Darwin of course originated the Theory of Evolution and explained it in his book “The Origin of the Species” in 1859. It was based on his voyage in the HMS Beagle to the Galapagos Islands in the 1830s. He took 20 years to fully develop his theory.

His theory emphasizes natural selection or the idea that favorable traits have an advantage in future generations of the species.

The theory has survived much investigation and has been modified by research over the years. His theory of Natural Selection is the foundation of modern Biology. It has withstood the test of time and in this Christian’s mind is totally compatible with the Bible including the creation stories in Genesis.

The gold standard of a scientific theory is that it can be used to generate testable hypotheses. Natural Selection can and has done that. Creation Science and Intelligent Design although appealing do not generate testable hypotheses and thus do not qualify as scientific theories.

I think part of the problem some people have with evolution is the word “theory.” To a layman a theory is just kind of a guess. It is a gut feeling about something. Its like, “I think the knock in the car is due to bad gasoline.” So when they hear the word “Theory of Evolution” some people think, the school wants to teach our kids about a theory, not anything that means something.

To a scientist for an explanation to get to the status of theory it has to pass huge hurdles. It has to be self contained and verifiable. It has to pass peer review and become widely accepted. For example, the “Theory of Electricity.” Nobody has ever seen electricity, so how do we know it exists? Its just a theory. It may be just a theory but it lights, heats, and cools our buildings, powers our computers. The world’s economy, to a large degree, depends on this stuff that is “just a theory.”

You can learn a whole lot more in this article in Scientific American.