Abstract
It is well recognised that fundamentalist believers hold tenaciously to their beliefs and go to great lengths to rationalise them when presented with conflicting evidence. The descriptive paper begins with a discussion of the development of Christian Fundamentalism and its relationship to science. I then examine the views of one Young Earth creationist group, Answers in Genesis through examination of their websites. This organization rejects modern scientific theories on cosmology, geology, linguistics, palaeontology and evolutionary biology and accepts a worldview which sees the universe, the Earth and life originating about 6,000 years ago. I discuss their views of scientific methodology and their differentiation between operational and origins science.
Highlights
The term Fundamentalism derives from a movement in American Protestantism that arose among Evangelical Christians in the early part of the 20th Century as a reaction to modernism and that stresses the infallibility of the Bible, in matters of faith and morals, and as a literal historical record, holding as essential to Christian faith belief in such doctrines as the creation of the world, the virgin birth, physical resurrection, atonement by the sacrificial death of Christ, and the Second Coming [1,2,3]
In this paper we focus on one Christian fundamentalist movement- Answers in Genesis (AiG), their views on evolution and their understanding of science through examination of their websites
The main problems with science emerge in relation to epistemological issues at the borders between the religious and the secular, in relation to life, reproduction and the living, both at the explanatory and the active levels [7] and efforts have been made in the USA to make scientific beliefs conform with religious beliefs through teaching in biology classes, a tradition which extends back to the renown Scopes Trial and continues today in several mid-western states
Summary
The term Fundamentalism derives from a movement in American Protestantism that arose among Evangelical Christians in the early part of the 20th Century as a reaction to modernism and that stresses the infallibility of the Bible, in matters of faith and morals, and as a literal historical record, holding as essential to Christian faith belief in such doctrines as the creation of the world, the virgin birth, physical resurrection, atonement by the sacrificial death of Christ, and the Second Coming [1,2,3]. For instance Jerry Falwell, evangelical fundamentalist Southern Baptist pastor, argues that the Bible is inerrant in terms of matters pertaining to geography, science and history. Another element is biblical clarity- the scripture is a guide to everyman and everyone is capable of understanding its truths which will be revealed by the Holy Spirit. In recent years there has been an escalation of Christian fundamentalist activity in America [5,6] Some of their actions that have made the national headlines include proposing new legislation to reintroduce prayer into public schools, teach biblical creation in science classes, and abolish the constitutional sanction separating church and state [4]
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