Evolution, at least from its original form popularized by Darwin, does not address the question about the origin of life. So, what is the clash between Evolution and Creationism as claimed in the Bible?
Biblical Creationism says God created living creatures according to their kinds. As for human, the Bible says “So God created mankind in his own image,” The Bible says living things were created purposefully by God, and each came with its own kind. Human beings were special as they were created in the image of God.
What about “Evolution”? According to the definition of “Evolution” from Oxford Dictionary on the mobile application, “Evolution” is the process by which different kinds of living organisms are believed to have developed from earlier forms during the history of the earth.
If “living organisms” means current life forms including all kinds of animals and human beings, and “earlier forms” means their ancestors, of the same kind, then there is NO CLASH with Creationism! People living in Africa have darker skin to protect them against the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, while others develop lighter skin to produce vitamin D more effectively in areas where sunlight is scarce. The Bible never says human, animals, and plants are not allowed to adapt to the environment. Living things are created to be adaptive to their surroundings.
However, if we push the Oxford definition further and claim that all living things today, including human beings, were developed from a/the/some common ancestor(s) of simple life form(s), then there is a clash with Creationism.
How does Evolution explain the changes from simple life forms to the extremely complex living animals of the world today? Two words: mutation and natural selection.
Every cell of a living organism contains DNA, which contains the genetic information required for self-duplication. They control the fundamental and distinctive characteristics of the living organisms. However, the DNA sequence can change, and the change is called mutation. Mutations may be caused by mistakes during cell division, or by exposure to DNA-damaging agents in the environment.
Mutation is random, and it causes changes in the living organisms. Furthermore, it can be passed onto the next generation. Because of mutation, living organisms within the same species show different qualities.
What kinds of mutational changes survive? That is where “natural selection” kicks in. If the mutational changes are beneficial to the organisms and allow them to cope with the living environment better, then the off springs with those changes will survive better. Over a long period of time, the off springs with those good mutational changes would dominate the population and eventually they replace the whole population. Over a really long period of time, these changes accumulate and a new species is born.
Evolution starts with random genetic mutation that gives the reason for random changes in the organism, then the unintelligent purposeless natural selection comes to allow the fittest survive and let the unfit to extinct. Over a long period of time, ancient simple life forms turn into complex living organisms of today. On the other hand, Biblical Creationism claims that the Creator purposely created all living things, and human beings are especially created in His own image.
Which one, Evolution or Creationism, is more reasonable to explain the origin of animals and in particular human beings?
