It doesn’t make me upset. Weary maybe, but not upset. I like debating when the objective is to actually, honestly find the truth. Otherwise it is a waste of time. I am more than willing to admit when I am mistaken and have done so over the years on this and other subjects. Debating has made me research and learn more to either justify or change my positions.
In post 69 you stated that evolution is NOT a theory:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2961949/posts?page=69#69
Was that a typo?
I see that your first post did call it a theory. I did overlook this. So, if post 69 was unintentional, then one of my main points of contention is moot.
Further, if you can find a definitive source that defines evolution as merely biological change and thus a fact in a pre-1960 statement from a reliable scientific source, I will concede the point regarding calling evolution a fact being disingenuous and the politicization of science. Otherwise, I still think it is playing a semantic shell game to distract from the weakness of the central tenet of the theory (universal common descent). OK. It is arbitrary for me to pick 1960, but that is before I was born and well-before I learned anything about the subject. So the further back in time this position has been put forward, the more credible I would consider it. But honestly I did not hear anyone trying to call evolution a fact until recent years.
This seems to be a relatively new tactic by the evolution lobby, but perhaps I am unread. If this has been part of the discourse for many years then I will concede that point. But I need some evidence.
The theory Darwin postulated was to explain the observation of evolution. The theory is natural selection, the observation is evolution - defined as descent with modification. That populations change in DNA from generation to generation is a fact. The theory of natural selection helps to explain and predict that fact.
Read Darwin’s introduction to The Origin of Species. He outlines many facts that he thought his theory of natural selection best explained. Natural selection is the theory that helps to explain the facts he mentioned. That pre 1960 enough for you?