Ross, The basics of Darwin's theory of evolution are not the myriad of details which are rightly tested and replaced as needed. But the fact is that all life on Earth has a common ancestor that changed over a long period of time, based on natural selection of naturally occuring variation. This simple idea, basic to Darwin's theories, has not been disproved (despite many attempts) and underlies all modern biology. Shell collectors can stay with Linnean (pre-Darwin)systematics without needing to question why a nested system reflects reality, but anyone who really wishes to appreciate "God's Creation" should have some idea of how it got that way! Darwin was not trying to explain 'why' the world is the way it is, just how it got that way. 'Why' is still a religious question that science cannot properly answer. Use the Bible to answer religious questions, but allow science answer the 'how' type questions. Allen Aigen [log in to unmask] -- ross mayhew <[log in to unmask]> wrote: It has been suggested that "politics and religion" not be discussed on the list. I heartily agree: this is NOT the forum for these particular topics!! That said, i do not see that a discussion regarding competing worldviews (represented in this case by the "creationist" and "evolutionist" factions) which present dramatically different perspectives regarding how the world we see around us has developed and changed over time, is out of place on a scientifically oriented discussion list (even though the "science" on one side of the fence is a bit thin - to be kind...). There are some who opine that we should slavishly stick to 100% mollusc-oriented topics, but i think that some "general science" threads should also be fair game from time to time. At any rate, the word "Darwinism" has been tossed around by individuals on both sides of the debate, in a manner that suggests it actually represents the prevailing paradigm of evolution-oriented science in the 21st century. News flash: it doesn't!!! The systemmatic, step-by-step, mutation-by-mutation, "survival of the fittest" over long periods of time approach to species differentiation and survival, although surprisingly often still taught to our society's children, has been replaced in the mainstream scientific community over the past few decades, by an extremely diverse range of opinions and approaches to speciation: "puctuated equillibrium", where rapidly changing environmental conditions on a local, regional or even global scale favor and promote the equally rapid development of new species, is a popular concept, as are various and sundry versions of the "hopeful monster" theory-set. I'm sure most members of the list can think of **at least** a half-dozen proposed methods of speciation which enjoy some standing with and support from scientists of good reputation at the opening of the 21st century - and indeed, they are not mutually exclusive: the whole lot of them may be applicable in various ecological contexts, geological eras and time-frames!! So, let us retire the concept and term "Darwinism" to the dust-bin of science: while it does indeed refer to a particular viewpoint regarding speciation, but does not accurately describe the theories and viewpoints prelevant within the general scientific community 150 years after Darwin's book "The Origin of Species" was published. With Regards from Damp ol' New Scotland, Joseph Ross Mayhew. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs To leave this list, click on the following web link: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1 Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and click leave the list. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [log in to unmask] - a forum for informal discussions on molluscs To leave this list, click on the following web link: http://listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=conch-l&A=1 Type your email address and name in the appropriate box and click leave the list. ----------------------------------------------------------------------