Is evolution based on empirical science?

[Rath]

Cirio said:
I suggest the OP picks up a Biology 101 textbook and reads about Darwin's observations about the Galapagos Islands birds and how Natural Selection paved a way for the evolution of different beak sizes among the birds of different islands. And we humans have not observed biological behavior long enough to note "reptiles evolving to birds" or whatever BS the OP posted. Give us a couple thousand years, then I'm sure we'll have evidence.

As for the guy claiming that microevolution is a fact and macroevolution is a theory: you're completely missing the point. BOTH microevolution AND macroevolution are theories and cannot be FACTS based on the principles of biology. If we were to claim that evolution were a fact, then we would assume that evolution is stagnant, which it isn't. The beauty about the Theory of Evolution and its derivatives is that it's constantly changing as we find new discoveries, thus evolution can never be a "fact" in terms of definition (though it does exist and happen daily).

Also, macroevolution is simply a series of microevolutions put together; they both explain the same concepts and observations only macroevolution is at a greater scale. In fact, the two terms are pointless because they explain the same thing, but for whatever reason many creationists choose to use macroevolution as a scapegoat or as the basis of their arguments because they don't have any other evidence to back their claims. If you're arguing against macroevolution but supporting microevolution, then you unfortunately don't know what you're talking about...

Also, I'm a religious person. But some of the nonsense a few creationists spew is sometimes embarrassing.

It's worth pointing out that evolution is a scientific fact in that it is an obeserved phenomenon. It has been observed both directly and through the fossil record that species change over time. The theory of evolution is the explanation of why the observed changes occur and the theory of evolution is not a fact.

The entire scientific fact/theory thing is a bit confusing =P