Evolution is a much debated topic, as everyone can easily figure out by googling evolution debate. The main argument against it: its a theory, therefore not fact. This, however, is blatantly wrong as a scientific theory is very much different than what those using this argument think it is. A scientific theory is something backed by years of observation, experimentation, and clear-cut evidence, and is used to explain the workings of a natural law.
The theory of evolution is backed by the most evidence ever, in my opinion. The evidence that it is backed by is all around us, and it includes you and me. The sheer amount of fossil evidence shows that species of plants and animals have changed over time and have morphed into other species over time. In animals today, such as the whale, we can see pieces of their past forms, if you will, left behind, further proving the theory.
When Darwin first went to the Galapagos Islands, he saw that many of the species there were much different then their main-land equivalents, and by observing and taking detailed notes of all of the different species of animals, such as the finches, he saw that they had adapted to their specific island environment. For example, one of the species of finches had a beak that was used to get at seeds in a plant that was on that particular island. On another, there was a species that was adapted to eat cacti. The method by which the birds evolved is now known as adaptive radiation, if I remember correctly.
In Africa, many a fossil has been found of the ancestors of us, the species of human called Homo sapien. The most amazing find to date was the full skeleton of a 3-year-old Australopithicus, a member of the same family that the famous Lucy was a part of. So far, we have been able to trace the past of the human race back over 7 million years. Just the fossils and skeletons that we have found over the years of pre-humans and early humans, such has Homo habilis or Homo erectus, should be enough proof of evolution.
At yet, there are still religious fanatics that say that evolution is nothing but a theory, and as such can't be given off as fact. My response to this is learn what a scientific theory is. From dictionary.com:
scientific theory
n : a theory that explains scientific observations; "scientific theories must be falsifiable"
A theory in technical use is a more or less verified or established explanation accounting for known facts or phenomena: the theory of relativity.
http://dictionary.reference.com/brow...tific%20theory
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/theory
As shown from dictionary.com, a scientific theory is the verified explanation of scientific observations. If you don't believe me, then look at the above posted links.
There is also the argument against evolution being taught in school and creatoinism being taught instead, or Intelligent Design be taught as a science as well as evolution. In America, Intelligent Design has been ruled out as a science because of the fact that it has no backing as a science, and as such it cannot be taught as one.
Creationism, which is just the teaching of Genesis I believe, should be ruled out as well. Why? Because all it is based off of is ancient texts that haven't even been proved by the existence of God. In fact, the whole seven day creation of Earth has been disproved by the study of geography and astronomy. The mere existence of dinosaurs that were alive over 65 million years before humans were around also disproves creationism, as it states that God created man on the sixth day, if I remember correctly, but humans actually appeared nearly 5 billion years after the creation of the Earth. I don't know if its just me, but that seems like a bit more than seven days.
Another reason for why creationism shouldn't be taught in schools: not everyone is christian. If this fact was true, then I would have no problem, and would be for it myself. But, as it is, not everyone is christian, and then those that aren't would probably be offended by the fact that they are being forced to learn about something that they probably disagree with.
I have to say, it feels good getting that out of my system.
Everyday we see evolution happening with bacteria. Whenever bacteria become immune to a certain type of antibiotic, they have evolved. Religious activists try and get around this by say that it is microevolution, and that it works differently than macroevolution. This is a very absurd argument because it is just evolution happening on a quicker timescale, as the smaller the lifespan, the faster the evolution.
