It has become quite popular among Creationists to claim that evolution is "just a theory" and therefore not a proven fact. This was echoed by Ronald Reagan in a campaign speech given in Dallas, "Well, it is a theory [referring to evolution]. It is a scientific theory only, and it has in recent years been challenged in the world of science--that is, not believed in the scientific community to be as infallible as it once was." This view arises from the misunderstanding of what evolution is and how the terms fact and theory are used in science. Before getting to the evolution part, it is nece…
