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What is Creationism?

Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov

Creationism is the religious belief that the universe was made by a creation deity. Creationism first appeared in ancient Pagan religions, and many of the world's cultures have creation myths, despite being widely separated in time and space. This phenomena suggests that a creation mythos may be a human universal, or nearly so. Today, creationism is closely associated with Abrahamic religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, but for many thousands of years creationism was a belief unconnected to any of these comparatively modern religions.

Throughout the duration of its lengthy history, creationism has supplied a concrete answer to a long-standing question -- how did Nature get here, and why is it so complex? Until the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species in 1858, there were few viable challengers to the notion that a being purposefully created Nature. However, even among creationists, there was always great disagreement on which god or gods was responsible for the creation of the world. Generally, such beliefs would reflect the local culture and tradition -- the aborigines had Dreamtime, different Native American tribes had their own beliefs, early Europeans believed in a variety of harvest, war, and fertility gods, etc.

Two unicellular organisms.
Two unicellular organisms.

In the past couple thousand years, Abrahamic religions have spread over much of the face of the Earth, converting billions and associating creationism with the idea of a specific Abrahamic god. Many creationists reject evolution, arguing that Christian creation theology should be taught in science classrooms alongside Darwinian theory. Most scientists vehemently reject creationism, and the controversy rages on. Creationists vary to the degree in which they conceive of their god or gods as an active participant in the unfolding of the cosmos or just an initial creator and subsequent observer. Many creationists believe in Darwinian evolution, saying that though their god initially created the universe at its beginning, he did not create individual animals, which instead evolved over billions of years from unicellular ancestors. This stance has been termed theistic evolution.

Charles Darwin, one of the first evolutionary theorists.
Charles Darwin, one of the first evolutionary theorists.

Around 1929, the term "creationism" began being associated in the United States strongly with a new wave of Christian fundamentalism, particularly popular in the nation's Midwest. These new creationists emphasized a literal interpretation of the book of Genesis, which states that the world and all its initial inhabitants, including the ancestors of all living humans and animals, were created in seven days approximately 6,000-10,000 years ago, depending on their interpretation of the genealogies of the Bible. These creationists are some of the most enthusiastic advocates of the idea of creationism, and clash most strongly with anti-creationist scientists.

Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov

Michael is a longtime WiseGEEK contributor who specializes in topics relating to paleontology, physics, biology, astronomy, chemistry, and futurism. In addition to being an avid blogger, Michael is particularly passionate about stem cell research, regenerative medicine, and life extension therapies. He has also worked for the Methuselah Foundation, the Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and the Lifeboat Foundation.

Learn more...
Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov

Michael is a longtime WiseGEEK contributor who specializes in topics relating to paleontology, physics, biology, astronomy, chemistry, and futurism. In addition to being an avid blogger, Michael is particularly passionate about stem cell research, regenerative medicine, and life extension therapies. He has also worked for the Methuselah Foundation, the Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and the Lifeboat Foundation.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

Cade03

The Bible is usually not metaphorical. Revelation is literal (though it doesn't seem like it); it is the same as Genesis. Biblical accuracy is unparalleled as it has predicted, World War II, the Jewish return to Israel, and the European Union. The Earth was created in seven days, unlike the Gap theory which is in conflict with Genesis 1:5. The day-age theory suggests plants survived, millions of years without the sun, which is unscientific.

Qohe1et

There is a difference between creationism and intelligent design. Those who believe in intelligent design are not following a moral credo of scripture, but are honestly taking note of how the pattern of evolution is so intricate and perfectly functioning that it points to something behind it all. Those who even suggest that this might be the case, however, are often labeled as creationists and ostracized from the scientific community.

dbuckley212

Creationism isn't always a matter of a strict seven day creation. Some creationists believe that the universe could have been created in a longer amount of time than that, and don't take the book of Genesis literally in that sense. Genesis was meant to be read like poetry, and encapsulates how the world came into being metaphorically, much like Revelation encapsulates the end metaphorically.

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    • Two unicellular organisms.
      Two unicellular organisms.
    • Charles Darwin, one of the first evolutionary theorists.
      By: nickolae
      Charles Darwin, one of the first evolutionary theorists.
    • Creationism holds that Earth was made by a deity.
      By: pio3
      Creationism holds that Earth was made by a deity.
    • Some who believe in creationism hold fast to the idea that the world was created in seven days.
      By: ErgSap - Android apps !
      Some who believe in creationism hold fast to the idea that the world was created in seven days.