Rejection of evolution by religious groups

The creation-evolution controversy (also called the creation vs. evolution debate and the origins debate) is a disagreement regarding the origin of the universe, life, and humanity. Active conflict occurs in the United States, to a much greater degree than elsewhere. This conflict extends beyond biological evolution to include abiogenesis, astrophysics, geology, and the role of religion in public schools.

Viewpoints on origins

Contrary to the creation vs. evolution debate, creation and evolution do not form a dichotomy. There are many other viewpoints on origin of the universe and life. Following are some such points-of-view:

• Young earth creationism is belief in creation of life and Earth by a direct action of God a relatively short time ago.
• Progressive creationism is belief creation of life and Earth by a direct action of God over long periods of time roughly corresponding to the geological ages.
• Evolutionary creationism is belief in a creation by God and in the scientific theory of evolution. It holds that these two beliefs are not incompatible.
• Dysteleological evolution is the nonreligious view that accepts the premises of science as the only legitimate source for physical or philosophical explanations.

Surveying views

In a 2001 Gallup poll on the origin and development of human beings [1] a sample of about one thousand Americans were asked which statement came closest to their views on the origin and development of human beings. Of those polled, 45% chose "God created human beings pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so", 37% chose "Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God guided this process", 12% chose "Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God had no part in this process", and the remainder (6%) either volunteered a different response or had no opinion. The Religious Tolerance website claims that the poll also found that 5% of American scientists (not necessarily working in fields connected with evolution) believed in biblically literal creation, 40% believed in "theistic evolution", and 55% believed in "naturalistic evolution" [2].

However, following another opinion poll by DYG Inc., it seems that such results may reveal a false dichotomy. According to the DYG poll, about 70% of Americans indicated that they did not see the theories of evolution and creation as in conflict [3].

Non standard definitions

Both sides appear to accuse the other of misleading definition of terms. For example, evolutionists often claim that abiogenesis is not a part of evolutionary theory. In retort, creationists say that the origin of life must be explained by evolutionary science, as for life to evolve, life must first begin. On the other side, Young Earth Creationists, such as Kent Hovind, say that there are six different aspects to evolution. These aspects, as defined by Dr. Hovind, are:

1. Cosmic evolution - the origin of time, space and matter. Big Bang.
2. Chemical evolution - the origin of higher elements from hydrogen.
3. Stellar and planetary evolution - Origin of stars and planets.
4. Organic evolution - Origin of life from inanimate matter.
5. Macroevolution - Origin of major kinds.
6. Microevolution - Variations within kinds.

Evolutionists retort that the above definitions are taken from many disparate fields of science, including cosmology, astronomy, geology, and chemistry, and have little to do with their definition of evolution as per the modern synthesis.

Participants in the Debate

Henry Morris and John Whitcomb in the early 1960s co-authored The Genesis Flood, the book credited with reviving interest in creation as an alternative to evolution. Dr. Morris is considered the "father" of modern creationism.

The Creation Research Society, founded in 1963 by a number of creationary scientists including Henry Morris, is a membership organisation with voting membership limited to holders of an earned postgraduate degree. CRS claims a voting membership of about 650, and a total membership of 1700 people. It publishes the CRS Quarterly, a peer-reviewed journal for creationists, conducts research, and operates a web-site.

The Institute for Creation Research is based in San Diego and was founded in 1970 by Henry Morris, and is now led by his son, John Morris. ICR publishes a number of books and newsletters, as well as producing radio spots and operating a web-site and a small museum.

Answers in Genesis is a creationist organisation which originated in Australia in the late 1970s, co-founded by Ken Ham who now runs the American office of AiG. AiG have also have offices in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Canada. It publishes a number of books, Creation, a glossy quarterly magazine, and TJ, a peer-reviewed journal for creationists, three times a year. It also operates a [http:\\www.AnswersInGenesis.com web-site] and is constructing a Creation Museum at its American offices in Kentucky.

The National Center for Science Education was founded in 1981 to oppose creationism and is led by Eugenie Scott. It is a membership organisation with 4000 members and operates a web-site.

Richard Dawkins, Michael Ruse, and the late Stephen Jay Gould are well-known evolutionary scientists who have been outspoken against creationism.

Duane Gish is a creationary scientist who has become well-known for debating evolutionists across America and in other countries. He is also Senior Vice President of ICR.

The Talk.Origins Archive is a large web-site of articles critiquing creationary ideas, plus a discussion forum.

The True.Origins Archive is a web-site set up to respond to claims made on The Talk.Origins Archive.

Reasons to Believe is a progressive-creationist organisation founded in 1986 by Hugh Ross. It publishes a number of books and operates a web-site.

Arthur N. Strahler, author of the 1987 book Science and Earth History: The Evolution/Creation Controversy. Duane Gish's Creation Scientists Answer Their Critics was a creationist response to Strahler's book.

Creation and evolution in public education

Main article: creation and evolution in public education.

The legal status of creation and evolution in public education is the subject of a great deal of debate in scientific, legal, and religious circles.

References

• Burian, RM: 1994. Dobzhansky on Evolutionary Dynamics: Some Questions about His Russian Background. In The Evolution of Theodosius Dobzhansky, ed. MB Adams, Princeton University Press.
• Samuel Butler, Evolution Old and New, 1879, p. 54.
• Darwin, "Origin of Species," New York: Modern Library, 1998.
• Dobzhansky, Th: 1937. Genetics and the Origin of Species, Columbia University Press
• Henig, The Monk in the Garden: The Lost and Found Genius of Gregor Mendel, the Father of Genetics, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000.
• Kutschera, Ulrich and Karl J. Niklas. 2004. "The modern theory of biological evolution: an expanded synthesis." Naturwissenschaften 91, pp. 255-276.
• Mayr, E. The Growth of Biological Thought, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass., 1982.
• James B. Miller (Ed.): An Evolving Dialogue: Theological and Scientific Perspectives on Evolution, ISBN 1563383497
• Morris, H.R. 1963. The Twilight of Evolution, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.
• Pennock, Robert T. 2003. "Creationism and intelligent design." Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics 4, pp. 143-163.
• Carl Sagan. The Demon-Haunted World. New York: Ballantine Books, 1996.
• Scott, Eugenie C. 1997. "Antievolution and creationism in the United States." Annual Review of Anthropology 26: 263-289.
• Maynard Smith, "The status of neo-darwinism," in "Towards a Theoretical Biology" (C.H. Waddington, ed., University Press, Edinburgh, 1969.

External links

Evolution links

• Archive of the Talk.Origins usenet newsgroup
  • Description of modern synthesis of evolution
  • 29+ Evidences for Macroevolution by Douglas Theobald, Ph.D.
    • A response to Ashby's critique of above article (see link to Ashby's article below.)
  • An Index to Creationist Claims - attempts to maintain a complete list of creationist claims leveled against evolution, with rebuttals and references from the scientific community
• Criticism of creationism
• Science and Creationism: A View from the National Academy of Sciences
• Frequently Encountered Criticisms in Evolution vs. Creationism
• Creationism versus Science

Creation links

• Some creationist hypotheses
• Answers in Genesis, one of the largest Creationist organizations.
• Loopholes in the evolutionary theory of the origin of life: Summary, an article on abiogenesis by Answers in Genesis' Dr. Jonathan Sarfati
• A Bahai perspective on the development of theories of origins
• The True.Origin Archive
  • A Critique of Douglas Theobald's "29 Evidences for Macroevolution" by Ashby Camp (see link to Theobald's essay above)
• Institute for Creation Research
• Creation Insights