Creationism: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 15:55, 29 August 2003

Revision as of 15:58, 29 August 2003

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[[de:Kreationismus]][[nl:Creationisme]][[pl:Kreacjonizm]]

'''Creationism''', in the most general sense of the word, is any [[Creation belief]], especially a belief that the origin of things is due to an event of [[creation]], especially by the deliberate act of any divine agency, such as a [[Creator god]]. In Christian theology, [[Creationism (theology)|creationism is the doctrine]] that each individual human soul is created by God. ''This'' article describes the spectrum of positions represented in the modern '''Creationism controversy'''.

In Christian theology, [[Creationism (theology)|creationism is the doctrine]] that each individual human soul is created by God

Although most religions have creation beliefs, in the English-speaking world ''creationism'' usually more specifically pertains to the [[creation beliefs]] of [[Judaism]], [[Christianity]] or [[Islam]]. In this context, ''creationism'' concerns the origin of all things by the intentional act of God, with the single exception of God who exists without a beginning. The term is used in this sense, usually in the context of certain theological, scientific, and political controversies.

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The term is further, more narrowly used in this context, with specific reference to a ''theological controversy'' concerning the origin of the human species, and other living beings, and especially questioning in what sense if any the creating acts of God are considered a matter of historical fact; and even more specifically, ''creationism'' is the subject of a ''debate concerning origins and the findings of science'', focused on the degree to which the [[theory of evolution]] is compatible with religious belief in the Creator. In this context, the anti-evolutionary end of the spectrum is called ''creationism'', which posits that certain assumptions, procedures, theories and findings of science — especially the [[Theory of Evolution]] — are fundamentally incompatible with creation beliefs, and that the explanation of origins, especially of Man and other living things, requires reference to a Creator. At the other end of the spectrum is the view that the origin and development of all things is, in principle, entirely explainable without reference to a Creator.

This article describes the spectrum of positions represented in the modern '''Creationism controversy''', which emanates primarily from the English-speaking world, and is associated primarily with [[Fundamentalist Christianity]], predominantly in the [[United States]].

In the Western world, '''Creationism''' often refers to the belief, based on a literal interpretation of the first book of the Bible ([[Genesis]]), that [[God]] created the universe and all life within it, especially mankind. In this restricted sense, creationism has its origin in the [[Tanakh|Hebrew Bible]] and classical [[Judaism]], and was adopted early on in [[Christianity]].