Well, things have certainly been happening here! Sorry I haven’t been around since starting the thread, I’ve had a very busy week and have hardly had time to go near the computer. So I’ll reply to a couple of points that have been raised.
I agree wholeheartedly with those who earlier on suggested that evolution has indeed been proved beyond any reasonable doubt. I also fully appreciate that as a scientific theory, it cannot be proven.
Remember, this whole question is a hypothetical one. There are plenty of people out there who use all the common creationist arguments, and plenty of others that follow along with it. These people have a certain amount of influence, enough in fact to take the debate to the level where it is argued whether ID/creation should be taught in schools. So, my thinking was, what if something came along that completely blew all those usual pro-creation arguments right out of the water? What if even the Hovinds of the world would have to admit that the particular evidence presented supports evolution and not creation? What then for Creationism?
From Berberry:
Spend about 20 minutes there and you'll understand why your idea is absurd (I don't mean to be insulting, only accurate).
No insult taken, in fact I agree, and I respect your adherence to science (I am a science student after all). In real life, it is somewhat absurd. But all the good topics seem to have already been well established, so I thought I’d go off the beaten track a little and come up with a different angle, just to provoke a little speculative not-necessarily-scientific discussion, and I just happen to like ‘what-if’ scenarios. This is more about examining faith and belief and the thinking/mentality behind it, rather than scientific realities.
From MangyTiger:
I actually know someone (a recently born-again Christian) who seriously claims that fossils were put there by the Devil.
Dude, that is definitely NOT good. It’s crap like that that makes me wonder if such ideas could become more common. If one person can come to such a conclusion (though it’s anyone’s guess how or why, maybe it’s what 'the voices' told him/her to believe!), then why not others? Science and technology may be progressing, but the religious right is also growing in power and influence, and might they promote such nonsense if their current arguments were wiped out? I think it is possible they would, and even more unsettling is that I reckon they would still have plenty of followers, as they do now. I don’t think it would matter how undeniable evolution was, they would just keep ‘moving the goalposts’.
Randman, your idea of the past being constantly changing is an interesting one I’ll grant. However I would consider it more within the realm of science fiction, as I personally don’t find it a sufficient explanation of the origins of life, the universe and everything. It seems too much like an all-purpose Goddidit idea. However, what you have done is answered my question with regard to how faith would stand up to (hypothetical) certainty of evolution. I’d say it would, because the Goddidit argument can be modified to explain any scenario it is up against.
On the 7th day, God was arrested.
™ Version 4.2