| Both above statements can be generally acknowledged as being true, so how will one ever negate itself by failing to produce conclusive evidence? |
The key problem is your use of the word "conclusive." If by that you mean evidence such that it leaves room for no other possible conclusion and establishes something beyond question, science never seeks or even acknowledges "conclusive evidence." All evidence and all conclusions in science are tentative. Everything is constantly questioned and new evidence is always sought. Already acquired evidence is re-evaluated for accuracy and to see if a better theory can be developed to replace the current one.
| There is evidence that seems to point toward evolution. |
All evidence supports the Theory of Evolution.
| There is also much evidence lacking. |
If by that you mean there are still unanswered questions, you are of course correct. This is true of all areas of science. That's why scientific investigation is a never ending process. Every answer yields new questions. This is in fact a hallmark of a scientific theory.
| The same can be said of the design argument. The fact that much of the evidence for design is not the kind that science would prefer is irrelevant, for science and design, while compatible, are not ONE. |
There is no scientific evidence for design. The only "evidence" for design is religion-based. There are certainly some who believe they can reconcile design with science, but I have yet to see any convincing efforts to do so.
| I do not believe the burden of proof rests on my shoulders simply because someone says it does, anymore than evolution has to prove itself to me because I say it does (and the fact that it does not is awfully convenient, since there is nothing absolutely conclusive for it to present to me). |
The burden of proof rests on the person making a claim because of simple logic. Proving that a claim is false is very difficult, and in some cases impossible.
That you are not convinced by the evidence supporting evolution says more about your level of knowledge about evolution than it does about the evidence.
Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions. -- Thomas JeffersonWe see monsters where science shows us windmills. -- Phat
It has always struck me as odd that fundies devote so much time and effort into trying to find a naturalistic explanation for their mythical flood, while looking for magical explanations for things that actually happened. -- Dr. Adequate
...creationists have a great way to detect fraud and it doesn't take 8 or 40 years or even a scientific degree to spot the fraud--'if it disagrees with the bible then it is wrong'.... -- archaeologist
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