AAFitz wrote:This is the title of one of the articles that supposedly disproves evolution of earth and animal... on one page.
Supporting Creation
If one fact can disprove a theory, then the theory is wrong.
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Not to mention this is just plain wrong.
First, most theories are written as single theories for convenience, but, in the context of "one fact disproving the whole" are really a series of theories.
On the one hand, evolution is the broad idea that species can (but don't have to) give rise to other species. To disprove this, you have to prove not just that a single change failed to happen (which Creationists claim), but you have to prove that NO species changed into another species. The newer "scientific creationists" (aka the institute for creation research and their supporters/followers) admit to "micro changes" or "changes within kinds". Even so, the argument still holds, but even more. That is, they show many cases where things did change in a way they say is "within kinds"... and claim that is proof that everything came here at once. To truly disprove the scientific view that the progression was much more than simply a bunch of species that evolved within the same kind, you have to show that ALL links established between disparent groups are wrong, do not exist. They do keep expanding the definition of "kind", but still have never proven most of what paleontologists/evolutionists put forward. They simply claim it doesn't exist, and ignore it.
On the other hand, evolution is not one theory, but a complex of many, many, many smaller theories and tiny hypothesis. In this way, "the" theory of evolution includes each idea put forward by each individual paleontologist that fossil x represents y. The paleontologist might goof on the species identification. A paleontologist might misunderstand a certain part (think a swimming apendage is a land-walking appendage, for example) or have an idea that a certain feature is representative of another feature on another fossil. ANY of those individual parts might well prove wrong, but still not mean that every other small hypothesis/theory in the "evolutionary theory group" is wrong. This is the part that many young earthers and "inbetweeners" (who might not think the earth is 6,000 years old, but who doubt that evolution is true) get things wrong. Evolution does NOT depend on everything anybody puts forward being true. IN fact, it is gauranteed that given all the fossils that are discovered and the sheer complexity of identifications, etc, that many, many errors have been, are being and will be made. The recent realization that many dinosaurs are more like birds than reptiles, the discovery of color in dinosaurs, etc.. all are examples of ways early paleontologists/evolutionists got things wrong, but not so wrong as to in any way indicate the concept of evolution is wrong.
This is part of why young earth creationists, and many "inbetweeners" , wind up frustrating scientists, why so many of us answer, in response to criticisms "you just don't understand evolution!". Often there is this idea that Evolution is a "bottom up" theory. That is, that you begin with the idea either that the Bible is wrong OR that all life originated from a single source. To disprove Evolution, the idea goes, all you have to do is prove the Bible is correct OR prove that life did not begin from a single source. This is just wrong. Evolutionists often postulate that all life might have come from a single source, yes. However, the theory does not depend on that. It is just the opposite. Evidence has been found of change over time, so the idea was brought forth that this might we continue to a single source. However, multiple sources might be found and that would still not impact whether we are related to Apes, whether land animals arose from water-dwelling species, etc.
Finally, even just finding problems with evolution, even outright disproving all of evolutionary theory (something no one has yet done!), would STILL not automatically mean that young earth (or "betweener") ideas are correct or even
could be correct. You cannot just attack the prevailing theory and say "OK, so any other idea must be acceptable". You have to actually find evidence to support the new theory.
Young earthers have defnitely NOT done this. They present mostly inaccurate attacks on evolution, but what "scientific proof" they do present is not that. They take regularly published science and carefully select out quotes to make it seem as if there is something incorrect about the science conclusion or that it supports young earth ideas. Essentially, it seems they "bank" on the truth that most people won't bother to go back to source material to check references (that alone, by-the-way, is reason for even those who believe young earth ideas to come out against groups like the Institute for Creation Research. If your ideas are true, then you do not need deceit!) AND they bank on heavy misunderstandings of science and evolution (misunderstandings they carefully build up in children taught using their curricula).