Difference between revisions of "Creation"

Latest revision as of 01:58, 12 November 2014

About

"Creation" can either be a poetic way of referring to "everything that exists right now [or ever has existed]", or it may refer to any of the following events:

When used as a synonym for "origin", it is making subtle use of interpretive framing to imply that these were deliberate acts rather than natural events. Despite the existence of scientific theories to account each of these events, generally supported by vast amounts of evidence, religious fundamentalists continue to advocate for various flavors of creationism -- a non-theory which basically answers every question with "God did it".

Science

There are scientific theories for each of these events, supported by varying amounts of evidence.

There is strong evidence that all matter in the univers originated in an event referred to as the Big Bang; there are a number of speculations regarding the cause of this.
There is substantial evidence that solar systems arise from the coagulation of dust-clouds surrounding a new star.
Theories of abiogenesis generally involve simple self-replicating molecules gradually evolving into single-celled organisms.
The theory of evolution by natural selection is one of the most solidly-proven theories in the history of humankind.
Evidence that humans evolved from ape-like ancestors, and that we are part of the same family of species as apes, is almost as solid as that for the theory of evolution by natural selection itself.

Creationism

It is only relatively recently -- since approximately the 1800s -- that science has begun providing plausible explanations for these events. Since most currently-popular religions predate these explanations, there has been considerable resistance to them from within the religious community, especially among those that hold to a literal interpretation of scripture.

The most common religious hypothesis involves a mythological creator of the universe, most commonly known as "God", playing some role in all of these events. Despite the utter lack of any evidence or rational arguments for such a creator, much less evidence for its involvement in creating anything, many monotheists nonetheless believe these hypotheses to be true; this belief, where it flatly contradicts scientific findings, is generally referred to as creationism.

Reference

Faith-based

concepts:
- Wikipedia: Creationism Young Earth creationism Old Earth creationism
- Intelligent Design: Wikipedia
organizations:
- The Institute for Creation Research (young earth): Wikipedia
- Answers In Creation (young earth / Bible literalist): Wikipedia

Science-based

concepts:
- origins of Earth
  - Wikipedia: History of Earth
- origins of life
  - Darwinism: Wikipedia
  - Evolution: EvoWiki; Wikipedia
  - Natural selection: Wikipedia

Faith/Science compromises

Wikipedia: Theistic evolution Gap Creationism

Events

2005-12-20 Dover decision is good for long-term economic and scientific strength: statement from the AAAS
2005-07-18 Utah bill withdrawn: "...assured him that Utah public school curriculum does not teach that man descended from apes."

News

Scientists narrow the time limits for the human and chimpanzee split

Satire

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+<hide>
-==Overview==
+[[page type::article]]
-[[Category:Issues]][[Creation]] refers most commonly to theories of creation, i.e. how the universe and all its internals came to be created. The most intense interest is often focussed upon the origins of Earth, of life, and of humanity.{{seedling}}
+[[thing type::definition]]
-The predominant [[scientific]] view of creation, i.e. that the life presently on Earth [[evolution by natural selection|evolved]] from simpler forms over hundreds of millions of years, was controversial when first proposed but has become overwhelmingly [[scientific consensus|accepted]] by the [[scientific community]] due to lack of any alternative explanation which even comes close to explaining the steadily mounting [[evidence]].
+[[category:terminology]]
+[[category:teach the controversy]]
+</hide>
+==About==
+"[[Creation]]" can either be a poetic way of referring to "everything that exists right now [or ever has existed]", or it may refer to any of the following events:
+* the [[origin of the universe]]
+* the [[origin of the Earth]] (see {{wikipedia|History of the Earth}})
+* the [[origin of life]] (on Earth)
+* the [[origin of species]] (on Earth)
+* the [[origin of humans]] (see {{wikipedia|Anthropogeny}})
-This idea nonetheless continues to be opposed, mainly among the less well-informed and mainly in the {{USA}}, by religious groups who advance alternative [[informal theory|theories]] proposing that life was [[creationism|created by a supernatural force]]. In versions of the theory which have not been carefully vetted to avoid running afoul of the [[separation of church and state]] mandated by the [[US Constitution]], these theories specifically claim that this force is in fact the [[Biblical]] [[God]]; other versions, most notably [[intelligent design]], avoid any mention of religion or the supernatural and introduce scientific-sounding (but thoroughly refuted) arguments wherever possible.
+When used as a synonym for "origin", it is making subtle use of [[interpretive framing]] to imply that these were deliberate acts rather than natural events. Despite the existence of [[scientific theories]] to account each of these events, generally supported by vast amounts of evidence, [[religious fundamentalists]] continue to advocate for various flavors of [[creationism]] -- a non-theory which basically answers every question with "[[God did it]]".
+==Science==
+There are [[scientific theories]] for each of these events, supported by varying amounts of evidence.
+* There is strong evidence that all matter in the univers originated in an event referred to as [[the Big Bang]]; there are a number of speculations regarding the cause of this.
+* There is substantial evidence that solar systems arise from the coagulation of dust-clouds surrounding a new star.
+* Theories of [[abiogenesis]] generally involve simple self-replicating molecules gradually [[evolving]] into single-celled organisms.
+* The theory of [[evolution by natural selection]] is one of the most solidly-proven theories in the history of humankind.
+* Evidence that humans evolved from ape-like ancestors, and that we are part of the same family of species as apes, is almost as solid as that for the theory of [[evolution by natural selection]] itself.
+==Creationism==
+It is only relatively recently -- since approximately the 1800s -- that [[science]] has begun providing [[scientific theory|plausible explanations]] for these events. Since most currently-popular religions predate these explanations, there has been considerable resistance to them from within the religious community, especially among those that hold to a literal interpretation of [[scripture]].
+The most common [[religious]] [[hypothesize|hypothesis]] involves a [[mythological]] creator of the universe, most commonly known as "[[God]]", playing some role in all of these events. Despite the utter lack of any evidence or rational arguments for such a creator, much less evidence for its involvement in creating anything, many [[monotheist]]s nonetheless [[believe]] these hypotheses to be true; this belief, where it flatly contradicts scientific findings, is generally referred to as [[creationism]].
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