Download Creationism and Evolution Overviews

Creationism and Evolution Overviews
Creationism
Very simply put, Creationism is the idea that the world is the result of a special act of creation by
a deity, and that this creation lies outside of the normal laws of science, particularly the biological
laws of evolution. Creationism is put forward almost exclusively by Christians, and is more
common among American Christians than any others.
Sometimes Creationists call their beliefs Creation Science, but the scientific community at large
rejects this label. Among the key propositions of Creationists are:
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The belief in the necessity of a supernatural Creator.
The defense, in whole or in part, of the first chapter of Genesis.
The reliance on a miraculous mechanism to explain the origin of life.
The use of the Argument from Intelligent design, often in a circular way.
In addition to rejecting evolution, many creationists insist that geological dating is also in
error; the world is not billions of years old, but mere thousands of years old. The existence of
fossils and other phenomena are merely misleading appearances.
Evolution
In its simplest form, the Theory of Evolution states that all life on Earth today is descended from
life forms which were present at earlier times. As generation succeeds generation, tiny changes in
the genetic code lead to changes in morphology. These changes, or mutations, will affect the
ability of an organism to survive in its changing environment. Some organisms will have a
greater chance to survive and reproduce successfully. These organisms will pass on any changes
in their genes to their descendants. Obviously, those creatures, which do not survive, do not
reproduce and pass on their genes. Over billions of years, slight changes from generation to
generation add up; new species arise from these minute changes.
There is no need in evolutionary theory for any outside Creator, nor any miraculous
intervention. The key propositions of the evolutionary scientists are:
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Life has existed on Earth for at least 3.8 billion years.
The complex forms of life present today are descended from earlier, less complex forms.
Genes provide the mechanism through which creatures inherit characteristics.
Small mutations constantly occur to the genes, which can be explained by natural
processes.
It is important to remember that scientists use the term “theory” to mean an explanation which is
most in accord with the available facts pertaining to a given phenomenon.