Whirlwind writes:
The Theory of Evolution stems from science.
Perhaps. But the widespread belief that evolution happened is based more largely on faith than it is true scientific understanding. I would imagine that a fair number of even the more-informed people here would admit that their own ability to understand the minutae of the science involved is limited. They would unlikely be in a position to evaluate how well an experiment was designed and executed or to analyse (for accuracy) the conclusions drawn. What they do in fact is exercise faith in the people who hold sway over such matters to inform them correctly. Scientific Papers become the modern Holy Scripture.
One has other reasons to be reminded of the great world Religions. A limited amount of people telling the rest under which general framework they should interpret the data. Folk will immediately cite "Scientific Method" and "Self-correcting tendencies" which are a supposedly surefire way prevent the espousal of incorrect doctrina. All without explaining however, how that can be established: "We can trust scientific method because...well...because scientific method tells us so"
For the man in the street the situation is even worse. He knows little beyond what Discovery Channel and National Geographic and Pop Science books tell him. He doesn't question the orthodoxy. He swallows it completely on faith. True faith. Simple faith.
Evolution may be science in fact. But there is so much orthodoxy and emperors-new-clothes inherent in it that one is hard pressed to decide either way. When one sees what happens to those who even scratch on the surface of the orthodoxy be it Creationist or ID-ist one is reminded again of the failings of Religion. The Inquisition anyone? People who don't truly know - for themselves - whether evolution happened turn and rip the heretic to shreds.
Take ID for example. Here we have an idea in the very earliest embryonic stages and folk, rather than wonder (with genuine enquiring minds) if there is anything in it, attempt to rip it from the womb. Why is that? Why would something so feeble, when compared to the might of ToE, evoke such a disproportionate reaction.
Curious...
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