A relative of mine was kind of enough to tell me (being a young earth creationist and all) that he believed in microevolution - that a person's hair colour can change or people get taller over time but that he doesn't believe in macroevolution - that an ape evolved into a human (ignore, for now, that anyone who claims apes evolved into humans doesn't understand what science really says).
Heck, I don't even believe in microevolution - because acceptance of an identifiable and justifiable set of facts is not a belief. I accept the FACT of evolution and we have strong reasons and ample evidence to support the acceptance of the THEORY of natural selection. Whether or not I accept it, however, does not change its status as a fact.
With that said, the argument over microevolution versus macroevolution is settled. Macroevolution occurs via similar processes as microevolution but over a longer period of time. Science has come to the determination that the earth is more (so much more) than 10,000 years old so what microevolution has done in 10,000 years becomes what macroevolution does in millions of years.
Sadly, humans have evolved to understand simple concepts, relationships, shapes and models - there was (is) no evolutionary benefit to be able to understand things outside of what humans typical encounter - in time or size. It takes a willingness to accept new ideas, follow the logic and understand the processes to realize and/or accept that some things are difficult to comprehend. However, not being able to comprehend something does not make it false/wrong.
Two points: The next time someone asks you if you "believe" in macroevolution, explain to them that it doesn't qualify as a belief. And, secondly, if someone asks you if you believe in macroevolution, be prepared to debate with a young earth creationist.
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When someone brings this up, i tend to get very specific on them. Asking things like, how much change is too much? What can and can't change? Where did you get this information? And questions of this nature. I find those that state they believe in YEC generally have this very fuzzy version of it that doesn't really cover any specifics. And that when asked where they heard it, it is simply something someone said to them on time and that they thought made sense, versus anything they have researched.
Then i start in on the examples of evidence for evolution. Not that this has ever miraculously made someone flip sides, but when they have a mote of unspecific information with no source, and i have a wealth of specific information with sources, i would hope anyone i have the respect to debate with would at least pause and think for a moment.
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