Creationism Versus Evolutionism

Creationism versus Evolution

Ever since Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution in 1830's, there has been a serious debate between Christians and scientists. There was a trial in 1925 named the "Scopes Monkey Trial" in which a science teacher named John T. Scope and the state of Tennessee argued about whether evolution should be taught in schools (Linder). Creationists argued that God created all living creatures and the secular scientists argued that they were created by natural selection. The central matter was whether animals were created by God himself as described in the Bible or if they evolved from past ancestors through the centuries.

The creation of the world is found in Genesis which is the first book of the Bible. Creationists believe that God made the heavens, the Earth, and all the living creatures in exactly seven days. It is this view that challenges evolution because if God created all the living creatures then they would not need to be improved. All of God's creations are physically perfect. One of the arguments that Creationists definitely accept as true is that every single animal was made on its own. The following verse in the Bible explains how God created each animal:

God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:25)

They believe that humans and apes are the similar because God made them that way. It also describes why all animals have comparable anatomical structures such as their forearm structure. The idea that some of the anatomical structures found in animals and humans are too complicated to have developed by natural selection is used by creationists to discredit evolution.

It is argued that eyes are too intricate in their structure and function to be a product of evolution. It is believed that only God could have been capable of creating the eye with its muscles to help a person's vision to focus on objects. A third argument is that tests evolution is the idea that the earth is thousands of years old instead of billions of years. There is doubt that the instruments that are used to date the earth using carbon dating of the soil and fossils are accurate. It is understandable that creationists distrust scientific instruments because they may be mistaken.

There are certain ideas and explanations that can be recognized when considering the beliefs of Creationists. The idea that humans did not evolve from apes because scientists have not found the animal that links apes to man. Creationists have a reason to believe that there may not be one since no link has been found. This bolsters the idea that we did not evolve from apes. On the other hand if someone does not believe that God created the earth and all of the animals on it then the Christian religion falls apart. Creationists have a faith in a higher being while scientists have faith in their experiments and their scientific tools.