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Quote mining is a term used primarily by defenders of the theory of evolution to oppose the creationist practice of arguing by quotation.  Quote mining refers to several practices including taking a portion of a quotation out of context, *1cewedg3 was here.

Quote mining is a term used primarily by defenders of the theory of evolution to oppose the creationist practice of arguing by quotation.  Quote mining refers to several practices including taking a portion of a quotation out of context, presenting out-of-date material as current, removing an intervening passage from a quotation without an ellipsis, improper citation, or otherwise manipulating the text.  The effect of quote mining is to make it appear that the speaker is making a point contrary to his actual intent when the speaker may be employing rhetoric or explaining his opponents' arguments.

on <ref>http://www.saintsalive.com/general/wonderfully.htm</ref> (bold), from the full quote <ref>http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1228</ref> (in italics):

Aside from the fact that quote mining in and of itself is a disingenuous practice, it also commits the logical fallacy of appeal to authority.  Even if the mined quote were factual, the opinion of a single individual, or group of individuals would not affect the actual validity of a scientific theory.  Theories are decided on their merit and correspondance to the evidence, not the opinions of "authorities."

 

 

An out of context mined quotation <ref>http://www.saintsalive.com/general/wonderfully.htm</ref> (bold), from the full quote <ref>http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1228</ref> (in italics):

<blockquote>"'''''To suppose that the eye, with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest possible degree.''' Yet reason tells me, that if numerous gradations from a perfect and complex eye to one very imperfect and simple, each grade being useful to its possessor, can be shown to exist; if further, the eye does vary ever so slightly, and the variations be inherited, which is certainly the case; and if any variation or modification in the organ be ever useful to an animal under changing conditions of life, then the difficulty of believing that a perfect and complex eye could be formed by natural selection, though insuperable by our imagination, can hardly be considered real.''" -- [[Charles Darwin]], from ''[[The Origin of Species]]'', 1859.</blockquote>

<blockquote>"'''''To suppose that the eye, with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest possible degree.''' Yet reason tells me, that if numerous gradations from a perfect and complex eye to one very imperfect and simple, each grade being useful to its possessor, can be shown to exist; if further, the eye does vary ever so slightly, and the variations be inherited, which is certainly the case; and if any variation or modification in the organ be ever useful to an animal under changing conditions of life, then the difficulty of believing that a perfect and complex eye could be formed by natural selection, though insuperable by our imagination, can hardly be considered real.''" -- [[Charles Darwin]], from ''[[The Origin of Species]]'', 1859.</blockquote>