Creation and Evolution: An Eternal Debate

Creation and Evolution: An Eternal Debate

Many people have tried to reconcile the differences between creationism and Darwinism but few have succeeded. Any religious debate is seen as a very sensitive subject and the discussion about the foundations of certain religions generally becomes difficult. Darwinism, in relation to religious beliefs can become controversial; some say they can coexist and some say they cannot. Darwinism was not intended to be anti-religious, but religious activist have criticized the belief since On The Origin of Species was published in 1859. Common ground between the two subjects is a very rough place, but it can be achieved. Reconciliation between the subjects has been achieved but few are standing by it because even the compromise is controversial.

The beliefs of Charles Robert Darwin, as shown in his book On the Origin of Species, are controversial religiously and have been debated since its’ publication. Darwin writes “I see no good reason why the views given in this volume should shock the religious feelings of any one” (Darwin 329). This was not how religious activists saw the book; they attacked Darwin’s beliefs and stated it is in opposition of some religious beliefs.

Darwinism is based on the basic belief of ‘natural selection’ and ‘survival of the fittest’. These are not separate thoughts when it comes right down to it. According to Darwin, the idea of ‘natural selection’ states that animals adapt slowly in accordance to their environment, and their DNA adjusts throughout generations. At first glance, this seems like a logical, non-controversial topic, but Creationist believe that “…all species were created by God and had not changed biologically” (Hirschberg 321). This is where the conflict comes in to play. Darwin believes that genes can mutate and change over generations to better adapt to environment. This belief has since been overturned by modern evolutionists. Hirschberg put it this way: “Today, evolutionists believe that mutations in genes produce the variations that natural forces select for survival. And, indeed, geneticists have traced ancestral relationships among species from the presence of similar molecular structures and DNA patterns” (Hirschberg 321). Instead of only bettering the species, the DNA shifts and the stronger of the species ...

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...; there are others that rebel against the compromise. Overall not many have gotten very far in the compromise process and it does not seem promising.

Works Cited

Berra, Tim M. Evolution and the Myth of Creationism: A Basic Guide to the Facts in the

Evolution Debate. Stanford, California. Stanford University Press. 1990.

Darwin, Robert Charles. Past to Present: Ideas That Changed Our World. Ed. Stuart and

Terry Hirschberg. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003.

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Hirschberg, Stuart and Terry, ed. Past to Present: Ideas That Changed Our World.

Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. 2003.

Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Wheaton, Illinois.

Housley, Kathleen. “The Christian Century”. Chicago. Jun 19- Jun 26, 2002. Vol. 119,

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