Evolution is absolutely not demonstrable in the lab.
Show a child who knows nothing whatsoever of the theory or concept of evolution what happens in the lab.
Does he see
evolution?
Nope.
He observes biological species changing, or not changing.
That is all he observes.
Now pre-Darwin, did an educated scientist in a lab setting observe
evolution?
No, he did not. He may have observed species changing or not changing.
No one observes a theory,
they project a theory onto their observations!
If in our "definitions" we want to define "evolution" exclusively as the changes that take place in a biological organism or species, that is one thing (though adaptation is probably more accurate).
The word evolution though, has taken on much more meaning than just adaptation of a species to its environment.
Does anyone look at this image and the first word they think of is
adaptation?
<img src=http://princesspink7864.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/ape-man-line-up.jpg.w300h182.jpg>
No, they think
evolution as in Darwinism.
That is really the problem as I view it. In public school, they really don't teach just biological species as they adapt to the environment, they teach a very speculative theory that this adaptation process is the
origin of all species....and they teach that this process is unguided and not by design. They don't know if it is unguided or not by design or programming of some intelligence, but that is how it is taught.
A very different conclusion than just the observable process of micro organisms adapting to stress, or lower species adapting to their environment as a result of their survival instinct.
Unfortunately, the cat is out of the bag, and it is impossible practically speaking to talk about "The fact of evolution" as distinct and separate from Darwinism.
I think if they only taught adaptation of species, which is the nature of biological organisms that would not be a problem.
It is this absolutely speculative and unfalsifiable theory that this adaptive nature of biological organism is by random chance without a designer involved in the process.
Teach the facts of biological organisms, i.e. that they respond to the environment, that they attempt to survive....that they are born, have a lifespan, then they die.
But to teach that there is some "force" of evolution (leading people to believe this so called "force of evolution" is like the force of gravity), and that species necessarily evolve into higher species, or that higher species did in fact evolve from lower species, as in a force of gravity is absurd.
We need to change the language to make is much more specific, that the evolution that is a fact, i.e. that adaptation does take place, is not same as evolution as people think of it as Darwinism.
Quote from stu:
Clearly, you will not be one of those very few.
noo noo,
To suggest knowledge gained from the outcome of practical scientic demonstrable evidence is simply a question of epistemological discussion, is akin to pissing in your pants and talking about whether or not you can actually know there is such a thing as pee (or your pants, or you!). Getting yourself shot in the ass to then strike up a discussion on the non provable existence of bullets from the epistemological standpoint may be your idea of a good time, but will do nothing to enhance the practical scientific knowledge and procedures required to safely remove the "non-existent" shell from your butt and ensure against infection and in your case- brain damage.
Evolution is demonstrable in the lab.
That fact has nothing to do with with demonstrating God any more than it has to do with demonstrating Elves and Santa. It is about demonstrating the fact of Evolution, nothing else.
Evolution is a scientific fact.
God is a philosophical concept.
To consider what to believe, IDists require no scientific proof or evidence. However, to consider what not to believe, cast-iron, gold-plated, copper-bottomed scientific evidence and proof is required. Even then with all that knowledge, for the IDist, it still "makes as much sense" as the permanent wet patch in the crotch of some old wee stained jeans.