Creation, Evolution and Intervention Essay Example for Free

Creation, Evolution and Intervention Essay I think religion and science have always been in conflict. Since the theory of Creationism has always been tied to religious accounts, it is only natural that this comes in conflict with the theory of Evolution. As it is, the theory of Creationism is based on legends and ancestral stories, whereas the theory of Evolution is based on empirical observations and scientific inquiry (â€Å"History of Creationism†). Whereas Creationism, in its literal sense, poses that all species have been existent and static since the birth of time, the theory of Evolution proposes that the existing species today are different from what existed many centuries past. The theory of Evolution eliminates the participation of a Supreme Being, which is the main character in Creationism. This, and the denigration of the human being as above other â€Å"creation† have been the root of much controversy ever since (â€Å"Evolution†). The introduction of the Intervention theory becomes another challenge for both the Creation and Evolution theories. Its affirmation of the existence of extraterrestrials and those human beings are descendents of primordial beings are against the views of Creationism, while the elimination of Neanderthals, Australopethecines and other intermediaries of human evolution and the process of Evolution per se, is completely against the views of the Evolutionists. The Views I have researched on the different views on the theories. The Creation Theory posits that the whole of the universe is made into existence by a Supernatural being. Different religions and beliefs have different versions on how the universe and the world were created by their respective Gods. The most common version of Creation is that told in the Bible Book of Genesis. Based on what I am taught, the universe was created in seven days by the God, Yahweh. It is said that the first to be created was light and in order, it was followed by the separation of the land and waters, the plants, the sun and the moon, the air and sea creatures, the land animals and lastly the first man and woman. On the seventh day, the God rested. This Creation story is similar to the version of the Muslims whose Supreme Being is called Allah. The Greeks, the Norse, the Babylonians and other cultures have their own versions but in general, the theory of Creationism holds similar elements like: the birth of the first men, a father and/or mother goddess, a supreme being, as well as a theory on destruction (â€Å"Origin Belief†). The theory of Creationism appears to be the opposite of another theory that was developed by Charles Darwin, The theory of evolution. Evolution is the process in which a certain species undergo a slow but intricate change in their traits. The changes in traits happen very slowly that differences in form and structure are only noticeable after successive generations, which could then, possibly allow the development of newer species (â€Å"Evolution†). In short, the theory of Evolution relates all organisms as having a common single ancestor that had undergone a series of changes. This means that we are still undergoing the process of evolution and our descendants my possibly be of different species. The process of evolution is subdivided into more processes, starting from adaptation, in which a species acclimatize itself with the environment; genetic drift, gene flow and mutation, in which the species body transforms its structure into something more capable of living with the environment; selection, in which the species who proves themselves incapable of adapting to the environment are naturally eliminated; and speciation, in which another species arise from a single ancestor species (â€Å"Evolution†). The Intervention theory poses as an alternative to the previous two theories. According to my research on the Intervention theory, terrestrial life was introduced on Earth by intelligent extraterrestrial beings (â€Å"Intervention Theory†). Among others, Lloyd Pye has made a controversial claim involving the Intervention theory. According to Pye’s claims, the first Homo Sapiens were products of interbreeding between the existing primates and extraterrestrials (â€Å"Lloyd Pye†). The Current Situation My experience in the academe, my observations and the theories that I’ve read say that the issue on Creationism and Evolution continues to this day. The proponents of the Evolutionary theory still hold firmly against the idea that the universe is created by a higher being while the proponents of Creationism supports the idea. While some believes that the two views are impossible to reconcile, other views are more accommodating. There are separate groups who believe that each of the theories answer different questions and must be considered separately (â€Å"Creation-evolution Controversy†). The teaching of Evolution in schools also currently poses an issue. The proponents of Creationism see the teaching as anti-theistic and propose that the theory be eliminated in the school curricula (â€Å"Creation-evolution Controversy†). The US President Bush thinks that both theories must be taught in schools to provide the public with a clear idea and understanding on the real root of the issue (Bumiller 3). The view on the Intervention theory involves a separate issue, which is against both the previous theories. Currently, there is limited evidence that could support the theory. Conclusion Among others, I think that only the Evolution theory shows empirical evidence. The other two, particularly the Creationism theory and the Intervention theory are merely based on age-old stories and hypotheses that are not yet supported by any historical and observational evidence. Proving the truth of the last two theories would be difficult. Proving any one of these involves evidence of the existence of a Supreme Being or and extraterrestrial being. This is the main problem in both the theories. The non-existence of evidence, however, does not necessarily prove its falsity. Such a case makes possible the incorporation of all the three theories into one. It is my view that the Creationism theory should not be interpreted literally. The â€Å"days† as mentioned in the Book of Genesis, for example could be interpreted as the â€Å"eras† or â€Å"eons† mentioned in the Evolution theory. Also, the Creationism theory does not mention the impossibility of the evolutionary process. It is possible that what happens in between â€Å"the days† in the Creation theory represents what the evolutionary process call â€Å"speciation†. If the land animals (including the primates) were â€Å"created† on the fifth day, and the human beings on the sixth day; and if the Creation’s â€Å"days† are equivalent to the Evolution’s eons, then what happens in between the fifth and sixth â€Å"days† was the speciation of today’s human beings from primates to Homo sapiens. That the order of â€Å"creation† of each group of living things coincides with the age of the firsts of each species creates another sound theory: the theory of Creationism and the theory of Evolution is not opposites but rather, the same theories. In other words, the theory of Creationism is simply an allegorical representation of what the theory of Evolution posits. Works Cited Bumiller, Elisabeth. Bush Remarks Roil Debate on Teaching of EvolutionThe New York Times. The New York Times. 3 Aug 2005: 3 Creation-evolution controversy. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 5 Feb 2007, 02:49 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 6 Feb 2007 http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Creation-evolution_controversyoldid=105712111. Evolution. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 6 Feb 2007, 06:13 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 6 Feb 2007 http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Evolutionoldid=105994871. History of creationism. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 1 Feb 2007, 23:14 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 6 Feb 2007 http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=History_of_creationismoldid=104954907. Intervention theory. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 13 Jan 2007, 15:06 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 6 Feb 2007 http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Intervention_theoryoldid=100447011. Lloyd Pye. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 15 Jan 2007, 00:24 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 6 Feb 2007 http://en. wikipedia. org/w/index. php? title=Lloyd_Pyeoldid=100764730 Origin belief. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 2 Feb 2007, 02:20 UTC.