The '''origin of life on Earth''' has long been a hotly debated subject in the Western world, with proponents of various [[Creation]] theories contending with proponents of [[unguided evolution]]. The two main branches of [[Creationism]] are put forth by the [[Young Earth]] and [[Old Earth]] creationists. Advocates of materialism and atheism support the hypothesis of [[physical science]] that various small changes have accumulated over time to produce entirely new kinds of living things: one-celled organisms evolved into plants, fishes, and land animals. | The '''origin of life on Earth''' has long been a hotly debated subject in the Western world, with proponents of various [[Creation]] theories contending with proponents of [[unguided evolution]]. The two main branches of [[Creationism]] are put forth by the [[Young Earth]] and [[Old Earth]] creationists. Advocates of materialism and atheism support the hypothesis of [[physical science]] that various small changes have accumulated over time to produce entirely new kinds of living things: one-celled organisms evolved into plants, fishes, and land animals. |