Alisa,
Firstly, you will see from my posts that for me the jury is still out.
You sound like an intelligent person, but I think you fundamentally misunderstand the issue. Science will never be able to prove that evolutionary theory is true. In fact, science does not even seek to prove that it is true. In the scientific method, nothing can be proven, only disproven.
Not so, just the opposite. Science proves things to be true.
Yes, evolutionary theory is far from complete.
Thus full acceptance requires faith????
Now lets take your statment,
Quote:
Evolution and the Bible both have one thing in common...they both look like reasonable explanations.
Evolution looks like a reasonable explanation. It explains quite a lot. Yes, there are holes, as I discussed above. That is the nature of a scientific inquiry. But there is currently no evidence that directly contradicts evolutionary theory. (no-one has ever discovered fossil rabbits in the Precambrian).
Let's take the IndoPacific (saltwater) and Nile crocodile. Both have no natural enemy yet both are heavily armoured but the armour is of no value protecting them from each other. Why are they still that way after at least (on latest evidence) a 110 million years. Like all reptiles they can go for very long periods of time without eating. However, they have one of the most efficient hunting systems of all predators and in adddition a digestive system that allows them to consume the entire animal. Why is that still the case.
The Bible does not look like a reasonable explanation. I cannot even begin to fathom why you made this statement. What is reasonable about it? It doesn't even agree with its own self!
It is reasonable for a couple of reasons. Firstly, like evolution (but more so) it provides and explanation that looks reasonable. Like the chimp to the man, it looks OK.
Secondly, would you agree that the difference between us and chimps is absolutely huge, in terms of what we can do, yet we are very close on a physical basis. So I ask you, what would an animal be like that compared to us was like us compared to a chimp. If one believes in evolution then surely that person must believe that there are animals/beings that are way above us. Perhaps they are the gods.
Finally, just because there is a hole in evolutionary theory, doesn't mean we need god to fill it. That is the point I was making in response to Paul's post. Just because science hasn't gotten that far doesn't make god a more reasonable explanation
But there are not just a couple of small holes in evolution, the holes are huge and it requires great faith to fully accept evolution.
How do get from fish to archosaur then to snake. What about theopod to bird, now that is some change. For starters you need to change the animal from having very powerful bag legs and almost non existant front legs to an animal that has all its power in the fore quarters. You need some very heavy duty faith for that little exercise.