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GLOSSARY
Evolution, Creationism and Intelligent Design
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Abiogenesis (Origin of
Life, Prebiotic Evolution). Today, abiogenesis
refers to the chemical origins of life from non-living
chemical compounds billions of years ago. The
long-since discredited concept of "Aristotelian abiogenesis"
held that life was generated spontaneously from the natural
environment. [+] |
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Abington School District
v. Schempp
(Jun 17, 1963). The U.S. Supreme Court declares guided
or sanctioned bible reading in public schools to be an
unconstitutional
violation of the
Establishment Clause.
While not directly related to evolution or creationism, it
is precedent for
Epperson and part of a series of cases that infuriated many social conservatives.
[T] [+] |
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Adaptation. Both a verb and a noun, this can
refer to both the process
of change adapt to environmental and other conditions, and
to the change itself (e.g., a new limb or ability).
Evolution
depends on
natural selection to "pick" which organisms and, hence,
which adaptations survive to the next generation. [+] |
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Agnosticism. Agnosticism
is the belief that some things—particularly the true nature of God—are unknown or unknowable. The
term was coined by scientist
Thomas Huxley
in the 1860s, and became inseparable from his views on
evolution. Huxley's so-called
agnostic evolutionism was developed in part as a defense
from attacks by various proponents of
creationism that
evolution
that evolutionists were inherently atheistic and a threat to
Christianity. [+] |
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Agnostic Evolutionism.
A somewhat arcane term, this refers to the evolution-related
beliefs of those who, like
Thomas Huxley, support
evolution
but (1) do not wish to take a position on related issues of
faith and
Genesis or (2) do not think there is any necessary
relationship between evolutionary science and religious
issues. Agnostic evolutionists may be atheists,
agnostics or have strong religious beliefs; they are simply
"agnostic" with respect to any connection between scientific
and religious realms. See also
Non-Overlapping Magisteria. Agnostic evolutionists
are sometimes contrasted with supporters of
atheist evolutionism. |
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Anthropic Principle.
Proponents of
Intelligent Design
claim the "fine-tuning" of the universe that is required to
create and sustain life, and human life in particular,
cannot be the result of random events. The anthropic
principle supposes that particulars of gravity and other
forces, the nature of our planet and solar system, are so
well tuned to our needs that an
Intelligent Designer
must have made it thus. Opponents of ID respond
that this principle presumes an intended outcome (human life
exactly as it is today) and is logically flawed in other
ways. [+] |
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Argument from Design.
One of the earliest and best known arguments in favor of
intelligence behind
creation was made by
William Paley
in his 1803 work, Natural Theology. In this
book, Paley proposes that the complexity of nature cannot be
explained by natural processes. One of his most
compelling arguments involved discovery of a watch in a
field. You would not assume, simply because you had
discovered the watch in nature, that the watch had naturally
come into being by natural processes. You would assume that
someone designed and manufactured this watch. Paley's
Argument by Design extended this logic to natural systems
including the vertebrate eye.
Darwin
had read Natural Theology in college, and
Origin therefore specifically addresses Paley's argument
regarding eyes—showing how the could have developed through
natural selection. The most recent manifestation of
Argument by Design is
Intelligent
Design, which is why
Richard
Dawkin's recent polemic in opposition to ID is entitled,
The Blind Watchmaker. [T]
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Atheist Evolutionism. Essentially a belief
that evolutionary science is the only correct "story" of
biological creation and specifically denies the existence of God. The infamy of some atheist evolutionists such as
Karl Marx has led many to assume (incorrectly) that
evolution is synonymous with atheism and evil. Atheist
evolutionists are sometimes contrasted with supporters of
agnostic evolutionism.
Humanist
evolutionism and
materialist evolutionism are essentially synonymous from
a creationist perspective. |
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Behe, Michael (1952 - Present).
Professor, biochemist and author of
Darwin's Black Box, Behe
is one of the best known advocates of
Intelligent Design
and, specifically, the concept of
irreducible complexity. He is also a fellow at the
Center for Science and Culture. [B] [+] |
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Biological Evolution.
This is the specific type of
evolution that deals with the development of living
organisms, as opposed to prebiotic evolution (origin
of life) or
cosmic evolution.
Unless otherwise specified, the term "evolution" always
refers to biological evolution on this site. |
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Book of Genesis. This is the first book of the
Old Testament, and tells the Christian story of creation. The specific events and timelines of Genesis
I and II are the primary points of potential conflict with
evolution. [+] |
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Bryan, William Jennings (1860 -
1925). Jennings was a three-time Democratic
presidential nominee and Populist. Known as the Great
Commoner because of his deep faith and lifelong support of
ordinary American values, he famously took on the role of
prosecutor during the
Scopes
Trial in 1925. Bryan was also the driving force
behind many antievolution state laws and legislation.
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Butler Act (1925). This act made it illegal
for schools in Tennessee to teach any form of
evolutionary science that implied human beings had
descended from animals. Specifically, the law states,
"That it shall be unlawful for any teacher in any of the
Universities, Normals and all other public schools of the
State which are supported in whole or in part by the public
school funds of the State, to teach any theory that denies
the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the
Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a
lower order of animals."1
This act was the
basis for the infamous
Scopes
Monkey Trial. [T] [+] |
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Catastrophism (Emerges c.
1817).
The geological theories
of French naturalist Georges Cuvier, eventually labeled
catastrophism, held that abrupt changes brought about the
extinctions revealed by contemporary fossil discoveries.
Cuvier hypothesized that these abrupt changes, or
catastrophes, were caused by God—in
contrast with more gradual and natural processes suggested
by Hutton's
uniformitarianism.
[T] [+] |
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Common Descent (Ancestry).
Evolution as proposed by
Darwin in
The Origin of Species supposes that all life on earth
descends from a common ancestor, often called the universal
common ancestor. This
was the first of two major arguments in Origin, the second
being the far more controversial process of
natural selection. [+] |
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Cosmic Evolution.
The general process by which the universe and entire
physical world came into being and developed to its current
state, as opposed to
prebiotic evolution (origin
of life) and
biological evolution. |
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Creationism.
Refers to Christian belief in the creation of (1) the
universe, including the earth (2) the biological world,
including all plants and animals and (3) humankind, exactly
and literally as described in
Genesis. There is a great deal
of variability in creation beliefs and many types of
creationism. Unless otherwise specified, creationism
as used on this site refers to any belief based on a literal
interpretation of Genesis. [+] |
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Creation Science (Scientific
Creation). Creation scientists and
Young Earth
Creationists argue that scientific evidence fully
supports
Genesis and other biblical timelines and events,
including the literal story of Noah's flood. The
Institute for Creation Research is one of its main advocates. [+] |
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Darrow, Clarence (1857 - 1938).
Darrow
was a prominent defense attorney and atheist who is perhaps
most famous for his role defending
John Scopes during the
Scopes Trial in 1925.
[+] |
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Darwin, Charles Robert (1809 - 1882). British
naturalist and author of the
Origin of Species and numerous other books
on biology, Darwin is generally credited with the
establishment of
evolution as a serious science and with originating the
core concept of
natural selection. [+]
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Darwinian
Evolution (Evolution).
This term is most frequently used by opponents of evolution,
along with the equally derogative "Darwinism". |
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Day-Age Creationism.
Day-age creationists believe that the days of
Genesis are not 24-hour days and can be read more
accurately as years (thousands, millions or billions of
years). This prolonged Genesis timeline makes day-age
creationists old
earth creationists—believing evidence that the earth is
far older than 10,000 years—but they do not necessarily
support
evolution. [+] |
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Dawkins, Richard (1941 - Present). British
ethologist (animal behaviorist), writer and atheist, Dawkins
is often referred to as Darwin's Rottweiler for the
vehemence of this arguments favoring
evolution—much as
Thomas Huxley
was referred to as Darwin's Bulldog more than a century
earlier. Dawkins is the author of numerous books and
publications on evolution, including
The Selfish Gene
in 1976 and a more recent response to
Intelligent Design
entitled
The
Blind Watchmaker:
Why the
Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe without Design.
[+] |
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Deistic Evolutionism.
A creation belief wherein God started the
universe of (with a Big Bang, if you will), and let it run
on its own without further interference. The outcome
of
evolution
and other processes are not, therefore, deterministic
(they lack
teleology).
This is considered less
conservative than
theistic evolution at least in part because some deists
believe God ceased to exist or otherwise distanced himself
from the material world after setting the universe in
motion. [+]
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Dembski, William Albert (1960 -
Present).
Mathematician, creationist and author of
Science and Evidence for Design in the Universe,
Dembski
is one of the best known advocates of
Intelligent Design
and, specifically, the concept of
specified complexity.
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Edwards v. Aguillard
(1987). In this case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled
the teaching of
Creation Science
along with
evolution in public schools, as required by Louisiana
law, unconstitutional. However, the court opened the
door for future challenges to evolution by allowing the
teaching of alternative theories that had a clear secular
and scientific intent.
Intelligent Design, and its nominally scientific
packaging, came about at least partially in response to this
ruling. [T] [+] |
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Engel v. Vitale (Jun 25, 1962). The U.S. Supreme Court declares
school prayer to be a
violation of the
Establishment Clause
of the Constitution. While not
directly related to evolution or creationism, Vitale is
part of a series of cases that infuriated many social
conservatives. [T] [+] |
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Epperson v. Arkansas
(1968). The U.S. Supreme Court rules
that an Arkansas law prohibiting the teaching of evolution
in public schools is an unconstitutional violation of the
Establishment Clause,
but does not explicitly prohibit the teaching of
creationism. This would not happen until
Edwards in 1987. [T]
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Establishment Clause.
This section of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof." There is some disagreement on whether this
should be interpreted to prevent government intrusion in
religion, religious influence in government, or both.
The "separation or church and state" interpretation implies
that both types of influence are prohibited. [+] |
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Evolution.
In simplest terms, evolution is the process by which
biological organisms change (in a beneficial manner) over
time. As developed by
Darwin in the
Origin of Species, evolution comprised at least two
major concepts:
common ancestry (descent) and
natural selection. Common descent is the theory
that all life on earth descends from a common ancestor.
Natural selection is the process by which the changes
resulting from mutation are "selected" for their
contribution to an organism's viability and survival.
The
modern synthesis of evolution incorporates
Mendelian inheritance
to describe how adaptive changes are passed to future
generations. [+] |
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Evolutionary
Creationism. A conservatives take on
theistic evolution,
evolutionary creationism holds that
evolution and literal
Genesis
creation are or can be true, with biblical events occurring
outside of normal time. [+] |
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Evolutionism. This somewhat vague term refers
to the embrace of not only
evolution-as-science,
but evolution-as-worldview. Many
creationists regard atheism and evolutionism as
equivalent
materialist
worldviews. [+] |
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Fine-tuned
Universe.
See the
anthropic
principle. [+] |
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Flat Earthism.
Flat Earthism is more than a type of
creationism; it is an extraordinarily conservative and
vanishingly rare worldview based on a strict biblical literalism. In addition to believing
in an exact interpretation of
Genesis, Flat
Earthers believe the
earth is a circular disc rather than a sphere. This
belief is based on scriptural references such as angels
standing at the "four corners" of the earth. Almost no
one believes in Flat Earthism and it's doubtful the
"movement" will long survive the (pending) passing of its
modern leader, Charles Johnson and his International Flat
Earth Society. Most modern creationists consider flat
earthism absurd and founded on a misinterpretation of
scripture. [+] |
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Fundamentalism (Emerges c.
1905).
Emerges in early 1900s as a Protestant view that
stressed the inerrancy of the Bible, at least partially in
reaction to the increasing popularity of evolution and
Catholic immigration. Catholics were then and remain
more accepting of
evolution. [T]
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Gap
Creationism
(Gap Theory).
There are many variants of Gap Creationism, all of which
represent efforts to bring science and religion together by looking
between the lines of
Genesis to see where geologic (but not
evolutionary) science might fit. Geological
exploration and research exploded in the 1800s, providing
almost limitless proof that the Earth is older than the
6,000 or so years allowed for by biblical timelines.
Gap Theory addresses this by inserting much of geological
time (millions or billions of years) between either (1)
Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 or (2) Genesis 1 and 2 (the creation of
Adam and Eve). Because Gap Theory allows for an almost
literal reading of the bible, retains the 24-hour days of
creation, and rejects evolution, it is considered one of the
more conservative interpretations of Genesis—but is still
ejected by biblical literalists.
Gap Theory is easily confused with the distinct term, "God
of the Gaps". [T] [+] |
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Geocentrism.
Geocentrism is a belief that the sun rotates around the
earth, which is at the center of the universe. Like
Flat Earthism, this is based on
a literal interpretation of certain biblical passages
particularly Joshua 10:12-13 and Isaiah 66:1. Most
modern creationists consider
geocentrism ridiculous and founded on a misinterpretation of
these and other scriptural readings. As noted on
Answers in Genesis,
"While geocentrists present some interesting scientific
results, their scientific arguments are often based upon
improper understanding of theories and data. Much
of their case is based upon a misunderstanding of general
relativity and the rejection of that theory. While
geocentrists are well intended, their presence among recent
creationists produces an easy object of ridicule by our
critics."2
(emphasis added).
[+] |
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God of the Gaps. A
term generally used to deride efforts to insert God into
areas (gaps) where science has not yet offered a complete
explanation for natural events or processes. This is
distinct from
Gap
Creationism.
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Gould, Steven Jay (1941 - 2002). Biologist and
scientific historian, he coined the term "Non-Overlapping
Magisteria" to describe the separate and independent
realms of science and religion. He also co-developed
the concept of
punctuated equilibrium. [+] |
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Gray, Asa (1810 - 1888).
A medical doctor, professor and naturalist, Asa Gray was a contemporary
and friend of
Darwin and a
strong supporter of
evolution.
He also tried to combat the controversy created by
Huxley
and other atheist and
agnostic naturalists by minimizing the conflict between
evolution and faith.
His beliefs, that evolution and faith could exist
hand-in-hand, are generally described as the first form of
theistic evolution. He is most commonly known
today as the creator of
Gray's Anatomy.
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Haeckel, Ernst (1834 - 1919).
A German biologist and philosopher who wrote and spoke
widely on
evolution. He developed his biogenic theory, a
form of eugenics loosely based on evolutionary theory, into
a religion called Monism. Monism was adopted by the
Nazis as (partial) intellectual justification for Hitler's genocide of
Jews, gypsies and other "lesser" peoples. Haeckel also
coined the idea that "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny"
(development of an organism in the womb reveals its
evolutionary history). He supported his views on
phylogeny with now discredited and infamous drawings of
embryonic development. These drawings were one of the
many targets of
Jonathan Wells
in his criticism of evolution,
The Icons of Evolution. [+] |
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Humani Generis (1950).
In this
papal encyclical, Pope Pius XII states that, "The
Church does not forbid that...research and discussions, on
the part of men experienced in both fields, take place with
regard to the doctrine of evolution, in as far as it
inquires into the origin of the human body as coming from
pre-existent and living matter."
In other words, Catholicism has no conflict with
evolution.
[T] |
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Humanist Evolution/ism
(Materialist Evolution). A derogatory term most
often used by
creationists to describe evolution itself as inherently
materialist, atheist and
secular humanist.
Atheist evolutionism and
materialist evolutionism
are essentially synonymous from a creationist perspective. |
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Huxley, Thomas Henry (1825 - 1895).
A British biologist, Huxley was one of the most vehement
19th Century defenders of
evolution.
Huxley was often
referred to as Darwin's Bulldog, much as
Dawkins
is now referred to as Darwin's Rottweiler. In truth,
Huxley was often more concerned with the advocacy of
materialism than evolution (evolution was
imply a useful too to that end). Huxley's co-mingling
of materialism and evolution provided a great deal of
ammunition to Christians who increasingly associated
evolution with atheism. Huxley himself coined the term
agnostic
to describe his views of science, faith and world in
general. [+] |
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Inherit the Wind
(1955, 1960).
A 1955 play first adopted for film in 1960, Inherit
the Wind tells a story loosely based on the events of
the
Scopes Trial. In the 1960 film, Spencer Tracey
plays the equivalent of
Clarence
Darrow, portraying him as a clear and articulate modern
thinker. The
creationist
position is portrayed far less flatteringly. Given
that far more Americans probably saw the movie than
witnessed the trial or heard the radio-broadcast trial, the negative
portrayal of creationists as backward and ignorant added
substantial fuel to the backlash against
evolution. [T] [+] |
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Intelligent Design (Emerges Late1980s)
Intelligent Design, a modern adaptation of
Paley's
Argument from Design, supposes that some biological
systems are so complex and/or unlikely that the randomness
of
evolution cannot explain their existence or function.
To solve this problem, ID offers up an unknown "Intelligent
Designer", but offers no related scientific research or
experimentation to help define this designer or how
he/she/it acts on the natural world. The science of ID
(described as pseudo-science by most evolutionists) is
brought to bear in a direct attack on
macroevolution, while generally accepting of
microevolution as factual. This attack comes in
three forms:
irreducible complexity,
specified complexity, and the
anthropic principle. Opponents of ID contend that
it is just Creation Science in scientific clothes, which is
why ID is often called
stealth creationism or
neo-creationism. This position strongly supported by
ID's history, the
creationist beliefs of many ID advocates, and the
Wedge Document
of the
Discovery Institute. [T]
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Intelligent Design Creationism (IDC).
Many regard
Intelligent
Design as a
form of
stealth creationism, and refer to ID as Intelligent
Design Creationism. |
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Intelligent Designer.
See
Intelligent
Design.
Most advocates of ID state that the intelligent designer in
question is not necessarily God—and could presumably be an
extra-terrestrial or supernatural force. The sincerity
of this statement has been broadly questioned, especially
since publication of
The Wedge document. |
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Irreducible Complexity.
One of the key concepts of
Intelligent
Design,
irreducible complexity supposes that many biological systems
(e.g., vertebrate eyes, blood clotting, flagella) could not
have developed through the step-wise process of
evolution.
Take away any of the subcomponents of the eye, for instance,
and ID proponents believe the remaining parts serve no
purpose; evolution cannot explain how these simple but
independently useless components self-assembled to create
the eye, so a
designer is required. Most evolutionary scientists
obviously disagree, believing that no biological system is
irreducibly complex. [+] |
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Kitzmiller
v. Dover School District (December 20,
2005). Judge John Jones
III of the Third US District Court in Harrisburg, PA rules
that, "Our conclusion today is that it is unconstitutional
to teach
intelligent design
as an alternative to evolution in a public school classroom"
as had been proposed by a recently ousted Dover, PA
school board. [T] |
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Lamarck, Jean-Baptiste (1774 - 1829).
Major French biologist and originator of so-called
Lamarckism. Lamarck's work on heredity, while
quickly discredited, was noted by
Darwin
as
important early thinking on the subject of
evolution.
[+]
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Lamarckism.
A pre-Origin
theory of
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck formally called the "inheritance
of acquired traits", holding that people adapt during their
lifetimes and pass these adaptations on to their offspring.
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Lemon v. Kurtzman
(1971). In this
ruling against the subsidization of Catholic private schools
and teacher salaries, the U.S.
Supreme Court states that all laws must have a secular
purpose. The Court further provided the the so-called
"lemon-test" by which laws could be evaluated:
- The law or
regulation (government action) must have
a legitimate secular purpose;
- The
government action must not
have the primary effect of either
advancing or inhibiting religion;
and
- The
government action must not
result in an "excessive entanglement" of
the government and religion
Application of
this test is instrumental in later rulings on
evolution. [T] [+] |
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Macroevolution.
This somewhat ambiguous term generally refers to large
evolutionary developments such as
speciation. In the debate over evolution, many
antievolutionists concede
microevolution
(small changes) as a legitimate scientific process while
reserving macroevolution for God or an
Intelligent Designer. [+] |
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Materialism.
A philosophy that everything is matter and matter is
everything, the term "materialism" is generally used as a
pejorative reference by
creationists
to describe the
secular humanist
(liberal atheist/evolutionist)
worldview [+] |
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Materialist Evolution/ism
(Humanist Evolutionism). A derogatory term most
often used by
creationists to describe evolution itself as inherently
materialist, atheist and
secular humanist.
Atheist evolutionism and
humanist evolutionism are essentially synonymous from a
creationist perspective. |
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McCollum v. Board of
Education (Mar 8, 1948).
The U.S. Supreme Court declares religious classes in public
schoolrooms to be a
violation of the
Establishment Clause
of the U.S. Constitution.
While not directly related to evolution or creationism, it
is precedent for
Schempp
and part of a series of cases that infuriated many
social conservatives. |
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McLean v. Arkansas Board
of Education
(1982). A U.S. District Court rules that Arkansas' 1981 Act
590 (requiring "balanced treatment of
Creation-Science
and evolution in public schools"), violates the
Establishment Clause
of the U.S. Constitution. [T]
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Mendel, Gregor (1822 - 1884). Mendel was an
Austrian monk who labored in obscurity to understand the
processes of generic inheritance. Mendel's Laws of
Inheritance were later combined with
evolution to create the
modern (evolutionary) synthesis. [+] |
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Mendelian Inheritance.
See Gregor
Mendel. [+] |
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Microevolution. This
somewhat ambiguous term generally refers to small
evolutionary developments such as changes in skin or hair
color within a species. In the debate on evolution,
many antievolutionists concede microevolution as a scientific
process while reserving
macroevolution for God or an
Intelligent Designer. [+] |
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Modern Synthesis
(Neo-Darwinism). A combination of
evolutionary theory and
Mendelian inheritance
that emerged in the 1940s. Today, the modern synthesis
incorporates a broad range of scientific disciplines in
support of various aspects of evolution, including biology,
microbiology, biochemistry, anthropology and paleontology. [+] |
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Natural Selection.
This is
Darwin's explanation of how natural organisms adapt to
and survive in nature—the process by which the randomness of
mutation becomes the order of
evolution. In essence, only those adaptations
which most benefit an individual's survival and reproduction
are passed to later (surviving) generations by genetic inheritance.
Natural selection was one of two major arguments in
Origin, the other being that all life on Earth has a
common ancestor. Neither of these two arguments
explained the process or mechanism for genetic inheritance,
a weakness that Darwin acknowledged. This weakness was
overcome in the
modern synthesis of evolution, which combined evolution
with
Mendelian genetics. Natural selection was first
described in 1858 papers by Darwin and Alfred Wallace
(Darwin's paper predated Wallace's), and was far more controversial than the
idea of evolution itself. Even
Thomas Huxley, a vehement supporter of evolution,
thought natural selection was inadequate to explain the
variation seen in nature. [+] |
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Neo-Creationism
(Stealth Creationism). The concept that
Intelligent
Design (and
similar efforts) are efforts to force Christian
creationism into public schools in a scientific
disguise. [+] |
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Neo-Darwinism
(New-Darwinian Synthesis). See the
modern synthesis. |
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Non-Overlapping
Magisteria (NOMA). A term coined by
Steven Gould
to describe the separation of natural and supernatural
(scientific and religious) worlds. [+] |
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Old Earth Creation (OEC). A
version of
creationism that allows for a very old age for the
earth, as determined by geology and other sciences, while
remaining doubtful about
biological evolution. This is a more liberal form
of creationism than
Young Earth
Creationism, but more conservative than
theistic evolution. [+] |
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The Omphalos
Hypothesis.
This is one of many 19th century attempts to reconcile
geological discoveries with biblical creation. The
hypothesis was that God had created the earth in the exact
timeline presented in Genesis, but had also created a vast
array of geological and physical evidence that the earth was
older than it actually was. This was quickly rejected
by scientists as un-falsifiable, and by most Christians
because it asserts that God is deceitful.
Young
Earth Creationists also reject this hypothesis,
addressing similar geological issues using
Creation Science
to (attempt to) show that the biblical timeline is correct.
[+] |
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Origin of Life (Abiogenesis, Prebiotic Evolution).
This is the theory of how life started, as opposed to
evolution
which is the theory of how life developed.
These issues are often confused, sometimes intentionally by
antievolutionists who maintain that evolution cannot explain
the origin of life—which is of course true, if irrelevant.
Darwin
made little effort to address the origin of life, concerning
himself with how life adapted and changed after it came into
existence. There is, unfortunately, far less
scientific research into abiogenesis than evolution. [+] |
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Origin of Species
(Nov 24, 1859). The evidence and research Darwin
summarized in Origin can be reduced to two basic
concepts. First, Darwin asserted that all living
things had evolved (descended with adaptation) from
common ancestors. Second, he stated that
natural selection was the primary process by which this
adaptation occurred. He specifically did not know how
adaptations were preserved and passed down to next
generations, and this would be a major point of controversy
with Darwinian
evolution until its
synthesis with the older but lesser known theory of
Mendelian genetics. It is important to note that
Darwin had no idea life originally came to be in its
simplest form (the
origin of life); he was only concerned with how life
evolved once it had come into being. [T] [+] |
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Paley, William (1743 - 1805).
English philosopher Paley was one of the first advocates
of a form of design from intelligence, and his 1803
Argument from Design is the intellectual predecessor of
modern
Intelligent Design.
Darwin
acknowledged Paley's views in
Origin, and specifically addressed these views in his
discussion of the vertebrate eye. [+] |
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Prebiotic
Evolution. See the
origin of life. |
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Progressive Creationism.
This is a somewhat liberal interpretation of
Genesis
that allows billions of years for
cosmic evolution, including the Big Bang.
Progressive Creationists also allows some roll for natural
development of life forms (microevolution),
but only after God has stepped in to create the major
species at various points in time—culminating with the
creation of man.
Intelligent Design recycles many Progressive Creation
ideas in scientific terms. [+] |
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Punctuated Equilibrium.
An argument by
Steven Gould and others that
evolution is lumpy (takes place in jumps and starts),
not smooth and gradual. This is one of many scientific
theories that antievolutionists have (wrongly) used as an
example of the controversial nature of evolution. [+] |
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Reliquae Diluvianae (Observations on the
Organic Remains attesting the Action of Universal Deluge)
(1823). This is the scientific summary of William
Buckland's claim to have discovered evidence of Noah's flood in
Yorkshire, England. Publication of Reliquae sparked a
fierce debate on he age of the earth, helping set the stage of the
controversy over
Origin of Species
thirty years later.
[T]
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Restitution Creationism. See
Gap
Creationism. |
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Ruin-Reconstruction (Creationism). See
Gap
Creationism. |
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Scientific Creationism.
See
Creation Science. |
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Scopes, John T. (1900 - 1970). A high school
teacher in Dayton Tennessee, who agreed to be the defendant
in a local publicity stunt based on challenging the state's
Butler Act. The resulting
Scopes Trial attracted national attention. [+] |
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Scopes "Monkey" Trial
(1925). One of the most infamous and misunderstood
trials in American history, this test of of Tennessee's
Butler
Act pitted
evolutionists against
creationism. When the Butler Act was passed, the
ACLU publicly announced that it would finance the trial of
anyone who challenged the new law.
John Scopes of Dayton, TN, volunteered after
encouragement by local businessmen who saw the opportunity
for free publicity. Famous attorney and atheist
Clarence Darrow
agreed to argue for the defense. Three-time
presidential candidate an d creationist
William Jennings Bryan argued for the state. The
trial was radio-broadcast and became a national spectacle.
In the end, Scopes lost and was fined $100 (a decision that
was turned over on appeal), but the damage had been done.
Creationists regard this trial as an unfair national
humiliation to this day. The resulting
antievolutionist anger was only exacerbated by the 1960
film,
Inherit the Wind, which was loosely based on the
trial. [T] [+] |
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Scott, Eugenie (1945 - Present). Physical
anthropologist,
secular humanist,
creationism opponent, and executive director of the
National Center for Science Education, Scott is also the
author of the recent
Evolution vs. Creationism. One of her better
known arguments is that people are not simply "creationists"
but, rather, hold more nuanced beliefs somewhere on the
evolution-creation continuum. [B] [+] |
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Secularism. In elementary terms, this is a
general belief that supernatural and religious issues should
not influence public policy or science. [+] |
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Secular Humanism. A worldview and philosophy
based on rationality, science, justice and a focus on human
rather than supernatural issues. Many
creationists
(and many secular humanists) regard
evolution and atheism as inseparable. [+] |
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St. Augustine
of Hippo (354 - 430). Theologian and saint of the
Roman Catholic Church, St. Augustine argued that it was a
"disgraceful and dangerous thing" to hold literal biblical
views that contrasted with common experience.
Adherence to these literal interpretations would appear
foolish and undermine the Christian message. [+] |
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Speciation. The division of one species into
two or more species which are no longer able to exchange
genetic material or reproduce. Speciation is on the
cusp between
microevolution
and
macroevolution, and is a hotly contested part of the
evolution-creationism
debate. [+] |
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Specified Complexity.
William
Dembski developed this key concepts of
Intelligent
Design, which
supposes that many biological systems cannot have occurred
by the allegedly random processes of
evolution.
Specified complexity argues that certain patterns found in
nature are posses a specified type of non-random complexity indicative of guidance and, hence, of design.
Most evolutionary scientists obviously disagree. [+] |
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Stealth Creationism.
See
Neo-Creationism. |
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Teaching the Controversy.
Advocates of
Intelligent Design are encouraging local schools to
encourage "teaching the controversy" of
evolution, thereby including concepts of Design.
The argument is that critical thinking in any discipline
should be encouraged, so why not teach the weaknesses of
evolution? The counter-argument is that the
"controversy" has been manufactured to force schools to
teach
neo-creationism. [+] |
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Teleology.
Teleology is the assertion that nature and natural processes
have a purpose or direction. In Christian terms, the
teleology of creation is that the purpose of creation
is a human species created in God's image. This is
contrasted with naturalist or materialist perspectives that
deny extrinsic teleology and suppose a lack of purpose in
evolution.
[+] |
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Theistic Evolution
(Evolutionary Creationism). A belief that
evolution
is just like any other science and is completely compatible
with Christian beliefs, but not with a literal
interpretation of
Genesis. Theistic evolutionists tend to believe that God
set the wheels of
cosmic and
biological creation
rolling at the dawn of creation and then stepped back,
letting things unfold as they may. The lack of
teleology,
or direction, to theistic evolution is one major reason for
its rejection by more conservative
creationists. [+] |
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Uniformitarianism
(Emerges 1785).
In contrast to generally-held young-earth views supported by
biblical timelines such as
Ussher's,
James Hutton's uniformitarian theory posits a very old earth in order to
allow sufficient time for the erosion of mountains and the
deposition of sedimentary layers on the sea floor.
Uniformitarianism is generally contrasted with
catastrophism.
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Ussher's Biblical Timeline (1650).
Bishop James Ussher publishes the Annals, using
biblical timelines to claim that the earth was created on
the evening before October 23, 4004 BC. Ussher's work
is often referenced by
Young Earth Creationists, who also
believe the earth is now roughly 6,000 years old.
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The Wedge Document (1999).
The
Discovery Institute
and many other advocates of
Intelligent
Design
frequently state that ID is not
stealth creationism, and the
Intelligent Designer is not necessarily the God of
Christianity. The Wedge is a nominally secret
publication of the Institute that appeared on the internet
in 1999, and appears to undermine these assertions by making
clearly religious statements regarding the purpose of the
Institute and ID in general. For instance, "The
Discovery Institute's Center for the Renewal of Science and
Culture seeks nothing less than the overthrow of materialism
and its cultural legacies...[re-opening] the case for a
broadly theistic understanding of nature" (emphasis
added. This is part of the Institute's overall
Wedge
Strategy. [T] [+] |
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Wedge Strategy.
A strategy of the
Discovery Institute
to bring about broad social and political change based on
reaffirmation of Christian beliefs.
Intelligent Design was revealed to be part of this
strategy in the infamous
Wedge Document. [+] |
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Young Earth Creationism (YEC).
A belief that the timeline of cosmic and natural creation,
and later historical events, all take place within the
literal biblical timeline (i.e., during the last 6,000 to
10,000 years). YEC is commonly associated with Henry
Morris, founder of the
Institute for Creation Research, and with
fundamentalist
Protestantism.
Creation Science
has been part of an historical effort to frame
creationism in scientific terms so that these Christian
beliefs can be taught alongside evolution in public schools.
Failure of this effort appears to be one of the main drivers
behind the development of
Intelligent Design. [+] |
Other Glossaries or Sources
1
UMKC Law Web Site on Nov 16, 2005
2 Danny Faulkner, "Geocentrism and Creation,"
Answers In Genesis, Nov 29, 2005 |
