Someone should really tell me how to do a spoiler tag. Really it would be helpful. Because that way, when I say something like:
I can cutely cover it up with a spoiler tag.
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Scientists often make mistakes or are guided by selfish objectives as are religious leaders. Hello! Jerry Falwell and pretty much every other politically motivated televangelist. The thing is that scientists keep testing and refining their discoveries and when something proves to be bogus it's called just that.
It is very difficult to study evolution in the human species because we only live long enough to see one full lifecycle. Scientists who study insects or viruses or finches can directly observe the mutations the species undergo from generation to generation because each generation only lasts a day or a year.
In a way, you're doing the same thing many of the atheists around here do to Christians by cherry picking one or two highly flawed examples and calling it proof that the other side's theory is bogus. How many times have you heard Christianity is wrong because of the crusades or Bush?
So back to your original statement.
Is evolution atheistic? No, because many very religious people also believe in evolution.
Is it materialistic? Of course in that it deals with the physical world. If it didn't, it would be metabiology or something.
Is it a philosophy? Perhaps, but all science begins as philosophy. Newton practiced Natural Philosophy. Pythagoras was a philosopher. Science only becomes science once you publish and everyone agrees with your theory.
Is it empirical? dictionary.com defines empirical as:
empirical (m-pr-kl)
adj.
1. Relying on or derived from observation or experiment.
2. Verifiable or provable by means of observation or experiment.
3. Of or being a philosophy of medicine emphasizing practical experience and observation over scientific theory.
It certainly fits the first definition. The second is in question and the third does not really apply.
Anyway, I'd rather not torture Bridget with this debate. I'm going to cut loose this weekend. I am just a strong advocate for harmony between religion and science and frequently find myself getting sucked in to defending one side or the other. I guess that's why I'm Buddhist if anything.
[Edited on May 11, 2005 6:36PM]