Creation and Evolution

Abstract

Words are not innocent, like for example chairs or pebbles on the beach. Words can injure or kill. Words can be misappropriated and instead of saying what they mean can start misleading, leading astray. Something of this sort has happened recently to two verbal expressions: “creationism” (“creation science”) and “intelligent design.” The term “creationism” was well-grounded in the philosophical and theological tradition and was in standard use in the sense of the Christian doctrine of the creation of the world by God. But the word has been misappropriated by fundamentalist groups in the USA who are convinced that the admission of the biological theory of evolution is in conflict with the Christian religion, claiming that the literal interpretation of Chap. 1 of the Book of Genesis should be accorded the name “creation science” and calling for “equal rights” for this “science” with the theories of modern biology. It took quite a long time for these ideas to reach Europe from the United States, nonetheless now, when someone (even in Europe) admits to a belief that the world was created he is almost automatically branded a Fundamentalist. I am not going to argue with “creation science.” Anyone who has read the previous chapters will see how profoundly unwarranted that standpoint is.