And there is a lot in the Scientific world that has no specific 'proof' and yet we believe in it (i.e. i already mentioned evolution and gravity right?) I mean we can drop an apple and it will fall, and there are bones that we can dig up, but I mean other than that, they are still just theories, there is no actual means to make them fact.
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You mean other than direct observation and physical evidence? No, I guess not.
I suggest you go learn how a science theory is different than a wild guess but you haven't gotten the idea of "proof" down yet.
Bones and apples falling are facts. They answer the question "what". Gravity and evolution are theories. They answer the question "why". Theories never become facts. In science, "theory" doesn't mean guess or hypothesis - that's just the layman's use of the term.
To be a theory, it has to explain all of the known facts. For example, the theory of gravity not only explains falling apples, but it explains the orbits of planets and satellites and can be measured by experiment in a laboratory, too.
please, please, stop believing in gravity until you are about one kilometer up in the sky.
Then, start believing again and the world will graciously receive you back in her lap, ... ok, the landing might be a bit rough :D
Sigh...we can measure gravity, and we have far more evidence for it than "OMG! Falling appelz!". As for evolution...the fossil record, genetics, phylogeny, and ecological observations all confirm the theory. So...it may not have "proof", but there is usually overwhelming amounts of evidence to make the theories reasonable conclusions.
If I were to be generous, I might think WintersGarden was stumbling towards Hume's "Problem of Induction", a serious and current philosophical problem.
For example, observation of a number of successively white swans might lead you to conclude that all swans are white. Further observation confirms your conclusion and strengthens it. So at what point does "All swans are white." become true?
Clearly the answer is never, induction of a class characteristic from any sample can never be conclusive. While it may be shown to be false, by the appearance of a single black swan, no number of white swans will make it true. It was in answer to this conundrum that Popper famously stated that falsification was central to the scientific method. Science doesn't prove things, it confirms them to an ever greater degree, or falsifies them by counter example.
That's if I were to be generous.
If I am realistic, WG is being a prat and, to quote Gould, a fact is something confirmed to such a degree that it would be perverse to withhold provisional assent.
I mean shit, it's only evidence, and we Christians lie to ourselves and ignore obvious truth all the time, what's the big deal?
Methodology of SCIENCE:
For those of you hoping (for the sake of your own sanity) that he is a Poe, I assure you he is not.
I submitted another quote (that apparently was not posted) where he stated that the mere fact that he believed in god was evidence of god's existence and justified his belief. Talk about circular logic overload.
Evolution has literally mountains of proof, museums of natural history around the world have basements full of "missing links" and intermediary species. Sure, gravity is not as understood as evolution, so far.
In science, they talk about theories, not facts. Facts is too rigid a term to fit into the constantly "evolving" world of science.
Yes.
That fact, however, does NOT mean what you think it means.
If Gravity is merely a 'Theory', then go to the top of the Burj Khalifa: and jump off.
But no parachute allowed, naughty! We'll see who's wrong, but don't worry: the ground will break your fall.
Every second you're not on the next flight to Dubai to prove me wrong, you prove we Atheists right .
So enjoy your paradox, OP.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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