Evolution vs. Creationism: Reality vs. Mythology
The Evolution/Creationism debate is an ongoing debate that may seem as if it is a matter of science versus religion, but it can also be seen as a clash of cultures and politics as well. The debate is about what should be taught in schools, evolution, creationism or both. Some want just evolution or just creationism taught. Others think it is fair to teach both, but they are not equal entities: evolution is science; creationism is literature and religion, and religion is not supposed to be taught in public schools based on separation of church and state laws in the Constitution. So if both are taught, should they be taught side by side or in separate classes such as science and literature or English classes? These are the surface aspects of the debate, but the conflict goes much deeper because it concerns the very basis of religious belief for some and causes great distress in those who cannot accept that what they and their ancestors have thought for so long was reality is really mythology.
Some people, even scientists, are able to reconcile evolution and creationism as theory and mythology respectively, but some cannot bring themselves to do that even with the presentation of all the evidence that supports a much longer time span than the Judeo-Christian bible and belief system claims. For hundreds of years before major anthropological studies of fossils and Darwin’s work on the Galapagos Islands yielded the theory of evolution, people believed that the Earth and its inhabitants were created by a divine power. They reasoned this must be so because they had the bible as an authoritative text and there seemed to be evidence of divine design in nature itself. People looked around at natural occurrences such as the seasons. They thought, “What else but a divine creator could design such a perfect system for the sustenance of life?” It did not occur to may of them that they were looking at the results of millions of years of adaptation to the planet’s environment that made nature seem so perfectly designed. Darwin himself studied theology and planned to be a member of the clergy, but he saw something in nature that got him to wondering about the way animals and plants adapted to the environment. When he traveled to the Galapagos Islands and saw the differences in the finches, he understood then the basics of evolution.
However, a large group of mostly Christians, at least that is who evolution troubles most in the United States, refused to take the evidence that Darwin and subsequently thousands of other scientists produced to support the theory of evolution as feasible. Those who oppose evolution cannot reconcile having one common ancestor for all animals that have walked the planet. This is largely because the bible says that humans were created specially and given dominion over the other animals. Many religions and cultures have similar creation myths, but the debate about what should be taught in public schools is hottest in the United States. It is understandable that people would be upset at having their supremacy diminished by a theory. Humans like to think that they are special, but they are just a product of evolution like other animals. Their evolution was just more advanced and/or went in a different direction at critical junctures in evolutionary history.
Another objection creationists have is that evolution is “just a theory,” meaning that theories can be disproved. That is true, but evidence of evolution continues to surface and no evidence disproving it has. This is where Christians often trot out the idea that “humans cannot know the mind of God.” That is true and logical whether one believes in god or not just based on the fact that one cannot know another’s mind ever. This favorite saying of creationists though means that God planted the evidence of evolution so that false believers would be revealed and then true Christians would know who they are and know to avoid them. As irrational as it sounds, that is a method of refuting evolution that creationists have provided many times. The problem begins when creationists (who may not all be Christians) maintain that creationism is as viable a theory as evolution and should be taught alongside evolution in public schools apparently so that students can choose one or the other because it is impossible to believe that beliefs can be held at one time in one person’s mind.
That is why the debate over what should be taught is so controversial. Creationists do not want their children believing that what their religion teaches is not true. It is difficult to explain mythology to children. They do not understand that a story to explain what seems inexplicable at one point in history can still be appreciated as a piece of religious and cultural knowledge at a later point in history. Christians want the ancient stories to be considered fact. Creationists want their children to believe that creationism is fact and evolution is false. Parents and educators who want their children to be taught facts and to have a sound education cannot understand why creationists so stubbornly insist that public schools should teach a mythology as a fact.
The debate takes place most often at the level of policy. And, the debate is religious not scientific. Science has accepted evolution as fact even though it cannot be fully explained because no one can have possibly observed evolution occurring. Enough evidence in the form of fossils and current observations of the evolution of some species has been gathered that comes as close to proving evolution as is necessary for most rational people. Many religions have even come to accept evolution and incorporate it into their belief systems, but the debate arises from fundamentalist Christians in the United States who refuse to accept the fact of evolution and insist that children should be taught creationism also or instead. The book, Science, Evolution, and Creationism published by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine says, “Today, many religious denominations accept that biological evolution hs produced the diversity of living things over billions of years of Earth’s history. Many have issued statements observing that evoluton and the tenets of their faiths are compatible. . . . explaining that they see no conflict between their faith in God and the evidence for evolution” (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine 12). However, a small group of fundamentalist Christians hold tight to their beliefs that the earth and all its inhabitants were created by God roughly 6,000 years ago and evolution is wrong.
While many do not care that some people believe creationism despite the mountains of proof that evolution is the the more logical belief, it is a serious issue because it affects how public schools teach science. Those adamant Christians who insist that creationism must be taught along side evolution often get the support of consevative politicians who probably believe in evolution (or do not care) but want the Christian votes. In those districts around the country where these fundamentalist Christians are the majority, attempts have been made several times to use textbooks that do not teach evolution, to deface textbooks that do, and to require that creationism be taught as an alternative to evolution. This is the dangerous part of this debate. Those students who are taught science in this way will graduate high school not undertanding some of the basic tenets of science because they do not know about evolution. Evolution is an aspect of many sciences including geology, biology, genetics, anatomy, and the list could go on and on. If students are taught that evolution is not factual or that there is another “theory” just as viable, they are not going to have the foundations in science that they need to survive in college.
In the United States, the controversy is important for another reason too. That reason is that creationism is part of religious belief. Public schools are state funded and, therefore, cannot include promotion of any religious beliefs. This is a major aspect of the First Amendment that says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” Teaching a religious belief in a public school is establishing a religion. Neither religion, or the more “scientific sounding” intelligent design, can be taught because they purport that a creator made the earth and all its inhabitants. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) says, “Proponents of intelligent design and creation science have made several attempts to get these theories taught in school science lessons as alternatives to evolution, but American court decisions have generally concluded that both creationism and intelligent design are religious theories rather than scientific ones, and so are barred from the school system” (BBC). One famous court case occurred in Tennessee in 1925 when John Scopes, a substitute high school teacher, was accused of teaching evolution. The claim was that Scopes violated Tennessee’s Butler Act which made it unlawful to teach human evolution in any state-funded school. Scopes was found guilty and fined $100; however, the verdict was overturned on a technicality rather than on a solid legal basis. Still, the trial drew national attention to the debate over creationism vs. evolution.
More recent debates in Tennessee and other southern states over evolution and creationism have occurred too. In 2012 a law was passed in the Tennessee state legislatures that the website, Phys.org, quotes, “Allows teachers to ‘help students understand, analyze, critique and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in the course being taught.’ It also says the legislation ‘shall not be construed to promote any religious or non-religious doctrine’” (Phys.org). The last part had to be added in order to try to avoid a challenge in the Supreme Court which may be in the process of occurring anyway. The “existing theories” to which the law refers is that evolution. The other theories referred to are creationism and intelligent design that says there is evidence that life forms developed on the planet under the direction of an intelligent designer. It is another version of creationism developed in an attempt to appear scientific.
Evolution does not purport that anyone made anything or that someone did not create the life forms that have existed on the planet. It has no religion attached and does not try to refute religion. It is a theory established on empirical evidence. Many religious people belief that evolution may have been the method God chose to create life. It is the fundamentalist extremist who insist that it is their way or no way. It is they who create and maintain the debate. Most Americans have moved on. They have reconciled their religious beliefs with the scientific evidence of evolution and have not been struck dead from a vengeful bolt of lightning from heaven. Why politicians and legislators allow this small group of people with extremist religious views affect the future of public school children in their state is inconceivable, but until the matter is settled (and perhaps even after then) the debate will continue. It is a waste of time because both evolution and creationism can be taught, but evolution should be taught in science class and creatonism in English lterature class.
Works Cited
BBC. "Creationism and intelligent design." 2 June 2009. British Broadcasting Corporation. Web. 8 December 2019. < https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion... >.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. "Evolution and the Nature of Science." Science, Evolution, and Creationism. Washington D.C.: National Academies of Science Press, 2008. 1-72. Web. 9 December 2019. < https://www.nap.edu/read/11876... >.
Phys.org. "Tennessee opens door to creationism in public schools." 11 April 2012. Phys.org. Web. 9 December 2019. < https://phys.org/news/2012-04-... >.
