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Author Topic:   Is the TOE falsifiable and if it was, would it advance Biblical Creationism
nwr
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Posts: 6412
From: Geneva, Illinois
Joined: 08-08-2005
Member Rating: 5.3


Message 10 of 169 (343415)
08-25-2006 7:37 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by jar
08-25-2006 12:05 PM


A puzzle
What I find puzzling, is when creationists assert both
  • The theory of evolution is false; and
  • The theory of evolution is not falsifiable.
    What can they be thinking?

  • This message is a reply to:
     Message 1 by jar, posted 08-25-2006 12:05 PM jar has not replied

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     Message 12 by Discreet Label, posted 08-25-2006 7:48 PM nwr has seen this message but not replied
     Message 15 by Faith, posted 08-25-2006 8:20 PM nwr has replied

      
    nwr
    Member
    Posts: 6412
    From: Geneva, Illinois
    Joined: 08-08-2005
    Member Rating: 5.3


    Message 14 of 169 (343420)
    08-25-2006 8:14 PM
    Reply to: Message 1 by jar
    08-25-2006 12:05 PM


    "Should the TOE be falsified, would that lend any credence or support to ideas such as Biblical Creationism?"
    That would depend on how ToE were falsified. A clear proof of creationism might falsify ToE, and would surely provide credence to creationism. However, such a proof seems unlikely.
    If ToE were to be falsified, it is most likely that what would be shown is evidence that is contrary to some technical aspect of the processes assumed to be responsible for evolution. That kind of evidence would not prove creationism, and might merely require that ToE be modified to fit the new evidence.

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    nwr
    Member
    Posts: 6412
    From: Geneva, Illinois
    Joined: 08-08-2005
    Member Rating: 5.3


    Message 16 of 169 (343430)
    08-25-2006 9:00 PM
    Reply to: Message 15 by Faith
    08-25-2006 8:20 PM


    Re: A puzzle
    We know it's false because we know what the truth is, but we can't prove it because the ToE is unfalsifiable.
    That's a misunderstanding of "unfalsifiable". The point of falsifiability is to rule out statements such as:
  • All bachelors are unmarried men.
    That is, the idea is to rule out statements which are necessarily true by virtue of the meanings of the various words used. An unfalsifiable statement would be necessarily true, and no evidence could ever show otherwise.
    It makes no sense to say that ToE is both false and unfalsifiable.
    It's unfalsifiable because it's mostly hypothetical scenarios treated as fact.
    That would make it true but of no scientific relevance. However, that's a gross mischaracterization of ToE.

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    nwr
    Member
    Posts: 6412
    From: Geneva, Illinois
    Joined: 08-08-2005
    Member Rating: 5.3


    Message 54 of 169 (343949)
    08-27-2006 12:19 PM
    Reply to: Message 50 by Faith
    08-27-2006 11:55 AM


    Re: A puzzle
    But believing it is knowing it to be true. So really what I'm saying is that the Bible is really great evidence for the past, whereas by comparison nothing empirical is reliable evidence at all.
    There are people who believe the book of Mormon. And I presume that believing the book of Mormon is knowing it to be true. So that makes the Book of Mormon really great evidence for the past. I guess the Koran is also really great evidence for the past. Maybe Grimm's Fairy Tales is also great evidence for the past.

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