As I see it, it's important to distinguish among three expressions that are relevant here:

"Evolution"

"The Theory of Evolution"

"Darwin's Theory of Evolution"

To say, "I don't believe in evolution" is to assert a disbelief that species can change over long periods of time, perhaps giving rise to new species. To say this kind of thing is to fly in the face of huge amounts of data, gathered both from paleontological evidence and historical evidence of what has happened.

To say, "I don't believe in The theory of Evolution" is to utter a statement which is meaningless, as well as ignorant, because there are a number of theories of evolution. To be meaningful, the statement needs to make clear what theory of evolution is referred to, or perhaps to negate them all by saying, "I don't believe in any of the theories of evolution."

Now we get down to Darwin. But first one should understand what a theory--any theory--is. A theory is AN ATTEMPT at formulating a rational and logical explanation of a given phenomenon. Thus, loosely, "theory of flight", "theory of the law", "theory of gravitation", and so on, including of course "theory of evolution".

Darwin put forth his attempt at a logical explanation of the observed process and evidence of evolution. Others had other theories, and in some respects Darwin's has been subsequently modified because of later studies, but still his theory as stated was a monumental intellectual jump forward, and is exceedingly widely accepted pretty much as he put it forward, and the theories of his predecessors and contemporaries have gone by the boards, so much that many people don't even remember that they existed.

If you want to say, "I don't believe Darwin's theory of the origin of species," that's your privilege, I guess. But evolution itself is not a theory; it's a set of factual observations. The theory we ordinarily speak of is Darwin's.

Dave Oesterreich