Science is a process of incremental learning, with current ideas continually being updated or replaced as new evidence or interpretations emerge. The asymmetry of hypothesis testing means that while theories not standing up to evidence get discarded, no theory can be definitively proven, once and for all. On the other hand, religious belief is structured in such a way that any piece of evidence can be taken as support for a creator (it exists, therefore it must have been created), yet the existence of a higher power cannot be disproven. Thanks to these contrary modes of understanding, evolution biology is a dynamic and progressive field, while creationism is as static as its underlying beliefs. Still, debate can be stalled, because in a metaphysical sense, evolution cannot be absolutely proven any more than a creator be absolutely disproven.
So perhaps it would be best to leave the creationists in peace with their own beliefs, and save our energy for what I think is a much more important issue: the teaching of science. Students who approach creationism on an equal footing with evolution cannot be learning the real meaning of the scientific process, and those who push for teaching 'creation science' clearly don't understand what is meant by the scientific method. Science is one means of coming to an understanding of life, by a particular process of hypothesis testing. Creationism was not arrived at by the scientific method, and is not subject to the rules of science. Therefore it is not science, and absolutely should not be taught as such. This is not to say that religion has no place in our society, just that science class is not an appropriate forum for religious discussion.
As scientists we don't claim that science has all the answers: every scientific theory is subject to continual revision. Our current understanding of evolution has served us well since Darwin's time, but of course will become outdated as new ideas develop. Perhaps one day we will even develop a more efficient learning process, at which time science will become a historical discipline. But in the mean time, the scientific method is our means of generating knowledge about the world, and teaching science in a rigorous way is necessary for future scientists and laypeople alike to understand and participate in 21st century society.
