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The '''creation vs. evolution debate''' is an ongoing dispute most prevalent in regions of the [[United States]].

The '''Creation vs. Evolution debate''' is an ongoing dispute most prevalent in regions of the [[United States]].

It concerns the question of how things came to be, including the [[universe]], [[Earth]], [[life (biology)|life]], and [[homo sapiens|mankind]].

It concerns the question of how man, as well as animals and plants, came to exist in their present form; whether they were created as they currently are by the [[intelligent design]] of a Creator, or they [[evolution|evolved]] though [[natural selection]] from primitive lifeforms. Believers in Evolutionism usually support other [[atheist]] theories concerning the origin of the [[universe]], [[Earth]], and [[life]].  

The [[creation]] vs. [[evolution]] debate has a long history,<ref>{{hnb|Numbers|1992|p=3-240}}</ref> and today is carried out in the [[mass media]], churches, and the [[Internet]]. A major focus of the debate concerns what should be taught as [[science]] in [[public schools]].<ref>{{hnb|Peters & Hewlett|2005|Ref=CITEREFPetersHewlett2005|p=1}}</ref>

The [[creation]] vs. [[evolution]] debate has a long history,<ref>{{hnb|Numbers|1992|p=3-240}}</ref> and today is carried out in the [[mass media]], churches, and the [[Internet]]. A major focus of the debate concerns what should be taught as [[science]] in [[public schools]].<ref>{{hnb|Peters & Hewlett|2005|Ref=CITEREFPetersHewlett2005|p=1}}</ref>

However, the court failed to consider whether or not proponents of evolution have a religious motive.

However, the court failed to consider whether or not proponents of evolution have a religious motive.

Evolution does hold ground in the observations we can all make around us. One example of micro-evolution occuring everyday is the mutation of bacteria. Following the principle of Occam's razor, evolution is the most logical conclusion, as compared to a god or deity controlling every mutation occuring every day.

Evolution does hold ground in the observations we can all make around us. One example of micro-evolution occurring everyday is the mutation of bacteria. Following the principle of Occam's razor, evolution is the most logical conclusion, as compared to a god or deity controlling every mutation occurring every day.

== History of the creation vs. evolution debate ==

== History of the creation vs. evolution debate ==

The controversy was fueled by one of Darwin's most vigorous promoters, Thomas Henry Huxley, who opined that Christianity is "a compound of some of the best and some of the worst elements of [[Paganism]] and [[Judaism]], moulded in practice by the innate character of certain people of the Western World".<ref>{{hnb|Burns, Ralph, Lerner, & Standish|1982|Ref=CITEREFBurnsRalphLernerStandish1982|p=965}}, {{hnb|Huxley|1902}}</ref> Perhaps the most uncompromising of the evolutionary philosophers was the [[Germany|German]], [[Ernst Heinrick Haeckel]], a [[professor]] of biology, who dogmatically affirmed that nothing spiritual exists.<ref>{{hnb|Burns, Ralph, Lerner, & Standish|1982|Ref=CITEREFBurnsRalphLernerStandish1982|p=965}}</ref>

The controversy was fueled by one of Darwin's most vigorous promoters, Thomas Henry Huxley, who opined that Christianity is "a compound of some of the best and some of the worst elements of [[Paganism]] and [[Judaism]], moulded in practice by the innate character of certain people of the Western World".<ref>{{hnb|Burns, Ralph, Lerner, & Standish|1982|Ref=CITEREFBurnsRalphLernerStandish1982|p=965}}, {{hnb|Huxley|1902}}</ref> Perhaps the most uncompromising of the evolutionary philosophers was the [[Germany|German]], [[Ernst Heinrick Haeckel]], a [[professor]] of biology, who dogmatically affirmed that nothing spiritual exists.<ref>{{hnb|Burns, Ralph, Lerner, & Standish|1982|Ref=CITEREFBurnsRalphLernerStandish1982|p=965}}</ref>

A watershed in the [[Protestantism|Protestant]] objections to evolution occurred after about 1875.<ref>{{hnb|Numbers|1992|p=13}}</ref> Previously, citing [[Louis Agassiz]] and other scientific luminaries, Protestant contributors to religious quarterlies dismissed Darwin's theories as unscientific.<ref>{{hnb|Numbers|1992|p=13}}</ref> After 1875, it became clear that the majority of naturalists embraced evolution, and a sizable minority of these Protestant contributors rejected Darwin's theory because it called into question the veracity of [Scripture]]s.<ref>{{hnb|Numbers|1992|p=13}}</ref> Even so, virtually none of these dissenters insisted on a young Earth, as that position had already been ceded.<ref>{{hnb|Numbers|1992|p=14}}</ref>

A watershed in the [[Protestantism|Protestant]] objections to evolution occurred after about 1875.<ref>{{hnb|Numbers|1992|p=13}}</ref> Previously, citing [[Louis Agassiz]] and other scientific luminaries, Protestant contributors to religious quarterlies dismissed Darwin's theories as unscientific.<ref>{{hnb|Numbers|1992|p=13}}</ref> After 1875, it became clear that the majority of naturalists embraced evolution, and a sizable minority of these Protestant contributors rejected Darwin's theory because it called into question the veracity of [[Scripture]]s.<ref>{{hnb|Numbers|1992|p=13}}</ref> Even so, virtually none of these dissenters insisted on a young Earth, as that position had already been ceded.<ref>{{hnb|Numbers|1992|p=14}}</ref>

The greatest concern for creationists at the turn of the [[twentieth century]] was the issue of human ancestry.<ref>{{hnb|Numbers|1992|p=15}}</ref>

The greatest concern for creationists at the turn of the [[twentieth century]] was the issue of human ancestry.<ref>{{hnb|Numbers|1992|p=15}}</ref>

* 1958 - The federally-supported [[National Science Foundation]] started the [http://www.bscs.org/ Biological Sciences Curriculum Study] publishes textbooks which emphasize evolution as an organizing principle.

* 1958 - The federally-supported [[National Science Foundation]] started the [http://www.bscs.org/ Biological Sciences Curriculum Study] publishes textbooks which emphasize evolution as an organizing principle.

* 1961 - ''The Genesis Flood'' by Henry Morris and John C. Whitcomb, Jr. reinvigorated the creationist movement.

* 1961 - ''The Genesis Flood'' by Henry Morris and John C. Whitcomb, Jr. reinvigorated the creationist movement.

* 1968 - A U.S. Supreme Court issues its [[Epperson v. Arkansas]] decision repealing laws that prohibited the teaching of evolution and required the teaching of a creationism on the grounds that it violated the the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

* 1968 - A U.S. Supreme Court issues its [[Epperson v. Arkansas]] decision repealing laws that prohibited the teaching of evolution and required the teaching of a creationism on the grounds that it violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

* 1974 - [[Karl Popper]] classifies Darwin's theory of evolution as a metaphysical research program.<ref>{{hnb|Popper|1974}} as reprinted in {{hnb|Balashov & Rosenberg|Ref=CITEREFBalashovRosenberg2002|p=302}}, see [http://books.google.com/books?id=tAkXVaNq5GAC&pg=PA302&lpg=PA302&dq=popper+metaphysical+research&source=web&ots=0nhuwofKbm&sig=XCjz0MaNM1F7ai7Ek2aO03HkTOg Facsimile on Google books]</ref>

* 1974 - [[Karl Popper]] classifies Darwin's theory of evolution as a metaphysical research program.<ref>{{hnb|Popper|1974}} as reprinted in {{hnb|Balashov & Rosenberg|Ref=CITEREFBalashovRosenberg2002|p=302}}, see [https://books.google.com/books?id=tAkXVaNq5GAC&pg=PA302&lpg=PA302&dq=popper+metaphysical+research&source=web&ots=0nhuwofKbm&sig=XCjz0MaNM1F7ai7Ek2aO03HkTOg Facsimile on Google books]</ref>

* 2004 - Intelligent Design researcher Stephen C. Meyer publishes a paper, ''The Origin of Biological Information and the Higher Taxonomic Categories'' in the peer-reviewed journal ''Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington'', leading to the [[Smithsonian-Sternberg affair]]

* 2004 - Intelligent Design researcher Stephen C. Meyer publishes a paper, ''The Origin of Biological Information and the Higher Taxonomic Categories'' in the peer-reviewed journal ''Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington'', leading to the [[Smithsonian-Sternberg affair]]

* 2005 - U.S. Representative Mark Souder's office issues a report concurring with the U.S. Office of Special Council's conclusion that Richard Sternberg was subjected to a hostile work environment at the Smithsonian Institution in retaliation for his role in publishing Stephen C. Meyer's paper. See [[Smithsonian-Sternberg affair]].

* 2005 - U.S. Representative Mark Souder's office issues a report concurring with the U.S. Office of Special Council's conclusion that Richard Sternberg was subjected to a hostile work environment at the Smithsonian Institution in retaliation for his role in publishing Stephen C. Meyer's paper. See [[Smithsonian-Sternberg affair]].

* 2007 - [[Pope Benedict XVI]] publishes ''Creation and Evolution'', where he writes "[It] is also true that the theory of evolution is not a complete, scientifically proven theory."<ref>Creation and Evolution, Pope Benedict XVI, 2007, Sankt Ulrich Publishing. See also [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070411/ap_on_re_eu/pope_evolution;_ylt=A0WTUejOaB1G9GUBBgKs0NUE]</ref>

* 2007 - [[Pope Benedict XVI]] publishes ''Creation and Evolution'', where he writes "[It] is also true that the theory of evolution is not a complete, scientifically proven theory."<ref>Creation and Evolution, Pope Benedict XVI, 2007, Sankt Ulrich Publishing. See also [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070411/ap_on_re_eu/pope_evolution;_ylt=A0WTUejOaB1G9GUBBgKs0NUE]</ref>

* 2008 - [[Ben Stein]] releases the documentary ''Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed'' which exposes the suppression of [[intelligent design]] in the classroom by evolutionist establishment.

* 2008 - [[Ben Stein]] releases the documentary ''Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed'' which exposes the suppression of [[intelligent design]] in the classroom by evolutionist establishment.

==References==

==References==

  | Publisher  = Scribner, Armstrong, and Company

  | Publisher  = Scribner, Armstrong, and Company

  | ID          = ASIN B0006AEEMO  

  | ID          = ASIN B0006AEEMO  

  | URL        = http://www.gutenberg.org/files/19192/19192-8.txt

  | URL        = https://www.gutenberg.org/files/19192/19192-8.txt

  }} Retrieved on 2007-05-08

  }} Retrieved on 2007-05-08

*{{Harvard reference

*{{Harvard reference

  | Volume      = V

  | Volume      = V

  | Pages      = 126-159

  | Pages      = 126-159

  | URL        = http://www.gutenberg.org/files/15905/15905-8.txt  

  | URL        = https://www.gutenberg.org/files/15905/15905-8.txt  

  | Publisher  = Kessinger Publishing  

  | Publisher  = Kessinger Publishing  

  | ID          = ISBN 978-1417973729 }} Retrieved on 2007-05-08

  | ID          = ISBN 978-1417973729 }} Retrieved on 2007-05-08

  | Title        = Life and Letters of Thomas Henry Huxley  

  | Title        = Life and Letters of Thomas Henry Huxley  

  | Volume      = 1

  | Volume      = 1

  | URL          = http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/5084  

  | URL          = https://www.gutenberg.org/etext/5084  

  | Publisher    = Ams Pr Inc

  | Publisher    = Ams Pr Inc

  | ID          = ISBN 0404149804 }} Retrieved on 2007-05-08

  | ID          = ISBN 0404149804 }} Retrieved on 2007-05-08

  | Title      = Back to Genesis:  How Not to Defend Evolution

  | Title      = Back to Genesis:  How Not to Defend Evolution

  | Publisher  = Institute for Creation Research

  | Publisher  = Institute for Creation Research

  | URL        = http://www.icr.org/pdf/btg/btg-153.pdf

  | URL        = https://www.icr.org/pdf/btg/btg-153.pdf

  }} Retrieved on 2007-05-08

  }} Retrieved on 2007-05-08

*{{Harvard reference

*{{Harvard reference

  | Volume      = 103

  | Volume      = 103

  | Publisher  = Institute for Creation Research

  | Publisher  = Institute for Creation Research

  | URL        = http://www.icr.org/index.php?module=articles&action=view&ID=185

  | URL        = https://www.icr.org/index.php?module=articles&action=view&ID=185

  }} Retrieved on 2007-05-08

  }} Retrieved on 2007-05-08

*{{Harvard reference

*{{Harvard reference

  | Title = Creation and Evolutionism

  | Title = Creation and Evolutionism

  | Publisher = Creation Ministries International

  | Publisher = Creation Ministries International

  | URL = http://creation.com/science-creation-and-evolutionism-refutation-of-nas#public Science

  | URL = https://creation.com/science-creation-and-evolutionism-refutation-of-nas#public Science

  }}

  }}

*{{Harvard reference

*{{Harvard reference