Originally Posted by saltwn

Mendel proved that changes occur as a result of cross breeding.
Darwin drew a set of pictures of animal life on an isolated island.
As for picking up genes or laying them down again- who is to say it is not the same as speculation about simple cells being a host to beneficial parasites?
That just means we are made up of cells. It does not prove we have a single cell as our ancestor.
I am more open to ideas about science than many people. I don't see it as black or white. Evolution or creation. There may have been a process , but I believe Darwin led the scientific community to side step that process (maybe unwittingly.) More study needs to be done with an open mind. A mind that is not tethered by evolution theory or intelligent design.
That is what is wrong with the whole debate. As I said, if you are going to dive off into mere (albeit intelligent) speculation, then one set of legends is as good as another.

Originally Posted by Idealogically Promiscuous

I, personally, believe in creation. However, I am convinced that evolution was the vehicle of that creation. I also don't see evolution as necessarily an origin as much as a tool for development of new gene technologies. That's really the only focus academia should have when teaching evolution.

Originally Posted by saltwn

That sounds very plausible. But we would both be burned at the stake (if we used a different approach as educators) under the current system that wants to keep its old tired arguments. God forbid they should have to come up with a new set of lesson plans or allow kids to consider for themselves, with the information available, where we came from. Or even if the question is relevant.