Baylor University's Biology Department's Statement On Evolution?

Here is a copy of Baylor University Biology Department's Statement on Evolution:

"Evolution, a foundational principle of modern biology, is supported by overwhelming scientific evidence and is accepted by the vast majority of scientists. Because it is fundamental to the understanding of modern biology, the faculty in the Biology Department at Baylor University, Waco, TX, teach evolution throughout the biology curriculum. We are in accordance with the American Association for Advancement of Science's statement on evolution. We are a science department, so we do not teach alternative hypotheses or philosophically deduced theories that cannot be tested rigorously."

Link:

http://www.baylor.edu/biology/index.php?id=77368

Thoughts?

 

Lol, I don't get your response. Who is baiting and switching? I think Baylor is pretty honest with this statement.

Being someone with lot's of biology/physiology, I can assure you that theories that are under the "evolution theory" are used every day by medical research and they accurately predict the way medications, treatments and other things are going to work. Seriously. Now whether you believe in macro-evolution or not, these theories under that umbrella do work and that is the reason there is probably not one medical school in the world that doesn't teach the theory of evolution. Just saying. . .

 

Merriam-Webster's definition of "evolve" when it


verb \i-ˈvälv\


evolved
evolving

: to change or develop gradually

First off, I never said anything about observability. I said that evolutionary theory is used to great effect in medicine every single day in every hospital and medical facility. I didn't try to get you to believe in macro-evolution (unguided by God or not). I simply said that the theories are a necessary part of medical and biological training to get predictability in research and development of drugs, cancer treatments, new virus development that search out ill cells or malignant and thousands of other examples.

People who have never taken advanced courses in evolutionary biology simply do not understand the theories and their applications. It IS a necessary part of training for doctors and researchers. It's not just a single theory, it is the entire mechanism of biological change over time based on mutations and adaptation.

One very tiny example is the rapid evolution of different type of bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus which once developed a resistance to penicillin and methicillin, then evolved to a resistance of Vancomycin and is now becoming resistant to that.

These changes in the bacteria are "genetic" or they would not pass from one generation to the next. If you study exactly how the cell wall becomes resistant to these antibiotics you could see just how complex this change is. It is a major advancement in the organism toward a much tougher bug.

This is but one very tiny example. You don't want me to get into "attack viruses" that we are developing and why evolutionary theory is used in this process to predict how the genes have to be designed.

It would be easy to say not to teach evolution at a Christian college like Baylor which has one of the highest rankings for turning out researchers and doctors in the nation. You cannot replace their necessary evolution classes with a detailed study of the book of Genesis.

Let me make one thing very clear. . As a Christian involved in the medical industry, I see God's design down to the cellular level with the unbelieavable complexity of life and all of the functions required. It gets frustrating when people believe "Answers in Genesis" over mainstream scientific capability and knowledge base today. Without it, you would have very poor medical care compared to its level now.

 

This is very relevant because it is the basis behind all evolutionary theory. Then it goes toward change for adaptability.

I am assuming that this is not intended as ad hominem. In what areas do you think I am ignorant? I have no idea how ignorant about any subject you are based on one post. I usually never call people that.

Yes, it is a large leap, but it shows the mechanisms required to make much larger leaps in complexity and adaptation of an orgasm. Given time, these observed increases in complexity have little to stop them and they are predictable on every level of organism.

I don't disagree. I know many creationists in the medical industry and also many scientists both in the medical and technical industries. Out of several hundred I have met and talked to, I know of only one who believes the Earth is 6000 years old.

Being in the medical field, I completely disagree that medical progress has been slowed. Due to evolutionary theories we are having breakthroughs more and more in the research of cancer treatment, cellular targeted genetically engineered viruses for multiple purposes, antibiotics, growth of new organs and body structures among many fields I am not even aware of.

Once you get into graduate schools of decent universities there is not dissent because there just isn't any discussion regarding the theories taught because they are predictable when used in the lab and in practice.