The Evolution Vs. Creationism Conflict Essays - Creationism

The Evolution Vs. Creationism Conflict (This is an inquiry that I wrote for a high school composition class - use it for reference, but I wouldn't recommend or appreciate it being submitted into a proffesor.) The merits of the arguments between the theory of evolution and the belief in creationism is a topic that has bestirred an interest in me for several years. I think that most people have an opinion on the topic or are trying to form one. An example of this is the Christian fish that emphasizes a creationist view found on the back of many cars. In contradiction, there is a growing response to this emblem by people who publicize their evolutionist views by posting a fish with ?Darwin? written on the inside and feet on the bottom. This strikes me as an interesting controversy that everyone can and should know more about. I have acquired basic opinions on the topic that have come from both viewpoints which leaves me with the struggle of establishing my own belief. Sources that have influenced me before I began investigating the topic include Christian religion, school, my parents, media, and my peers. When I began investigating the subject, I found extensive information full of particula r evidence. However, the viewpoints are generally conservative and are strictly either for evolution or for creationism. This inquiry will hopefully illustrate an overview of the ongoing debate. Most people view the theory of evolution as being a feasible explanation of how life became what is today. Evolution is a theory that the various organisms are descended from others that lived in earlier times and that the differences are due to inherited changes that occurred over many generations. It must be realized that evolution is a theory and cannot be considered a fact. Even though it's roots are from Greek anatomists, the theory of evolution came to light in 1859 when Charles Darwin published his book The Origin of Species, which dealt with natural selection. Since then, scientists have been continually searching for proof for the theory through research and experimentation. Some of the topics that are associated with proving the theory are fossil records, carbon-14 dating, and DNA testing. These are also noted as part of phylogenetic systematics, which is the term used for classifying and understanding the relationships and history among species of the past and present. Nat ural selection, or ?survival of the fittest?, is the mechanics of evolution. Natural selection deals with the dying of weaker offspring of an organism, and the survival of the stronger offspring. When a strong organism survives, its dominent genes are passed on to its offspring. Over time, these genes will lead to mutations, which allow a species to adapt as they slowly move to different environments or other natural change. This is a broad interpretation of how evolutionists explain, for instance, sea creatures becoming land creatures. Evolutionists believe that life began on earth when chemicals combined to produce the first cell. Throughout the course of millions of years, single cell organisms arose to life as it known today. Fundamentally, evolution is based on scientific reasoning and experimentation. As with most sciences, inaccuracies do occur through new discoveries and the theory of evolution must be rethought. Creationism deals with the theory that the world was created in a brief amount of time by a higher being. Creationism has been the way humans explain the making of the earth and the inhabitants on it for thousands of years. This has been depicted through ancient hieroglyphs, stories, and popular mythology. Although almost every culture, ethnicity, and religion that has ever believed in a higher being has its own creation story, I will be focusing on the popular fundamentalist Christian version. These creationists believe that the entire cosmos, the Earth and all its creatures, were created by God in six days between 5,000 and 10,000 years ago as described in the old testament's book of Genesis. They believe that geological records were laid down as a result of a worldwide flood. Most creationists disagree with a majority of the scientific theories used to prove evolution. They believe that life was presented all at once in nearly the same complex forms that are seen today. That