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

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{stub}}
+<hide>
-[[Category:Issues]]
+[[page type::article]]
-In the strictest interpretation of the core doctrine of many religions, there is apparently no room for the predominant scientific view, often referred to as the Theory of Evolution or [[Wikipedia:Darwinism|Darwinism]], that the life presently on Earth evolved over hundreds of millions of years without intervention by a conscious entity or entities.
+[[thing type::definition]]
+[[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}})
+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]].
+==Related Articles==
+* [[Intelligent Design]]
+* [[evolution vs. direct creation]]
+** [[evolution vs. Intelligent Design]]
 ==Reference==
-*Faith-based concepts:
+===Faith-based===
-**[[Wikipedia:Creationism]]
+* '''concepts''':
-**[[Wikipedia:Intelligent design]]
+** Wikipedia: [[wikipedia:Creationism|Creationism]] [[wikipedia:Young Earth creationism|Young Earth creationism]] [[wikipedia:Old Earth creationism|Old Earth creationism]]
-*Science-based concepts:
+** [[Intelligent Design]]: {{Wikipedia|Intelligent design}}
-**[[Wikipedia:Darwinism]]
+* '''organizations''':
-**[[Wikipedia:Evolution]]
+** The Institute for Creation Research (young earth): {{wikipedia|Institute for Creation Research}}
-**[[Wikipedia:Natural selection]]
+** Answers In Creation (young earth / Bible literalist): {{wikipedia|Answers In Creation}}
-==Links==
+===Science-based===
-* [http://www.creationdigest.com/ Creation Digest]: promotes the "intelligent design" theory, although "not affiliated with, nor sponsored or controlled by any religious organization or non-profit association"
+* '''concepts''':
-* Entries from the [http://www.arn.org/ Access Research Network] [http://www.arn.org/id_faq.htm Intelligent Design FAQ]:
+** '''origins of Earth'''
-** [http://www.arn.org/idfaq/What%20is%20intelligent%20design.htm What is Intelligent Design?]: defines but does not give details
+*** Wikipedia: [[wikipedia:History of Earth|History of Earth]]
-** [http://www.arn.org/idfaq/How%20can%20you%20tell%20if%20something%20is%20designed.htm How Can You Tell if Something is Designed?]: presents an argument based on the presumption that non-randomness implies intelligence (need to write a bit about why this is wrong --[[User:Woozle|Woozle]] 20:45, 24 Dec 2005 (CST))
+** '''origins of life'''
-** Further entries in the FAQ either start out by asserting the conclusion ("The more we learn about living organisms, the more they look like products of design..." [http://www.arn.org/idfaq/How%20does%20intelligent%20design%20apply%20to%20biology.htm]) and reassert the "order can only come from intelligence" argument ([http://www.arn.org/idfaq/Haven%27t%20scientists%20shown%20that%20biological%20systems%20evolved%20naturalistically.htm]) and that's all the time I've had to read through the FAQ, which may ultimately include everything I need to know about ID but certainly is not concise.
+*** Darwinism: {{Wikipedia|Darwinism}}
+*** Evolution: [http://www.evowiki.org/index.php/Main_Page EvoWiki]; {{Wikipedia|Evolution}}
+*** Natural selection: {{Wikipedia|Natural selection}}
+===Faith/Science compromises===
+* Wikipedia: [[wikipedia:Theistic evolution|Theistic evolution]] [[wikipedia:Gap Creationism|Gap Creationism]]
 ==Events==
-*[http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Utah_bill_requiring_divine_design_education_withdrawn_by_Senator_Chris_Buttars Utah bill withdrawn]: "...assured him that Utah public school curriculum does not teach that man descended from apes."
+* '''2005-12-20''' [http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-12/aaft-ddi122005.php Dover decision is good for long-term economic and scientific strength]: statement from the AAAS
+* '''2005-07-18''' [http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Utah_bill_requiring_divine_design_education_withdrawn_by_Senator_Chris_Buttars Utah bill withdrawn]: "...assured him that Utah public school curriculum does not teach that man descended from apes."
+==News==
+* [http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-12/ps-snt121605.php Scientists narrow the time limits for the human and chimpanzee split]
 ==Satire==
 *[http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/dailydose/index.html?uc_full_date=20051218 Doonesbury, 2005-12-18]
 *[http://www.venganza.org/index.htm The Flying Spaghetti Monster]