Creationism facts for kids
Creationism is a religious belief. It says that the universe and all life were created by a God or gods, exactly as described in religious books. For example, the Book of Genesis in the Bible says that God created life from nothing. He brought order to what was once chaos. This idea is called creatio ex nihilo, which is Latin for "creation from nothing."
Many religions have their own creation myths, which are stories about how the world began. The idea of God creating the world has been taught for thousands of years.
Modern creationism became well-known in the 1800s. It started with fundamentalist Protestants who disagreed with new scientific ideas. These ideas were about geology (the study of Earth's rocks) and evolution (how living things change over time). In the 1900s, similar creationist movements also began in Islam and Judaism.
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What Creationists Believe
Creationists generally do not believe that all living things today came from simple organisms. They do not think life slowly changed or evolved over millions of years. Instead, they believe that life was created much as it is today. They think one type of life cannot change into another.
Biologists and paleontologists (scientists who study fossils) say that fossils show changes over time. They can arrange fossils to show how life forms have changed.
Young Earth Creationism
Some creationists are called Young Earth Creationists. They believe that life was created in a very short time. They think the Earth is only about 6,000 to 10,000 years old. This idea goes against what most scientists believe about the Earth's age. Young Earth Creationists believe God created the world in six days, as told in the Book of Genesis. They also think Noah's flood is very important. They say this flood explains most rock layers and fossils.
They believe that the Bible is completely true, word for word (this is called Biblical inerrancy). They point out that the first fossils of each group are complete and complex. They see this as proof that each type of life was created perfectly.
Scientists often point out that fossils appear in layers called strata.
- Fossils that scientists believe are older are found in older rocks.
- Fossils that scientists believe are newer are found in younger rocks.
If all animals were drowned in a single flood, scientists think their fossils would be mixed together.
Christian creationists explain this by saying the Noahic Flood caused the layers. They also point to fossils of animals that died very quickly. They offer several ideas to support their views:
- Quickly Buried Fossils: Some fossils show animals buried very fast, like a fish eating another fish when it died. These are found in places called Lagerstätten.
- Polystrate Fossils: These are fossils that go through many rock layers. Creationists say this shows the layers formed quickly, not over millions of years.
- Bent Rock Layers: They point to rock layers that are bent in ways they say could not happen if the rocks were hard for millions of years.
Old Earth Creationism
Other creationists believe God created everything much longer ago, perhaps 13 to 14 million years ago. This is called Old Earth Creationism.
Creationists often say that Earth's size, shape, and distance from the sun are perfect. They believe this shows God designed it. They also say Earth's problems or "imperfections" are proof that human sin (bad actions) has affected the world.
The term "creationism" can mean different things:
- Sometimes it means God created life, and evolution did not happen at all.
- Other times, it means God created everything long ago, but then used theistic evolution to guide how life changed.
Liberal Christians often do not believe the Bible is literally true in every detail. They might say God used evolution to create humans and other life. This idea is called theistic evolution.
Islamic Creationism
Islamic creationism is the belief that Allah (God in Islam) directly created the universe and humanity. This is based on the Qur'an. Many Muslims believe their religious texts are literally true. Some scholars say that the Book of Genesis is a changed version of God's message.
The Qur'an also has a creation myth, but it is less detailed than Genesis. This allows for different ways to understand it. Some liberal movements within Islam accept scientific ideas about the age of the Earth, the age of the universe, and evolution.
Islam also has its own form of Theistic evolution. This view says that scientific ideas about how the universe began are supported by the Qur'an. Many liberal Muslims believe in evolutionary creationism.
Khalid Anees, who leads the Islamic Society of Britain, has said that there is no conflict between the Koran and ideas like natural selection and survival of the fittest. However, some Muslims, like Adnan Oktar, do not agree that one species can develop from another. Other Muslims do believe this can happen.
There is also a growing movement of Islamic creationism. Like the Christian movement, Islamic creationists worry that evolutionary theory might go against what is written in the Qur'an.
Some verses in the Qur'an have been seen by modern writers as matching scientific ideas. These include the expansion of the universe, the Big Bang, and the Big Crunch theories:
"Do not the Unbelievers see that the skies (space) and the earth were joined together, then We clove them asunder and We created every living thing out of the water. Will they not then believe?"[Qur'an 21:30]
"Then turned He to the sky (space) when it was smoke, and said unto it and unto the earth: Come both of you, willingly or loth. They said: We come, obedient."[Qur'an 41:11]
"And it is We Who have constructed the sky (space) with might, and it is We Who are steadily expanding it."[Qur'an 51:47]
"On the day when We will roll up the sky (space) like the rolling up of the scroll for writings, as We originated the first creation, (so) We shall reproduce it; a promise (binding on Us); surely We will bring it about."[Qur'an 21:104]
Baha'i Creationism
The Bahá'í Faith sees the creation stories in older Abrahamic religions (like Judaism and Christianity) as symbolic, not literal. The Bahá'í Faith also accepts that the Earth is very old. The founder, Baha'ullah, lived at the same time as Charles Darwin. So, he knew about Darwin's ideas on evolution.
Scientific Views
In the United States, some religious groups want schools to teach supernatural explanations for how life and the universe began. However, evolution was not widely included in school textbooks until the 1960s.
In 1987, the United States Supreme Court ruled that creationism is not science. Therefore, it should not be taught in public schools as a scientific theory.
Related pages
Images for kids
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The Creation Museum is a young Earth creationism museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, United States. It is run by Answers in Genesis (AiG).
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The ICR Discovery Center for Science & Earth History is a young Earth creationist museum in Dallas, Texas, United States. It is run by the Institute for Creation Research (ICR).
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Big Valley Creation Science Museum in Big Valley, Alberta, Canada.
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The Ark Encounter theme park in Williamstown, Kentucky, United States.
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Glendive Dinosaur and Fossil Museum in Glendive, Montana, United States.
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An anti-evolution car in Athens, Georgia.
See also
In Spanish: Creacionismo para niños
