Is "Evolution is JUST a theory" a lie

This question was raised by someone reading my blog and in my mind the answer is Yes!

When you deliberately word something make someone believe something different than what is actually true, I define that as a lie. This particular example was held up during the Dover trial as misleading. Well I was always taught that misleading someone is a form of lying.

My favorite example happened when I was 16. I asked my Mom if I could attend a party at a friends house. The obvious question was "Will there be an adult present?" My immediate answer was "Yes!" Now that was the literal truth, but since the adult in question was the 18 year-old boyfriend of my friend's 17 year old sister and not the 'parent' my Mom assumed it to be . . .well you get the picture. While I didn't say anything that wasn't true, I deliberately misled and encouraged her belief that at least one of my friend's parents would be there. I'm sure you all understand why I did it and maybe you did similar things at that age. But, as I learned later, even allowing her to have that impression was an form of a lie.

Yes, lawyers make huge money doing this exact thing is court. "If the Glove doesn't fit, you must acquit!" and lunacy like that. But that doesn't make it right!

Telling someone "Evolution is JUST a theory" is the same thing. A deliberate attempt to mislead someone into not realizing that evolution is a fact and that biological evolution is one of the most widely used and accepted theories in science today. But then saying "Evolution is JUST one of the most widely used and accepted theories in science today!" doesn't have the same ring to it!