Difference between Evolution and Creationism
Evolution and creationism are two sides of the same coin, and each seeks to answer the question of how we came about and to a certain extent, why we are here. As you can imagine, the debate is hotly contested on both sides, with each fully convinced of its stance. There are a number of factors to consider in the age-long debate, and this comparison looks into the more significant ones.
In The Classroom
One of the earliest incidents that brought about widespread attention to the evolution and creationism debate was the Scopes trial in 1925, in which John Scopes was judged guilty for the crime of teaching the theory of evolution to his students, which was illegal back then. It was only a few decades later however when evolution became the norm in classrooms all over the world and creationism was out of vogue. Of course creationism proponents have since constantly pushed for its inclusion in classroom instruction, claiming that ideas such as Intelligent Design are rooted in scientific methods. However, evolutionists have countered by saying that the whole concept of a divine creation is not testable, and consequently unscientific.
Basic Tenets
The fundamental belief of the evolutionists is that life sprang forth from single cell organisms and evolved during the course of billions of years into the different life forms we now see today. Creationists on the other hand, propose the idea of "irreducible complexity", which essentially counters the theory of accidental mutation, and supports the idea of an intelligent designer.
Roots Of Belief
Much of creationism’s belief stems from the Bible, particularly the first and second chapters of the Book of Genesis, wherein God created the earth and all its inhabitants including the first man and woman. Evolutionists on the other hand, rely mainly on the science of genetics in order to ascertain the development of the earth and its creatures. The belief in evolution also stems from the theories of adaptation, natural selection and genetic mutation, all of which can cause significant changes in creatures over time. Almost all religions and ethnic tribes have their own creation stories. Many ancient traditions have roots in both creationism and Earthly evolution.
Summary
Evolution
- Started out with plenty of opposition
- Began to be taught in science classes only a few decades after its introduction
- Based on the theory that life originated from unicellular organisms and over billions of years evolved into life forms that exist today
- Is based on science, which in turn deals with things that can be perceived by the senses or can be observed objectively
- Is based in part on the science of genetics
Creationism
- Proponents have taken steps to combat its removal from classroom instruction
- Has its share of scientists who rely on their own scientific research to support the theory of divine creation
- Questions traditional evolution theory
- Proponents believe that creationist theories that rely on scientific methods such as Intelligent Design should be taught in classrooms
- Proposes the idea of "irreducible complexity" to disprove accidental mutation and to support the idea of Intelligent Design
- Relies primarily on faith
