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I think it's sufficiently better now, although it still needs work... just like any article here on conservapedia
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:''This article covers worldview aspects and philosophical basis. It does not cover scientific issues.''
'''Evolutionism''' is the ''advocacy of or belief in biological evolution''.<ref>"evolutionism." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 20 Mar. 2007. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/evolutionism>.</ref> Therefore one who ''believes in or supports a theory of evolution''<ref>"evolutionist." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 21 Mar. 2007. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/evolutionist>.</ref> would be referred to as an ''evolutionist''. Evolutionism is the general sense of the word and encompasses ''any'' type of biological evolutionist. Broken down into two categories, "Evolutionism" and "Evolutionists" usually involve Atheistic/Agnostic Evolutionists (evolution without God) and Theistic Evolutionists (evolution with God). Those categories can be further broken down, but they are the main two.
The word is used differently in different circles of thought. Generally [[Young Earth Creationism|Young Earth Creationists]] use it as a reference to what they believe is the [[worldview]] or [[presupposition]] aspect of the scientific [[theory of evolution]]. The term is not necessarily used as a worldview unto itself, but is more based off of and is possibly an extension of a variety of other worldviews including [[Materialism]], [[Naturalism]]<ref>[http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/CA/CA601.html CA601: Evolution and Naturalism] - TalkOrigins Archive</ref>, and [[Humanism]] in its broadest sense. Many that hold to the theory of evolution have been known to be [[Atheism|atheists]] as well, but this does not represent the entirety or whole.
==History==
==Foundational question/starting point==
All the viewpoints take a ''step of faith'' as some might refer to it. In other words, there is a common starting point or foundational question (it's a God-related question) that each one asks, and then forms their conclusions around.
===According to biblical Creationists (Young Earth)===
:<code>'''God exists (worldview) > Therefore we need to explain everything based on that "fact" > Thus science is altered based on the "God exists" idea<br />''Creationism'' comes <u>before</u> the ''Scientific Theory of Creation''. The theory is based on the worldview.'''</code>
===According to biblical Theistic Evolutionists (Old Earth)===
There is disagreement among Theistic Evolutionists, as not all hold that God is not involved presently in His creation.
'''Impersonal Evolutionist God'''
:<code>'''There is no personal/involved God (worldview) > Therefore we need to explain everything based on that "fact" > Thus science is altered based on the "no personal God" idea<br />''Theistic Evolutionism'' comes <u>before</u> the ''Scientific Theory of Evolution''. The theory is based on the worldview.'''</code>
'''Personal Evolutionist God'''
:<code>'''There is a personal/involved God (worldview) > Therefore we need to explain everything based on that "fact" > Thus science is altered based on the "personal God" idea<br />''Theistic Evolutionism'' comes <u>before</u> the ''Scientific Theory of Evolution''. The theory is based on the worldview.'''</code>
===According to Atheistic Evolutionists===
Some proponents of the scientific theory of evolution reject the idea of a philosophy or worldview that guides their conclusions in scientific experimentation.
:<code>'''There is no God (worldview) > Therefore we need to explain everything based on that "fact" > Thus science is altered based on the "no God" idea<br />''Evolutionism'' comes <u>before</u> the ''Scientific Theory of Evolution''. The theory is based on the worldview.'''</code>
===Comparison===
The various viewpoints can be compared in general ways as they all have some sort of starting point. The general Creationist starting point is God, which then all the universe is based on including that of science. Some ''Theistic Evolutionists'' hold to a similar God idea, yet emphasize a somewhat secondary origin<ref><small>Some Theistic Evolutionists believe that God created the universe and yet He is no longer involved in it. Therefore "secondary origin" is referring to the idea that God is the origin of the universe, but not necessarily ''You and Me''.</small></ref> in the evolutionary process. Atheistic evolutionists say that we must prove God by science, therefore their intellectual starting point is science itself.
==Controversy==
===Offensive Terminology===
Some atheistic proponents of the theory of evolution say that the term ''Evolutionism'' is simply a false Creationist perception, or pejorative assertion that science represents merely another religion. They disagree that the theory of evolution is based on a [[philosophy]] or [[worldview]]. They say that the perception finds no grounding in reality, other than as a rhetorical dramatization. However, according to creationists, this disagreement arises from a misunderstanding of terms. Biblical [[Young Earth Creationism|Young Earth Creationists]] hold both terms in philosophically equal light, up to a certain point. They would say that the term "Evolutionism" has the same or very similar meaning to "Creationism" as it relates to a supposed philosophical/foundational starting point or question (does God exist?). They say the term "Evolutionism" refers to a subset of a combination of worldviews, while the scientific theory of evolution is the result of the ''Evolutionist'' presupposition. In other words, they say that Evolutionism is the collective worldview behind the scientific theory of evolution. However, that's where the similarities end with biblical Young Earth Creationism.
===Biblical Young Earth Creationist's problem with a Biblical Old Earth===
==Quotes==
'''''Evolutionism requires faith'' quotes'''<ref>[http://www.nwcreation.net/evolutionism.html Evolutionism - Is Evolution a Religion?] - Northwest Creation Network</ref>:
*''"The fact of evolution is the backbone of biology, and biology is thus in the peculiar position of being a science founded on an unproved theory - is it then a science or faith?" <ref>L.N. Matthews, "Introduction" to Charles Darwin, Origin of the Species, pp. x, xi (1971 edition)</ref>''
*''"The hypothesis that life has developed from inorganic matter is, at present, still an article of faith." <ref>J.W.N. Sullivan, Limitations of Science (1933), p95.</ref>''
*''"Evolution requires plenty of faith; a faith in L-proteins that defy chance formation; a faith in the formation of DNA codes which, if generated spontaneously, would spell only pandemonium; a faith in a primitive environment that, in reality, would fiendishly devour any chemical precursors to life; a faith in experiments that prove nothing but the need for intelligence in the beginning; a faith in a primitive ocean that would not thicken, but would only haplessly dilute chemicals; a faith in natural laws of thermodynamics and biogenesis that actually deny the possibility for the spontaneous generation of life; a faith in future scientific revelations that, when realized, always seem to present more dilemmas to the evolutionists; faith in improbabilities that treasonously tell two stories—one denying evolution, the other confirming the Creator; faith in transformations that remain fixed; faith in mutations and natural selection that add to a double negative for evolution; faith in fossils that embarrassingly show fixity through time, regular absence of transitional forms and striking testimony to a worldwide water deluge; a faith in time which proves to only promote degradation in the absence of mind; and faith in reductionism that ends up reducing the materialist's arguments to zero and forcing the need to invoke a supernatural Creator." <ref>R.L. Wysong, The Creation-Evolution Controversy (1981), p. 455.</ref>''
*''"By calling evolution fact, the process of evolution is removed from dispute; it is no longer merely a scientific construct, but now stands apart from humankind and its perceptual frailties. Sagan apparently wishes to accomplish what Peter Berger calls `objectification,' the attribution of objective reality to a humanly produced concept . . With evolution no longer regarded as a mere human construct, but now as a part of the natural order of the cosmos, evolution becomes a sacred archetype against which human actions can be weighed. Evolution is a sacred object or process in that it becomes endowed with mysterious and awesome power." <ref>T. Lessl, Science and the Sacred Cosmos: The Ideological Rhetoric of Carl Sagan," Quarterly Journal of Speech, 71:178 (1985).</ref>''
*''"Today the tables are turned. The modified, but still characteristically Darwinian theory has itself become an orthodoxy, preached by its adherents with religious fervor, and doubted, they feel, only by a few muddlers imperfect in scientific faith." <ref>M. Grene, Faith of Darwinism," Encounter, November (1959), p49.</ref>''
'''''Evolutionism does not involve faith'' quotes''':
==See also==
*[[Creationism]]
*[[Faith]]
*[[Naturalistic religions]]
*[[Religion]]
*[[Secular humanism]]
==References==
<references/>
==External links==
'''Notes'''
:'''''Affirmative''' websites that are pro-theory of evolution.''
:'''''Critical''' websites that hold the position that the scientific theory of evolution requires faith and belief just like any other religious system.''
===Affirmative===
'''TalkOrigins'''
*[http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/CA/CA612.html CA612: Evolution requiring faith]
**[http://creationwiki.org/%28Talk.Origins%29_Evolution_requires_as_much_faith_as_creationism CreationWiki response]
*[http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/CA/CA610.html CA610: Evolution religious]
**[http://creationwiki.org/%28Talk.Origins%29_Evolution_is_a_religion CreationWiki response]
*[http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/CA/CA001.html CA001: Evolution is the foundation of an immoral worldview]
**[http://creationwiki.org/%28Talk.Origins%29_Evolution_is_the_foundation_of_an_immoral_worldview CreationWiki response]
*[http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/evolphil/metaphysics.html Evolution and Philosophy: Metaphysics]
'''EvoWiki'''
*[http://wiki.cotch.net/index.php/Evolution_is_the_foundation_of_an_immoral_worldview Evolution is the foundation of an immoral worldview]
===Critical===
'''DrDino'''
* [http://www.drdino.com/articles.php?spec=25 Evolution Is Based On Modern Myths]
'''Creationists.org'''
* [http://www.creationists.org/evolutionisreligion.html Evolution is a Religion]
'''Northwest Creation Network'''
* [http://www.nwcreation.net/evolutionism.html Evolutionism - Is Evolution a religion?]
'''Answers in Genesis'''
* [http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v4/i4/religion.asp Evolution as religion]
* [http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2002/0930religion.asp The Religion of Evolution]
* [http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/the-lie/chapter2.asp Evolution is Religion]
'''CreationWiki'''
*[http://creationwiki.org/%28Talk.Origins%29_Evolution_requires_as_much_faith_as_creationism Evolution requires as much faith as creationism] - Rebuttal of TalkOrigins Archive
*[http://creationwiki.org/%28Talk.Origins%29_Evolution_is_a_religion Evolution is a religion] - Rebuttal of TalkOrigins Archive
'''Institute for Creation Research'''
* [http://www.icr.org/article/201/ Evolution is Religion, not Science (1)], [http://www.icr.org/article/455/ (2)]
===Other===
'''Uses of the term ''Evolutionism'' on the Internet'''
*[http://www.nwcreation.net/evolutionism.html Northwest Creation Network]
*[http://creationwiki.org/index.php?title=Evolutionism&oldid=74633 CreationWiki]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Evolutionism&oldid=115346043 Wikipedia]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Materialism]]
[[Category:Naturalism]]
[[Category:Humanism]]