Intelligent Design Of The Universe Essay Research

Intelligent Design Of The Universe Essay, Research Paper

Intelligent Design of the UniverseThe search for knowledge about the origin of humanity is as old as its inhabitants. Since the early1800’s mankind has narrowed the debate to creation by a Supreme Being and the theory ofevolution. Ever since then, science has been at odds against religion. Now it appears that scienceis returning to religion. Scientists are finding proof that the universe was created by a SupremeBeing. The word evolution refers to the change of something over a period of time(Webster’s 634). Inbiology, the theory of evolution is “the complex of processes by which living organisms originatedon earth and have been diversified and modified through sustained changes in form andfunction”(Valentine). This theory proposes that between 4 million and 10 million years ago, allorganisms on earth had a common ancestor and that through a process of evolution, all livingorganisms descended from this common ancestor(Coyne). Chevalier de Lamarck, a French naturalist proposed a theory of evolution in 1809. His idea didnot get much scientific consideration until Charles R. Darwin announced his theory ofevolution(Coyne). Darwin published “his most famous book, On the Origin of Species by Meansof Natural Selection”(Valentine) in 1859. Darwin stated that offspring resemble their parents, yetthey are not exactly identical to them. He also noted that some of these differences were noteffects of their environment, but actually were passed down from parents to children(Valentine). Darwin is the most well known scientist to write on evolution. There are many different variations on the theory of evolution. Darwin states that natural selectionis the main reason for the evolution of life. The fight for food, water and other necessities benefitsthose creatures who are well adapted for the struggle. Those that cannot survive, die with nooffspring to continue their genetic line. Natural selection is also called survival of the fittest. Anotherrelated idea to evolution is gradualism. “Gradualism is the idea that evolutionary changes do notoccur suddenly but over large amounts of time, ranging from decades to millions of years”(Coyne). Genetic drift is another way that scientists define evolution. When two of a species mate, theiroffspring gets 23 chromosomes from both parents. When a gene does not split and combinecorrectly, a mutation occurs. This mutation will get passed down from the creature to its offspring. In this way a species can permanently be changed(Coyne). Scientists who have accepted thegeneral theory of evolution as fact disagree among themselves about the ratio of importancebetween natural selection and genetic drift. They also disagree about what caused the apparentgaps in fossil layers. New species “abruptly”(Valentine) appear in the fossil record with noapparent mutation from another species, then remain unchanged for long periods of time. They donot seem to exhibit the gradual changes that would be expected by modernevolutionists(Valentine).Many people, including those in the scientific community, do not accept the theory of evolution asfact. When Darwin was alive, his theory was attacked by many scientists and religiousleaders(Coyne). In the 1900’s, United States public high schools began teaching evolution inscience classes. By the 1920’s, laws in twenty states to ban the teaching of evolution in publicschools had been proposed by people who did not want their children being indoctrinated. “Theyconsidered the teaching of the theory to be part of a dangerous trend toward the separation ofreligious beliefs from everyday life”(Coyne). Several of the proposed laws were passed into effectin states including Arkansas and Tennessee. “The ACLU challenged the Tennessee law in 1925 bydefending a teacher named John T. Scopes, who had volunteered to stand trial on the charge ofteaching evolution”(Coyne). The ACLU lost the case but because of bad press, creationistsappeared ignorant to science. However, in 1968 the Supreme Court of the United States “ruledthat laws banning the teaching of evolution were unconstitutional because they made religiousconsiderations part of the curriculum”(Coyne). The courts continue to give rulings on creation andevolution in schools, some have come as recently as 1987(Coyne). The fight to keep evolution outof the classroom is still persevering. Those who are pushing to keep evolution out of the public schools are primarily creationists. Creation is the belief that a Supreme Being created the universe and all its contents fromnothing(Vawter). Many different people have believed different stories of how and why this wasaccomplished. Judaism, Christianity and Islam are a few of the major faiths that teach Creation. There are many differences in what different people believe. Many Jews and Christians with aliteral interpretation of the Bible or the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, believe thatGod created the universe and all that is in it in six 24 hour days. They believe that each species onearth has remained relatively the same since the Creation. These people “base their beliefs on theBible”(Eve) and some use fossil evidence of long consistencies and abrupt changes(Valentine). Others believe that God created everything, but not in six days. Still others believe that Godcreated the universe by lighting the fuse: the big bang was God’s way of creating the universe. Many people have gone in sear