EvolutionversusCreationismhasbeenacontroversialissueformanyyears,andstillis.

Both
sideshaveconvincingargumentsandgoodreasonswhytheotherside'sopinionisnotcorrect,
butwhichtheoryisthemoreprobableone?Boththeorieshaveverydifferentideas.Creationists
believethatconceptanddesignrequireaCreator,andwhentheprincipalsofdetectingdesign
areappliedtolivingorganisms,theyfinditareasonableexplanationtobelieveintheexistenceof
aCreatororDesigner,orinotherwords,ahigherpower.Creationistsgenerallybelievethatall
organismswerecreatedassingle,distinctorganisms,whileEvolutioniststhinkthatlifestarted
fromsinglecelledorganismssuchasbacteria,thenevolvedintocomplexorganisms,changing
overtime,someevenintodifferent,distinctanimalsthroughevolutionsincecontinuousevolution
overaverylongperiodoftimecanresultinthedevelopmentofnewvarietiesandspecies.
Creationistsbelievethatorganismscanadapttotheirenvironmenttoanextent,butdonot
changesothatovertimetheybecomecompletelydifferentorganismsthanwhattheywere
createdas.

Thereisalotofevidencethatsupportsevolution.Oneofthemostprominentbeingthefossil
record.Sedimentaryrockallowsscientiststostudyfossilsindifferentlayersoftherock,each
layerholdingfossilsmillionsofyearsapart.Someextinctspeciesthathavebeenfoundhave
traitsthataretransitionalbetweenolderspeciesandnewerorganisms.Inotherwords,the
fossilsshowusintermediatespeciesbetweentheoriginaloneandtheonethatexistsnow,
whichsupportsthetheorythatorganismscanevolveintoanentirelydifferentspecies.

Anotherreasonevolutioncouldbethecorrecttheoryisthesimilaritiesinallorganismsonthe
planet,bothchemicallyandanatomically.Forexample,aminoacidsareanexampleofhow
everylivingthingonearthisrelated.Everytypeofproteinineverylivingthingismadeupofthe
same20kindsofaminoacids.Thisistrueinbothprokaryoticandeukaryoticcells,showingthe
relationshipbetweensinglecelledorganisms(bacteria)andmulticellularorganisms(animals),
whichsupportsevolution'sideathatweevolvedfromsinglecelledorganisms.Anotherexample
oftheunityofalllivingthingsisanatomicalstructure.Manyanimalssharethesametypesof
bodyandbonestructures,whichcouldonlymeanthattheyinheriteditfromacommonancestor.
Aspecificexampleofthiswouldbethebonesinhumansarms,specificallythehumerus,radius
andtheulna.Theforelegsofcatsanddogs,theflippersonwhales,andthewingsofbirdsall
sharetheseexactsamebones.Thiswouldleadustoassumethattheyeitherinheritedthisfrom
acommonancestorordevelopedthemthroughasimilarprocess,bothsupportingthetheoryof
evolution.

Anotherpointabouttheevidenceofevolutionisgeneticchangesinapopulationovertime.The
earth'senvironmentisalwayschanging.Whenthechangesbecometoomuchforapopulation
orspeciestohandle,muchofthatspecieswilldie.Thosewhosecharacteristicsallowthemto
livewillreproduceandtheirtraitswillbecomemoreprominentinthepopulation,andinindividual
species.Thisisalsoconsideredevolutionbecausethethrivingspecieshasevolved.

Onemainargumentthatcreationistsmakeagainstevolutionistsisthattherearegapsinour
theory,mostspecificallyinthefossilrecord.Butstudieshaveshownthatthegapsinthefossil

recordhaveonlybeenduetoincompletedatacollection,sincethemoretransitionalfossilswe
find,themorewestarttoseethecompletefossilrecordandfillinthegaps.Forexample,the
fossilrecordconnectingapeswithhumansbecauseofthediscoveryofhundredsoftransitional
fossilsfoundinAfricaoverthelastcentury.

Manypointscanbemadeoneithersideoftheargumentovercreationismvs.evolution,andof
coursetherearestillgapsonbothsidesoftheargument,butwhenyoulookatthescientific
evidencesupportingevolutioncomparedtothatofcreationism,itisclearwhichtheoryhasthe
advantageofproofonitsside.FortypercentofAmericanstodaybelieveinevolution,andthirty
ninepercentincreationism.Theothertwentyonepercentareunsure,orbelievethatevolution
occurs,butisguidedbyasupremebeing.Whatwithalltheevidencetosupportevolution,and
withdiscoveriesstillbeingmadeaboutit,helpingtoproveitslegitimacy.Thisdebatewill
continueforyearstocome.Hopefully,wecanconvincemorepeopletobelieveinevolutionism.

AtextconnectionIcanmakewiththisarticleisamoviewewatchedcalled"WhatDarwinNever
Knew."CharlesDarwinwasageologistwhomadeadiscoveryaboutevolution.Hefounda
mechanismforevolutionbynaturalselection,orthe"survivalofthefittest."Heunderstoodthat
onlysomeoftheoffspringofanimalswouldsurvivetoreproduceandassumedthattheones
mostwelladaptedtotheirenvironmentwouldbetheoneswhowouldsurvive.Eventhoughhe
wasnotawareofhowtraitsarehandeddown,byunderstandinghowhumansbredanimalshe
knewthattraitscouldbehandeddownfromonegenerationtothenext.Thiswasaninteresting
movie.Thisisatexttoselfconnection.

TheEvolutionvs.Creationdebateisoftenreferredtoasthe"GreatDebate."It'sthe
emotionpackedquestionofEarth's"origins".Why,how,andwheredideverythingcomefrom?
20thcenturysciencehasmadethecompellingdiscoverythat,atsomepoint,theuniverse
began.

BothsidesoftheGreatDebatenowagreethattheuniversehasnotexistedeternally.However,
thisiswheretheagreementends.Asfarasthe"why"and"how"ofthe"originevent,"thisis
wherethedivisionandcontentionbegin.TherearetwobasictheoriesinthisGreatDebate.The
firstisthehistoricaldefault,theCreationModelofOrigins.Thistheorymaintainsthattheintricate
designpermeatingallthingsimpliesaDesigner.Thesecondtheoryisthemorerecent,atheistic
explanation,theEvolutionModelofOrigins.Thistheorypostulatesthattheintricatedesign
permeatingallthingsisaproductofrandomchanceandexcessivetime.Inanyscientificdebate,
thetheoriesmustbetestedaccordingtotheevidence.Weproposethattheburdenofevidence
shouldbeupontheEvolutionists,sinceCreationhasbeenthehistoricandinherentdefault
throughoutvirtuallyallculturesandreligionsuntilroughlythelast200years.Evolutionists,who
viewthemselvesastheonly"scientists"inthedebate,insistthattheburdenofevidencebeupon
thecreationists.EvolutionistsbelievewecannotseetheCreator,wecannotheartheCreator,
andwecannottouch,taste,orsmelltheCreator.Therefore,weareunabletotestfortheCreator
withanyformofscientificequipmentdevelopedthusfar.Creationistspointoutwecannotsee,
hear,touch,taste,orsmellthehumanmind.Wecannottestforthehumanmindwithanyform
ofscientificequipmentdevelopedthusfar.Whenwerunanelectroencephalogram,weare
measuringsaltflowandelectricalactivitywithinthehumanbrain.Wecannotsomuchaseven
locatethehumanmind.Yetwewatchashumancarcassesrunabout,makingorderofdisorder,
consciousdecisionsaccordingtosubconsciouscriteria.Weseethedesignandcomplexitythat
resultfromtheoperationofthebrainthroughtheinvisiblerealmknownasthemind.Thus,we
knowwithcertaintythatthehumanmindexists.Therefore,it'sabsolutelylogicalforCreationists
topostulatetheexistenceofaCreatorbaseduponthesame"evidence."Thedesignweseeall
arounduscamefromone,grandconcept,andsuchaconceptcanonlycomefromacomplex
Mind.Furthermore,themathematicalandphysicallawsinherentinallthingseffectivelyvalidate
thisevidentiaryclaim.

Evolutioniststheorizethattheuniverse,withallthatitcontains(space,time,matterandenergy),
explodedfromnothing.ThisiscontrarytotheFirstLawofThermodynamics.Wheredidspace,
time,matterandenergycomefrominthefirstplace?Thus,forEvolutionists,theultimate
questionofOriginsremainsunsolved.TocomplicatetheEvolutionaryposition,thisoriginal
explosionofeverythingfromnothingisunabletoexplainallofthecomplexityandfinetuningin
theuniverse,includingcosmic"voids"and"clumps",retrogrademotionofthegalaxies,etc.
Despitenumerousproblems,thisexplosionfromnothinghasbeendubbedthe"BigBang"andis
theacceptedtheoryamongthemajorityofEvolutionists.Evolutionisaveryunique"science."
Typically,scientistsobserveevidentiarydataandthenformulatetheirconclusions.Evolutionists
haveformulatedtheirconclusion,andnowlookforthemissingdata.TheEvolutionvs.Creation
debatefurtherseekstosolvetheriddleofcomplexity.Creationistsbelievetheuniversewas
designedtobecomplexbyanintelligentdesigner.Evolutionists,intheirefforttoexcludea
designer,contendthatcomplexityhasdevelopedfromsimplicityovertime.Evolutionistsview
timeastheirsolution.However,hardsciencetellsusthattimeistheenemyofcomplexity.This
facthasbeensowelldocumentedthatithasobtainedthestatureofaphysicallaw.

UntilEvolutionistsfindtheevidencethey'vesoughtsincethebeginningofthemodern
evolutionarymovementabout150yearsago,thereisactuallynodebateatall.Atthemoment,
Creationisthedefault.Evolutionistsinsistthatcomplexitydevelopedfromsimplicitydespitethe
contradictiontoknownphysicallaws.Moreover,evolutionistsmaintainthatthissimplicityjust
sprangintoexistencewithoutanycauseatall.

Manypeoplebelievethatcreationismandevolutionareaboutassimilarascatsanddogs.There
aredogpeopleandtherearecatpeoplebecausethetwoanimalshavecompletelydifferenttraits
(anddogsareclearlythemorefun,loving,andsuperiorpet).Likewise,manypeoplesticktoone
beliefortheotherinthecreationismversusevolutiondebateandtheystaunchlydefendit.Here
atGreenvilleCollege,wecanmakeupourownmindsonthesubject.Wearefortunatetobe
abletolearnaboutbothcreationismandevolutionwhenwetakeCOR302.Somestudents
believethatitshouldnotbearequiredcourse,andsomeevensaythatbelievinginevolution
underminesthefundamentalsofourChristianfaith.Ontheopposingside,somestudents
believethatlearningaboutevolutionallowsustoappreciateourGodevenmore.Manyofus
mightwonderwhichsideistherightsidetobelieveinasaChristian,orwemightalreadybea
firmbelieverinoneortheother.Somepeoplemaynotevencarewhichtheoryistherightone
becausetheyhavemoreimportantthingstodo,liketweetandwatchTV.However,shouldthere
evenbeadebatebetweenthetwotheories?

AccordingtotheMerriamWebsterDictionary,creationismisadoctrineortheoryholdingthat
matter,thevariousformsoflife,andtheworldwerecreatedbyGodoutofnothingandusuallyin
thewaydescribedinGenesis.Thedefinitionofevolutionisatheorythatthevarioustypesof
animalsandplantshavetheirorigininotherpreexistingtypesandthatthedistinguishable
differencesareduetomodificationsinsuccessivegenerations.Godcanbethecreatorinboth
theoriesthedifferenceistheprocessthatledtoourformationinhisimage.Whenweassume
thatweknowGodandhisactionsinthepast,weareputtinghiminasmallboxsothatwecan
feelsecureinourtheories.Inreality,Godcallsustohaveafaiththatistheoppositeofsecurity.
WearenotcalledtodiscoverallofGodssecretsinstead,wearecalledtopursuehiminawe
andwonderthroughlearningabouthisbeautifulcreation.Bydiscreditingevolution,wedonot
allowthepossibilitythatGodwasthemastermindofaplanthatwecannoteverfullyunderstand.
Bydiscreditingthecreationstory,weoverlookthereasonwhyGodputusonearth,andwedo
notseehisloveforhiscreation.

Thisleadsustothemainissue:whatdowebelieveinandteachtoothersifwecannotbesure
ofeithercreationismorevolution?Thetruthisthattheuncertaintyofhowwewereformedisa
minorissuewhenitcomestolivingasGodhascalledustolive.AsChristians,dowedefineour
beliefsystemsolelyonaliteralinterpretationofthecreationstoryintheBible,oristhisbelief
simplyonepartofourfaith?Doweallowonechallengetoourbeliefstodestroyourwholefaith,
ordoweadaptandfindGodinthesituation?Afaiththatisdestroyedbyonedecision,like
believingineitherevolutionorcreationism,isafaiththatwasalreadyweakandcrackingatits
foundations.ChristiansshouldnotusetheBiblesolelyasatextbookbecausethatwasnotwhat
Godintendedittobeusedfor.Hedidnotincludethelawsofphysics,theFibonaccisequence,
ordeoxyribonucleicacidwhathedidtalkaboutwasJesus,hisforgiveness,andmost
importantly,hisloveforhiscreation.Godcreatedusinhisimagethedetailsarenotas
importantasthefactthathegaveusasoulthatenablesustobelikehim.

TheBibleteachesusofaGodwholovesusandwantsustospreadhislovetoothers.Welove
othersbecausehefirstlovedusenoughtomakeus.Whenweengageindebatesthatdividehis
peopleinsteadofbringingthemtogether,wearenotaccomplishingwhatGodwants.Whenwe
attackatheorydifferentthanourown,wearenotfurtheringGodsKingdom.Ourownprideand
selfcertaintycanhinderpeoplewithdifferentbeliefsfromseeingGodsmostimportantmessage
ofloveandforgiveness.Insteadoflettingthesemattersdriveusapart,weneedtoacceptthat
othersmaybelieveandinterpretfactsdifferentlythanwedo.Goddoesnotwantadebateto
divideordistracthispeoplefromspreadinghislove.Godwantsdogpeopletolovecatpeople,
andcatpeopletolovedogpeoplewhatlinksthemisthattheybothhavealoveforanimals.In
thesamesense,whetherwebelieveincreationismorevolution,ourfocusshouldbeonloving
otherpeoplethewayGodlovesus.

Inthefuture,thisdebatewillcontinue.Withmixedopinions,anddifferentpiecesofevidence,
everyonegivesadifferentreasoningforhowouruniversewascreated.Manyevolutionists
believethattheworldevolvedbecausetheyfinditimpossiblethateverythingwasmadeinsix
days.Ontheotherhand,creationistsbelievethereisnowayeverythingevolvedintosomething.
Wewillneverunanimouslyagreeonthisdebate,butwecandefinitelyhaveourownopinions.
Thisisatexttoworldconnection.