Creationism
From SkepticWiki
[edit] Definition
Creationism is the belief that the universe was created by a supernatural power, typically as described in the book of Genesis. Creationists range in belief from Young Earth Creationists, who subscribe to a literal interpretation of Genesis, dating the world at 6000 years old, to those who see Genesis as merely a metaphor.
[edit] Discussion
Creationism encompasses a range of beliefs about the origins of the universe, the earth, life, and humanity. These beliefs include:
Many people have noticed that the story of the evolution of life is not exactly the same as the stories in the Biblical book of Genesis. This caused significant controversy in the first years after the publication of The Origin of Species. Since then, the overwhelming majority of Christian churches and theologians have adapted to the times and have come to accept evolution by natural selection, though resistance to evolution remains strong in Islamic sects and resistance to natural selection persisted in the Soviet Union, where the rulers found it to conflict with another sort of "Bible."
A small yet vocal minority of mostly Protestant Christians continue to challenge the theory of Evolution. Such people are generally referred to as "Creationists." Creationists seem to be most prevalent in the United States, but they can also be found in such other English-speaking countries as the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. It is possible that Creationists are more numerous or common in the United States. It is also possible that American Creationists are more politically active and better organized due to the particular history of the separation of Church and State from the First Amendment to the US Constitution. Most likely, a combination of these factors is at work. Whatever the reason, Creationism is widely perceived as an American phenomenon.
Many of the tactics of Creationists, such as pronouncing "evolution" as "evilution" are too puerile to deserve a response. Others, such as equivocation of the term "evolution," may simply be the result of functional illiteracy. Yet other creationist arguments can seem superficially convincing and deserve a response.
For further information on Creationist arguments, and why they are wrong, see the index page of Creationist Arguments.
