Explaining the Observation or Observing the Explanation?

In scientific circles, the word, “theory” has a technical meaning (unless you're talking about the origin of life, in which case “theory” means “wild guess”). According to Wiki, a scientific theory is, “a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of knowledge that has been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experimentation.” I'm not going to quibble over the definition. Instead, I want to highlight to word, “explanation.” Technically, a theory starts with a hypothesis but, again, I'm more interested in the explanatory aspect of theories so I'm going to use the word theory a little more casually. In less formal words, a theory is an attempt to explain what something is or why it is that way. Sometimes, evolutionists chide creationists over the latter's use of the word, “theory.” However, the common understanding that theories are attempts to explain data, is the bottom line in the understanding of both sides.

What is a fossil? How old is it? Why are rocks laid down in layers? What are stars? How far away are they? Why do bird wings resemble reptile claws? These are the types of questions some people ask and our theories are our attempts to answer them. When we come up with our explanation, we want to consider every relevant piece of data. Your theory should explain how all the available “evidence” fits together.  A good theory should explain all the data well. 

Evolutionists, of course, think their theory is the best explanation of all the available evidence. That's why they think their theory is the correct explanation. A problem arises, though, when they start saying that there is evidence “for” their theory. That implies that the evidence is somehow exclusive to their theory. It's as though they want to claim a monopoly on fossils, or rock layers, or the oceans, or the stars, etc.... Once this happens, the theory of evolution becomes barely more than a circular argument.

I've used this example before but I think it illustrates this phenomenon well. Suppose you and I were walking along on a beach and we find an unusual looking rock. It's black with uniform, purple lines on it. I propose a theory: “I think aliens painted these lines on this rock.” You answer, “What evidence do you have for that?” I answer, “Well, there's the rock and there are the lines. That's certainly evidence for my theory!”

Can you see how circular that is? Evolutionists do exactly the same thing. How many times have you heard some evolutionist ask (or, if you're an evolutionist, how many times have you asked), “What is the evidence for creation?” Actually, they usually ask, “What is the evidence for creationism?” Anyway, such a question reeks of circularity. The evidence for creation is the exact same evidence as the evidence for evolution. We merely have different theories to explain the evidence.

FACT: The bones in human arms/hands resemble the bones in chimp arms/hands.

THEORY 1: The bones are similar because chimps and humans share a common ancestor and the modern limbs are modified adaptations of the primitive limbs in the ancestor.

THEORY 2: The bones are similar because they were both designed by a common Creator Who purposely made them that way because they perform similar functions.

In this example, what is the evidence for creation? It's that there is similar design in unrelated creatures. However, evolutionists will not consider it evidence “for” creation but will insist the similarity is evidence “for” common descent. In other words, it can't be evidence for creation because it's already evidence for evolution. They do this every time. It's why they say there's no evidence “for” creation.  They assume their explanation is true so the evidence can only support their explanation.

Circular arguments are notoriously self-fulfilling. Evolutionists have become so convinced that their theory is the correct explanation that they have become blind to any other possible explanation for the same evidence. To them, everything in heaven and earth is now evidence for evolution. It's as though the evidence is literally speaking to them, telling them “evolution is true.” When they see the rocks and trees, birds and bees, they see “evolution.” Their explanation of their observations has flip-flopped into becoming their observation of the explanation.