OK. I have to say I have only read about half of this thread. So, apologize profusely for any repetition.
I did some Webster searches and I think these apply to this topic.
Faith - see 2B1 - http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book...amp;x=0&y=0
and the quote below from http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=hypothesis
HYPOTHESIS, THEORY, LAW mean a formula derived by inference from scientific data that explains a principle operating in nature. HYPOTHESIS implies insufficient evidence to provide more than a tentative explanation <a hypothesis explaining the extinction of the dinosaurs>. THEORY implies a greater range of evidence and greater likelihood of truth <the theory of evolution>. LAW implies a statement of order and relation in nature that has been found to be invariable under the same conditions <the law of gravitation>.
My point(s)?
1. Belief in God (any higher being) requires Faith. Don't bother trying to prove or disprove it 100%. It's not gonna work. Also, any level of belief in the interaction of a higher being with the world or themselves in particular, also requires Faith. It's just not something you can prove on a chalk board or computer model.
2. People tend to misunderstand the use of the word theory in scientific jargon. Yes, I learned it in high school. But, not everyone is as much a nerd as me and remember the definition. It is common for people to interpret "theory of evolution" using a different definition of theory and not understand how much testing truly has gone into this. This, of course, has been a fact that special interest groups have taken full advantage of. The "it's just a theory" argument.
3. Belief in a higher being and belief in evolution/adaption are not mutually exclusive. It is now well known that the Earth is not the center of the universe (thank you Copernicus) but rather it travels around the sun as one of 10 other planets (yes, I did say 10, not 9, things have changed again). That does not change the nature of the debate about a higher being. Why should evolution? Apes and "Man" share a common ancestor, it has been highly researched with lots of proof being "dug up". You can still have Faith in a higher being and believe science can yield truths. If God created everything around us, the whole universe, and it is obvious he gave us free will, why can't things change and given the scope of time here, why cannot things change A LOT.
which gets to my last point.
4. Some people believe that the bible is the literal Word of God. I'm sorry, I cannot believe this. There have been to many translations, to many monks transcribing and to many politicians (King James) meddling with this stuff over the years. I believe that Genesis is an allegory written by someone to teach a lesson. If it was written today, I suspect it would be changed to encompass dinosaurs, and early animal life etc. Heck, if it was the hand of God helping the original writer, maybe it was included and it's just been lost over the years.
Just my 2 (or 10) cents. No attempt here to argue or offend anyone. Sorry to be so Christian centered on this post, but it is the perspective I know best.