (or intelligent design backers, for that matter) calling their ideas a scientific theory, but only once they start doing some actual good science. All I've ever seen from them is refutation of well established evidence, and reliance on a presumptions, neither of which are even close to science, let alone good science.

Others in previous posts have defined well what a scientific theory is--a group of interrelated hypotheses that are well backed by evidence and peer review--and how different a scientific theory is from a colloquial theory.

Answer 4

A theory is also one that has NEVER (after concerted efforts) been proven wrong.

Creationism is not even a hypothesis. Also scientific theories offer explanatory power - evolution does this, it has mechanisms which weren't fully understood until Mendelian genetics had been incorporated in to Darwinian ideas about natural selection.

What does saying 'God did it' explain? Less than nothing. It raises a lot of questions about a magical sky-fairy. If we were to ever - just once say ok God did it, we would not HAVE an explanation - it would be a hole of ignorance and this is where god seems to hide. Everywhere mankind cleans away the detritus of what we don't know we find truth and science underneath - we don't find mythical beings pulling the strings. If saying a mythical being did it were ever acceptable (and why should it be when its not an explanation at all) science would simply stop - why is the sky blue - there answer involved Rayleigh diffraction of visible light photons but if they had their way the answer would be 'because God made it that way'

They seem to have it in for the human race. I'd like to see our species survive so I hate ignorance and its proudest edifice - religion.

LEVIATHAN

Answer 5

there's no such thing as a theory of creation, they are misappropriating the word 'theory' to add scientific verisimilitude to their religious beliefs.
and when anti-evolutionist criticize evolution based on the fact that it's a theory, they evince nothing but a complete ignorance of science and the scientific method.
many scientists indeed have been religious. and if you take religion and science as they are, they do not contradict each other. obviously if the sun was not created until the 4th day, the word day must have a different meaning.
but to claim that creationism is a science is a travesty. not ONE of those scientists think that creationism is a science. they believe in god, and god made the rules of the universe, and that's what science studies. there's plenty of room for both.
if it's a science, please tell us what experiments have been done to test it, what other testable hypotheses there are, what predictions can be made. without that, it's simply not science.

Answer 6

The word "theory" can be defined as "the best guess we can make based upon what we understand at the moment".

"Theory" can be applied to BOTH "evolution" and "creation".

BOTH sides of that endless argument (certainly NOT a debate) prefer to embrace certain bits of understanding while at the same time turning a blind eye to others (the ones that don't neatly "fit").

BOTH sides attempt to discredit the other by shifting words around a bit also. One side saying "STORY of creation". The other side pointing out defects and weaknesses in many of the fundamental points of the theory of evolution.

Again. It's an endless argument. Many, many people consider it to be one of life's painful mysteries. Wouldn't it be peachy keen to KNOW for sure one way or the other? Sure. Certainly. Then, and only then, would one side have the "proof" required by the other.

Focus on the REAL issues.

Answer 7

Here are some official definitions for you, according to Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary:

1. Main Entry: the·o·ry
Pronunciation: 'thE-&-rE, 'thir-E
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -ries
Etymology: Late Latin theoria, from Greek theOria, from theOrein
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
synonym see HYPOTHESIS

2. Main Entry: evo·lu·tion
Pronunciation: "e-v&-'lü-sh&n, "E-v&-
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin evolution-, evolutio unrolling, from evolvere
1 : one of a set of prescribed movements
2 a : a process of change in a certain direction : UNFOLDING b : the action or an instance of forming and giving something off : EMISSION c (1) : a process of continuous change from a lower, simpler, or worse to a higher, more complex, or better state : GROWTH (2) : a process of gradual and relatively peaceful social, political, and economic advance d : something evolved
3 : the process of working out or developing
4 a : the historical development of a biological group (as a race or species) : PHYLOGENY b : a theory that the various types of animals and plants have their origin in other preexisting types and that the distinguishable differences are due to modifications in successive generations; also : the process described by this theory
5 : the extraction of a mathematical root
6 : a process in which the whole universe is a progression of interrelated phenomena
- evo·lu·tion·ari·ly /-sh&-"ner-&-lE/ adverb
- evo·lu·tion·ary /-sh&-"ner-E/ adjective
- evo·lu·tion·ism /-sh&-"ni-z&m/ noun
- evo·lu·tion·ist /-sh(&-)nist/ noun or adjective

3. Main Entry: cre·a·tion·ism
Pronunciation: -sh&-"ni-z&m
Function: noun
: a doctrine or theory holding that matter, the various forms of life, and the world were created by God out of nothing and usually in the way described in Genesis -- compare EVOLUTION 4b
- cre·a·tion·ist /-sh&-nist/ noun or adjective

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Right, it is the best explanation thus far in the search for the truth about life itself. There are a lot of different spins about that.

Check out this one (Urantia means "Earth"):

http://www.urantia.org/papers/toc.html

Answer 8

I am a creationist (www.creationscience.com...www.dr.dino.com) this is science that supports the creation or the flood, evolution is a theory, but sciencetist think there is enough fossil evidence and that Darwin was right to back up the theory and teach it in school as if it were fact. Theory:
The word theory has a number of distinct meanings in different fields of knowledge, depending on their methodologies and the context of discussion.

In common usage, people often use the word theory to signify a conjecture, an opinion, or a speculation. In this usage, a theory is not necessarily based on facts; in other words, it is not required to be consistent with true descriptions of reality. True descriptions of reality are more reflectively understood as statements which would be true independently of what people think about them. In this usage, the word is synonymous with hypothesis. This common usage of theory leads to the common but misguided statement "It's not a fact, it's only a theory."
Once again Evolutionist is a word I made up.

Answer 9

christians think the word theory means the same thing as the words 'conjecture', or 'speculation' ...you are of course correct. a theory is a solid scientific explanation of a phenomena that has exhaustive proof and peer reviewed consensus but is always subject to revision upon facts or evidence presented that refine that explanation. apparently, to a christian, this is no match for unquestioning homage to unseen gods and unsupportable dogma.

Answer 10

What you've written is the definition of "scientific theory."

The response to your question was probably using the word "theory" in the colloquial sense, which is the scientific equivalent of an untested hypothesis.

Answer 11

Creationism is not a theory in the context of science. Creationism is a ridiculous premise (in my opinion) on how god made the world and all of the stuff in it. People who believe in it believe the world is 6000 years old, that people existed with dino's, and that age-dating fossils and the like is flawed and faulty.

Some believe that fossils were planted by satan, or that there is a mass conspiracy by scientists around the world to make the faithful stray with their lies from satan.