How to Defend Evolutionism Against Creationism
Separate faith and science., Acknowledge evolution’s limits., Point to other creation myths., Accept that evolution and God do not have to be contradictory.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Separate faith and science.
Science tries to understand the natural world and how it works.
Think of it as a method of inquiry, one that measures and gathers evidence in support of or against hypotheses.
But science as it stands has no way to determine whether or not a deity exists.
It can’t make a judgment on the issue.Make this key distinction, or you’ll get nowhere.
Point out that evolution tries to explain the growth of life on earth.
It has nothing to say about the origins of life or the universe.
Arguments like “something can't come from nothing” aren't relevant to the question at hand.
The central idea of biological evolution is that all life on Earth shares a common ancestor, just as you and your cousins share a common grandmother.
Through the process of descent with modification, the common ancestor of life on Earth gave rise to the fantastic diversity that we see documented in the fossil record and around us today.
Evolution means that we're all distant cousins: humans and oak trees, hummingbirds and whales.
Accept and ask the other person to accept that one of you is talking about science, which is supported by empirical evidence, while the other is talking about faith and non-science. -
Step 2: Acknowledge evolution’s limits.
Both creationism and evolution are worldviews.
They proceed from a certain account of the world’s origins and assume the world conforms to this account.
In other words, the conclusion is already held to be true.
Recognize that this worldview limits you, just as your friend’s worldview limits her.Be able to admit that you can’t disprove the existence of deities or with evolutionary theory, just as your friend can’t disprove evolution with arguments from faith.
However you can debunk falsifiable hypotheses, including creation myths and if there was valid evidence against the theory of evolution, it would be accepted by the scientific community.
No one really knows the origins of the universe or where we came from.
Make a goodwill effort to see things from the creationist point of view.
Don’t be afraid to admit that science cannot explain everything about the origin of life.
At the same time, what we don’t know now may well be discovered in the future. , Point out that most religious traditions have creation myths.
The Judeo-Christian story from the Bible is not unique, but has parallels in Babylonian texts like the Enuma Elish (i.e., in the beginning, there was only undifferentiated water swirling in chaos).
Many other religious traditions have their own stories, as well.The ancient Persians believed that the universe was created in a six or seven part series.
First the sky, then water, the earth, plants and animals, and humans.
Fire was the last creation.The ancient Greeks told the story of Gaia, the earth, who gave birth to the heavens, mountains, and sea.
She later gave birth to the world-ocean and other primordial races.The Yoruba people say that, before the earth, the god Olorun lived with divine entities called orisha around a great baobab tree in the sky. , People like to argue that science and religion, or faith and reason, are mutually exclusive.
This is not so.
The fact is that science is agnostic about God – it has nothing to say about a divine creator.
This means that it is possible to believe in evolution AND in a divinely created universe.
Many religious people reject naturalistic evolution because they think it denies God’s role in the universe, especially in creation and providence (i.e., the idea that God actively intervenes on earth).
Evolution may contradict a literal reading of the Bible.
But, people have read the Bible in other ways for centuries and many Christians accept the story as a myth or allegory, not the literal truth.
Point out that religious figures like Pope Francis believe in evolution, and say that evolution is not only compatible with a Creator but requires it. -
Step 3: Point to other creation myths.
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Step 4: Accept that evolution and God do not have to be contradictory.
Detailed Guide
Science tries to understand the natural world and how it works.
Think of it as a method of inquiry, one that measures and gathers evidence in support of or against hypotheses.
But science as it stands has no way to determine whether or not a deity exists.
It can’t make a judgment on the issue.Make this key distinction, or you’ll get nowhere.
Point out that evolution tries to explain the growth of life on earth.
It has nothing to say about the origins of life or the universe.
Arguments like “something can't come from nothing” aren't relevant to the question at hand.
The central idea of biological evolution is that all life on Earth shares a common ancestor, just as you and your cousins share a common grandmother.
Through the process of descent with modification, the common ancestor of life on Earth gave rise to the fantastic diversity that we see documented in the fossil record and around us today.
Evolution means that we're all distant cousins: humans and oak trees, hummingbirds and whales.
Accept and ask the other person to accept that one of you is talking about science, which is supported by empirical evidence, while the other is talking about faith and non-science.
Both creationism and evolution are worldviews.
They proceed from a certain account of the world’s origins and assume the world conforms to this account.
In other words, the conclusion is already held to be true.
Recognize that this worldview limits you, just as your friend’s worldview limits her.Be able to admit that you can’t disprove the existence of deities or with evolutionary theory, just as your friend can’t disprove evolution with arguments from faith.
However you can debunk falsifiable hypotheses, including creation myths and if there was valid evidence against the theory of evolution, it would be accepted by the scientific community.
No one really knows the origins of the universe or where we came from.
Make a goodwill effort to see things from the creationist point of view.
Don’t be afraid to admit that science cannot explain everything about the origin of life.
At the same time, what we don’t know now may well be discovered in the future. , Point out that most religious traditions have creation myths.
The Judeo-Christian story from the Bible is not unique, but has parallels in Babylonian texts like the Enuma Elish (i.e., in the beginning, there was only undifferentiated water swirling in chaos).
Many other religious traditions have their own stories, as well.The ancient Persians believed that the universe was created in a six or seven part series.
First the sky, then water, the earth, plants and animals, and humans.
Fire was the last creation.The ancient Greeks told the story of Gaia, the earth, who gave birth to the heavens, mountains, and sea.
She later gave birth to the world-ocean and other primordial races.The Yoruba people say that, before the earth, the god Olorun lived with divine entities called orisha around a great baobab tree in the sky. , People like to argue that science and religion, or faith and reason, are mutually exclusive.
This is not so.
The fact is that science is agnostic about God – it has nothing to say about a divine creator.
This means that it is possible to believe in evolution AND in a divinely created universe.
Many religious people reject naturalistic evolution because they think it denies God’s role in the universe, especially in creation and providence (i.e., the idea that God actively intervenes on earth).
Evolution may contradict a literal reading of the Bible.
But, people have read the Bible in other ways for centuries and many Christians accept the story as a myth or allegory, not the literal truth.
Point out that religious figures like Pope Francis believe in evolution, and say that evolution is not only compatible with a Creator but requires it.
About the Author
Robert Sanders
Robert Sanders is an experienced writer with over 2 years of expertise in non profit. Passionate about sharing practical knowledge, Robert creates easy-to-follow guides that help readers achieve their goals.
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