A Quick Overview of Evolution

The concept of evolution did not spring forth, fully developed from the mind of Charles Darwin during his historic voyage aboard the HMS Beagle. In fact, the idea of and theories of evolution themselves evolved over a long period of time.

Creationism was the generally accepted concept of how the world began for thousands and thousands of years, until well into the1700s. Erasmus Darwin wrote "Zoonomia" in the late 1700s, which began the move toward the ideas of evolution. The move was greatly accelerated in the early 1800s with the publication of Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species." This work is held up by many as the starting point in the creation vs. evolution battle. In it, Charles Darwin described the concepts of Survival of the Fittest and reported his observations of the evolution of various finches and other species he encountered in the Galapagos Islands and elsewhere. Now, the "theory of evolution" could best perhaps be referred to as a family of theories, in that there are several lines of thought within the larger concept of evolution, notably the ideas of "micro," "macro" and "transmutation." Each of these refers to a concept of increasing acceptance of the amount of change which can occur during the evolutionary process.

One of the greatest challenges in dealing with evolution from a cultural standpoint is that the word itself has become such a flashpoint, that once it is uttered or spoken, temperatures often quickly begin to rise and open-minded discussion becomes difficult. I find it is best in these situations to stop and attempt to understand exactly what is meant by the word in question, in this case, "evolution."

Webster's New World College Dictionary (2001 edition) offers several definitions for the word "evolution," two of which apply to the biological concept:

· a process of continuous change from a lower, simpler, or worse to a higher, more complex, or better state;

· a theory that the various types of animals and plants have their origin in other preexisting types and that the distinguishable differences are due to modifications in successive generations.

Much of organized Christian religion finds itself at odds with the broad theory of evolution. Both of the above definitions are at odds with key parts of Christian thought: the first implies that an imperfect man has evolved into a better man, the second allows for the "man evolved from apes" concept.

According to the Christian Bible, God created man in God's own image. If God created man in the image of God, and man evolved into something "better," the church would be faced with several obvious problems, namely, that God did not create man "as is" and that man is now better than God. While religion struggles with science in the discussion of evolution, too often, at least it seems to me, those in the scientific community take a condescending view of religion, viewing those who believe in and rely on God as mental lightweights who "just don't get it."

As American children learn in elementary school, system of governance in this country is based on the idea of compromise. While the idea of compromise has not always served us well - did anyone really believe that slaves were three-fifths of a person?! - it has at least provided a place were discussion could be held and were the debate could be rested before it is taken up again.

The evolution vs. creationism argument, much like the abortion argument, points to an ultimate theological argument - either there is a God who created everything or there isn't. How does one find compromise within that debate?

What does the future hold for evolutionary thought?

Some might believe that the answer to that question can be found in another question - what will be discovered by science tomorrow that will shed new light on this debate? Unfortunately, tomorrow's science will likely just add to the list of facts, thoughts, points and counter-points that the two sides throw at each other as the debate continues. It seems unlikely that after more than two centuries of debate the argument over evolution has neared the end, though in our modern world, one must admit that which once seemed impossible now happens on an increasingly frequent basis.

The debate over evolution is hardly an American-only phenomenon, however. In the article "Royal Society Furor Over Creationism," posted at http://ncseweb.org/, the church and the scientific community in England are battling much of the same issues. The same is true within the Eastern Orthodox wing of the Christian church, as reported in the article "Creationism/Evolution Among Eastern Orthodox Laity," which is also posted at the http://ncseweb.org/ web site. (The Eastern Orthodox article refers to members of Greek and other Orthodox churches who live in the United States.)

The average person probably spends little time thinking about the creation-evolution debate and is likely turned off by the hyperbole that exists on both sides of any divisive issue. Extremism, on any issue, is seldom attractive to the largest majority of the people, at least over the long-term. The average person, therefore, likely has long since grown weary of both sides in the centuries-long argument over evolution.

A longing for an understanding of who we are, where we came from and the question of the existence of exactly what higher power may or may not exist are strong driving forces within mankind. Given these drives it is unlikely that debate or discussion over the evolution is unlikely to end any time soon.

The evolution vs. creationism argument, much like the abortion argument, points to an ultimate theological argument - either there is a God who created everything or there isn't. How does one find compromise within that debate?

What does the future hold for evolutionary thought?

Some might believe that the answer to that question can be found in another question - what will be discovered by science tomorrow that will shed new light on this debate? Unfortunately, tomorrow's science will likely just add to the list of facts, thoughts, points and counter-points that the two sides throw at each other as the debate continues. It seems unlikely that after more than two centuries of debate the argument over evolution has neared the end, though in our modern world, one must admit that which once seemed impossible now happens on an increasingly frequent basis.

The debate over evolution is hardly an American-only phenomenon, however. In the article "Royal Society Furor Over Creationism," posted at the pro-evolution website http://ncseweb.org/, the church and the scientific community in England are battling much of the same issues. The same is true within the Eastern Orthodox wing of the Christian church, as reported in the article "Creationism/Evolution Among Eastern Orthodox Laity," which is also posted at the http://ncseweb.org/ web site. (The Eastern Orthodox article refers to members of Greek and other Orthodox churches who live in the United States.)

The average person probably spends little time thinking about the creation-evolution debate and is likely turned off by the hyperbole that exists on both sides of any divisive issue. Extremism, on any issue, is seldom attractive to the largest majority of the people, at least over the long-term. The average person, therefore, likely has long since grown weary of both sides in the centuries-long argument over evolution.

A longing for an understanding of who we are, where we came from and the question of the existence of exactly what higher power may or may not exist are strong driving forces within mankind. Given these drives it is unlikely that debate or discussion over the evolution is unlikely to end any time soon.