The Greatest Debate on Earth: Part 2 - Creationism

Part 2: Creationism

                Darwin’s moderated theory of evolution was highly criticized, although he specifically avoided the topic of questioning God’s true existence. Although On the Origin of Species provided an abundance of information to form the backbone of this theory, many people refused to believe such a blasphemy. Darwin’s name was cursed and insulted upon. It seemed that his father’s worries were well-found; Charles had shattered the family prestige.

                Humans especially found it to be difficult to conform to the idea that they shared the same ancient lineage as apes or monkeys. Many believed themselves to be “God’s Chosen Race” and thought that all animals were lower classes than themselves. Darwin’s suggestion that humans and apes shared a common ancestor sparked an immense controversy; a controversy that remains intact till this day:

                The Creation-Evolution Controversy.

                As acclaimed evolutionary biologist and writer Richard Dawkins said, “Evolution rests upon a fragile thread. If one discovered a mammal fossil that dates back to the Cambrian era, the thread would be snapped and evolution would collapse.” It seems irrational to believe that there is no God, a being worshipped since ancient times. It could not have been possible for a single man to create a myth about a great man who is all powerful and knows all that happens.

                The idea for evolution may seem revolutionary, but it certainly faces stiff opposition. A common argument utilized by famous creationists is the same as what was mentioned above. How can we claim that God does not exist when he has been prayed to since ancient times?  Creationists believe that the only explanation for the idea of such a person called “God” could have only been derived from an incident where God Himself approached the humans.  However, in order to understand the true beliefs of Creationism, it is necessary to travel deep into the soil and examine its very roots.

                Until the 19^th Century, regardless of religion, men, woman, and child alike believed in and incredible, all-powerful, all knowing being that we recognize by name as God. God was responsible for the creation of the universe and the world around 10,000 years ago in six days: on the first day, he created the heavens (space), the Earth, the light and darkness; On the second, he created heaven for the noble souls; on the third, he created dry land, the seas, and vegetation; on the fourth, The Sun, the Moon, and the stars; on the fifth, Living creatures in water, birds in the air; and finally he created land animals and people on the sixth day. It is said that God rested on the seventh day, and remains sleeping till date.

                According to different churches, the interpretation of this script in the Genesis is variant; although they all remain concentrated over the basic idea that God created the universe and everything in it. Some Christians believe that in this context, days (yoms in Hebrew) in reality signify millions of years. Thus, they believe that God created everything in more than 6 million years. This theory is perhaps the most versatile of all creationism theories; it permits the existence of both the dinosaurs and the humans, albeit at different times.

                Other churches, however, condemn this as what they call a “foolish idea.” They claim that, although in the Old Testament yom signifies 1109 days (around three years and three months) the same word is translated as only one day in the New Testament. In order to support this idea, they bring forward a few lines from Genesis again:

                “And there was evening and there was morning, one day.”

                “And there was evening and there was morning, two day.”

                “And there was evening and there was morning, three day.”

                And so on through each day. They claim that God has attempted to make such an idea as clear as he could and misinterpretations could only be caused on purpose. Believing in such an idea, however, presents yet another obstacle-the theory that dinosaurs and people lived together. Once again, these creationists reply in affirmative.

                Once this idea was propagated, a common query arose: Why didn’t the dinosaurs simply eat the humans? The answer to this too seemed simple for the “Six Dayers”: the dinosaurs were vegetarians. In order to support this seemingly far-fetched belief, the cite common examples: the giant panda has sharp teeth which are required in order to eat bamboo, for example. In retaliation, evolutionists asked for explanations of why the Tyrannosaurus Rex has not only sharp teeth, but these teeth are slightly less than a foot tall. To this, these creationists have not replied.

                All creationists also claim that there are mentions of dinosaurs in the Bible, when the dinosaurs themselves were first discovered many centuries later. They claim the lines:

                "Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together. His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron. He is chief of the ways of God."

                Describe dinosaurs, and that many scholars have misinterpreted “behemoths” to be hippopotami or elephants. In order to counter this belief, they point out that neither the hippopotami nor the elephants possess long and large tails that move like a cedar tree. They also say that the word “dragon”, in the translation, in reality means “dinosaur”, which was a word that was not invented at the time of translation.

                Dinosaurs continue to be the major weakness of all creationists, and so is the most discussed topic in this part of the essay.

                Hindu mythology can perhaps be the only religion that remains in collaboration with most recent scientific discoveries. In the Hindu belief, a universe exists for about 4,320,000,000 (4.32 billion years) before it is destroyed by the fire and water elements. This period of time in which the universe exists is equal to Brahma’s, the creator’s, day (not 24 hours; 12 hours). He then rests for the other “12” hours which is also 4.32 billion years long. This process, which is known as pralaya (Cataclysm), repeats for 100 Brahma years (311 trillion 40 billion years) that represent the lifetime of Brahma.

                Scientific writers Carl Sagan and Fritjof Capra have noticed and published several similarities between the Hindu belief of creation and the modern understanding of the universe. According to Sagan:

                “The Hindu religion is the only one of the world's great faiths dedicated to the idea that the Cosmos itself undergoes an immense, indeed an infinite, number of deaths and rebirths. It is the only religion in which time scales correspond to those of modern scientific cosmology. Its cycles run from our ordinary day and night to a day and night of Brahma, 8.64 billion years long, longer than the age of the Earth or the Sun and about half the time since the Big Bang.”

                Capra, in his popular book The Tao of Physics, wrote:

                “This idea of a periodically expanding and contracting universe, which involves a scale of time and space of vast proportions, has arisen not only in modern cosmology, but also in ancient Indian mythology. Experiencing the universe as an organic and rhythmically moving cosmos, the Hindus were able to develop evolutionary cosmologies which come very close to our modern scientific models.”

            An incredible relation from the first five of the daśāvatāras (10 incarnations of Vishnu) to evolution has been made by scientists:

               

Avatars	Explanation	Evolution
Matsya (Fish)	First avatar is a fish, one which is creature living in water. It was among the first sophisticated organisms to develop.	If we compare it with biological evolution on different Geological Time Scale first developed life was also in the form of fish which originated during Cambrian period.
Kurma (Tortoise)	Second avatar was in the form of Tortoise (reptiles). They developed from sea creatures.	In geology also first reptiles comes as second important evolution which originated in Mississippian period just after Amphibians.
Varaha (Boar)	Third avatar was in the form of Boar.	Evolution of the amphibian to the land animal.
Narasimha (Man-Lion)	The Man-Lion (Nara= man, simha=lion) was the fourth avatar.	But in geology no such evidences are mentioned. It may have been related with Ape Man The term may sometimes refer to extinct early human ancestors, such as the undiscovered missing link between apes and humans.
Vamana (Dwarf Man)	Fifth Avatar is the dwarf man.	It may be related with the first man originated during Pliocene. It may be related with Neanderthals. Neanderthals were generally only 12 to 14 cm (4½–5½ in) shorter than modern humans, contrary to a common view of them as "very short" or "just over 5 feet".

                Parasurama, the Sixth Avatar or the Man with an Axe, seems to have similarities with the first modern man; however, these reports are unconfirmed.

                Learning about such close relationships between religion and evolution raises the question: Can they both peacefully co-exist? This will be discussed in the next part of this essay, Co-Existence.