Project 0, from Carrie, Part I

(I have taken the liberty to shorten it for easier reading. I am posting it in 2 installments. - Sol)

Before whenever I come across the term evolution, the first thing that comes into my mind was that man came from apes. Well maybe because that was the most controversial part of the theory of evolution. And of course being a Christian I am not an advocate of evolution much less than the idea that man came from apes because based on the Bible man was made according to the image and likeness of God (Gen 3:16). So we all came from God and not from the apes.

I still stick to my conviction that man never came from apes but being a science teacher and a Science avid I also support the idea of evolution on lower forms of life (when I say lower form, I am referring those that are not human kind). This is because of the fossil remains and other scientific evidences that strongly support the theory of evolution. Especially after taking up Genetics (Bio D) and teaching the topic on mutations, I cannot help but be convinced that there really is such theory as evolution because of mutations. I always tell my students, the word mutation always has a bad connotation. But we should think otherwise. It is always associated to abnormalities like Harelip, Down syndrome, different diseases like hemophilia, colorblindness, and other very negative abnormalities. We do not like to be abnormal, or different from the “normal”. But what about Elizabeth Taylor’s violet eyes? Aren’t that an abnormality? But that is a very beautiful abnormality. What about dimples or cleft chins? Those are abnormalities too. But they even accentuate the beauty of a person. So, not all abnormalities are bad. Not all mutations are bad either. Mutations even happen for the advantage of an organism, in order to cope up to the changing environment. In order to survive they need to change, to evolve to a sturdier, more resistant, tough organism that is able to survive and perpetuate its own species and that is what evolution is for.

(She goes on to enumerate the different proofs for evolution)

With these proofs as the premise for consideration of evolution and really these proofs being convincing, what else can convince a non believer of the theory. As what is stated in one article I read, “When someone claims that they don't believe in evolution they cannot be referring to an acceptable scientific definition of evolution because that would be denying something which is easy to demonstrate. It would be like saying that they don't believe in gravity!” (http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/evolution-definition.html)

But as evolution is said to be a theory, therefore it is not taught as an undeniable truth. It is a theory based on scientific observations using scientific observations. It is not a blind faith. Despite the overwhelming data which support it, it is still theory. If it is proven beyond doubt then it would be called the Fact of Evolution or the Principle of Evolution and not the Theory of Evolution.