Creation 'science' vs. religious attitudes.

• Author: McCollister, Betty

A FUNNY THING has happened to the teaching of evolution. Recognized by scientists all over the world as the key organizing principle in biology, comparable to gravity in physics and heliocentricity in astronomy and solidly confirmed by every branch of earth science and biology since Charles Darwin first advanced it in 1864, evolution has come under increasing, and increasingly successful, attack from Christian fundamentalists. Biologists who assumed that the Scopes trial settled the matter hardly could have been more wrong.

Today's creation "scientists," of whom there are about 700, tend to represent the battle as one of religion vs. science. All are Christian fundamentalists. Applicants for membership in the Creation Research Society, whose goal is "to reach all people with the vital message of the scientific and historic truth about creation," must sign this statement:

"1. The Bible is the written Word of God, and because we believe it to be inspired thruout [sic], all of its assertions are historically and scientifically true in all of the original autographs. To the student of nature, this means that the account of origins in Genesis is a factual presentation of simple historical truths.

"2. All basic types of living things, including man, were made by direct creative acts of God during Creation Week as described in Genesis. Whatever biological changes have occurred since Creation have accomplished only changes within the original created kinds.

"3. The great Flood described, commonly referred to as the Noachian Deluge, was an historical event, worldwide in its extent and effect.

"4. Finally, we are an organization of Christian men of science, who accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. The account of the special creation of Adam and Eve as one man and one woman, and their subsequent Fall into sin, is the basis for our belief in the necessity of a Savior for all mankind. Therefore, salvation can come only thru [sic] accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior."

As creationist Henry Morris summed up his position: "No Adam, no Fall; no Fall, no atonement; no atonement, no Saviour. Accepting Evolution, how can we believe in a Fall?"

Commenting on this material, and on creationists' admission that no evidence of any kind ever could persuade them to abandon their beliefs, Judge William Overton, in his decision in a 1982 landmark Arkansas case, wrote: "While anybody is free to approach a scientific inquiry in any fashion... they cannot properly describe the methodology used as scientific if they...