Facts surrounding evolution/creationism...?

Question

In my opinion, both of the theories of the origins of life are quite vague and neither have a very solid foundation. Abiogenesis is pretty much the main factor. Does anyone know anything that is absolutely certain about creationism, rather than just beliefs? I know quite a bit about evolution already, but I'd like any information anyone has on that subject also. Thanks.

By vague, I mean that neither the theory of evolution (which I realize is proven fact) nor creationism give a very clear answer to where the first life originated. I realize that there is information on the evolutionary side and belief on the side of creation, though, and I am not clear on which, which is why I posted this question. By the way, the comment on abiogenesis above was sarcastic. I would just like any information anyone has to contribute. I really don't appreciate any condescending comments, so please try and leave them out of your replies. Thanks again.

Answer 1

Your first sentence is wrong. Facts do not surround creationism. Evolution and evolution by natural selection have nothing much to do with abiogenesis. There are hypothesis here, but once life got started we pretty much understand the process. I am sure someone will come along to fill you in on abiogenesis.

Answer 2

The theory of evolution originated from studies of various living things and how their similarities and differences can be used to organize them into orders of relatedness, a sort of family tree. This tree might be considered the hypothesis of evolution. As more living things are studied, without exception they all seem to fit into the tree. Each new living thing studied is then a test of the hypothesis. Because we have studied many living things since this tree was first proposed, it has been tested numerous times, and has been found to be robust. This so call tree of life seems to lead to a common root, a common ancester, which seems to be a single type of organism.

On occasion scientists quibble over the precise placement of a few living things on the tree of life. This does not negate the rest of the tree, but in fact demonstrates the robustness of the rest of the tree. For example, just because a cousin resembles the milkman doesn't mean that you have to question your parentage.

No where in the theory of evolution is the beginning of life addressed.

On the other side, creationism does address how life began. It hypothesizes a creator or a designer, who designed living things that can be organized into a tree of life and imply a common ancestor. Within the tree, he/she also designed organisms to prey upon each other, including microbes that can wipe out entire species (why not save the trouble and not design the prey at all? - this in response to those who would invoke the efficiency of designing similar structures to perform similar tasks). How can this hypothesis be tested? When the designer is identified and linked to the design by evidence. This is lacking, and many who believe in a designer do not agree on who it is.

Answer 3

The theory of evolution is quite well documented and supported by all of the available evidence. Creationism/Intelligent Design are not theories. A theory is a very specific scientific term. At best, Creationism/Intelligent Design can be loosely described as hypotheses, but an hypothesis requires that the hypothesis be testable. This condition cannot be met because Creationism/Intelligent Design start with a conclusion, and do not provide a testable hypothesis, so these ideas are more correctly termed conjectures. Creationism/Intelligent Design rely on faith and selective use of a few pieces of evidence for support.

As for the origin of life, you are correct, it is vague as there is little evidence from 3.5 billion years ago. It is clear that life evolved, but how life originated is the subject of a lot of conjecture with little available data to support or refute the various conjectures.

Answer 4

They are NOT comparable. Like trying to compare a frying pan to an apple. Nothing close. Creation is NOT theory, it is pure myth. Evolution is factual. Has been tested, passed all the hypothesis. Is as solid as any science can be. In fact more so that some. There is NOTHING vague about evolution. Evolution's foundation is solid. If you really knew anything about either one, you would have never made that statement.

Answer 5

Evolution is an observed fact. However it has nothing to do with abiogenesis. Whether or not the original organism or organisms were a product of divine intervention, extraterrestrial action, chance or some form of "intelligent design" that made their appearance inevitable on this or any other planet, evolution as we usually understand it did not really kick in until there were enough of them to compete with each other or the environment began to alter. That is, neglecting their ability to survive in whatever environment they started off in.

There are virtually no facts involved in creationism, some creationist leaders have been inveterate liars who continued to lie publicly even after they had been shown to be spouting falsehoods. There is always another audience of children and ignorant adults to bamboozle.

Most if not all creationist arguments are based on ignorance, logical fallacies, distorted facts, unsupported assertions and in some cases deliberate lies.

When challenged, creationists refuse to keep to the point, cite long refuted arguments (human eye, bombardier beetle, Paluxy footprints, laws of thermodynamics, why are apes or monkeys still here yadda yadda yadda) or the various mistakes and the few hoaxes of science which they continually draw attention to, and generally end up quoting scripture, as if that is any argument. When that does not work, tears or violence are the next steps.

Answer 6

You may not understand the theory of the origin of life, but that does not make it vague.

It's rather straightforward:
1. Lightning or UV radiation in the atmosphere of the young Earth created simple organic molecules. See the Miller-Urey experiment.
2. After about 1 billion years, these organic molecules randomly formed a larger molecule capable of converting other nearby molecules into copies of itself.
3. Soon, random errors in the copying process produced different types of molecules, all making copies of themselves out of the organic sludge.
4. The molecules, now competing with each other for "food", eventually collect together, forming larger molecules, which are more successful at copying themselves faster.
5. Eventually, the molecules form an enclosed structure, the first cell. Different parts of the cell specialize in different functions. One part of the cell takes in food. One part copies the genetic code. And so on.
6. Multi-cellular organisms are formed. Each cell type has a specific function.

Creationism is simpler still:
1. God created a 5-billion-year-old planet six-thousand years ago, complete with all species of life, and also dinosaur skeletons buried in the rocks.
2. How do we know? A book tells us.
3. How do we know the book is right? It's the word of God.
4. How do we know God exists? See #2.

Answer 7

Basic building blocks of life, including amino acids which make up the proteins used by our bodies to make enzymes and tissues, and simple carbohydrates (sugars), can be made using simple gases such as ammonia, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and oxygen, in the proportions expected to have existed 3 to 4 billion years ago on this planet. Using a spark of electricity (equivalent in nature to, say, lightning or long term sunlight maybe) once in awhile, these simple chemicals vital to our form of life can be created in a laboratory. Proteins can self-assemble to some extent, and recently discovered prions may be the missing link to scientific understanding of just how these simple chemicals began to assemble themselves and reproduce. The massive randomness inherent in this set of circumstances and incredible odds against life beginning randomly and succeeding in continuing the evolutionary march for the last couple billion years is what makes religious people so uncomfortable. It is much more reassuring to think that someone made us, cares for us, and watches over us to keep us from blowing ourselves up and wasting our chance at civilization.

Answer 8

Evolution is apparently a HUGE topic on yahoo.

There is no evidence supporting either, because it happened Millions of years ago. IT is the most logical explaination for the creation of life on earth, however no one will truly know what happened because we were NEVER there. It will always be a theory, but most theories are tested and until they are proven wrong (and have substantial arguments supporting it) they are generally accepted. I don't forsee this one ever being proven.

Here's a question to answer your question....which came first the chicken or the egg?

I think you down thumb people misunderstood me. By Evolution I was referring to the darwinianism theory of evolution, not evolution itself (since evolution is observable in everyday life. It is simply the genetic change in a population over time).

Answer 9

Life is full of less-than-certain situations. If you manage a baseball team, and one hitter has a 0.350 batting average and the other a 0.200 batting average, and you needed a DH, which would you choose? Well, evolution is the 350 hitter, and the main reason creationists hassle it is because it doesn't have a 1.000 batting average.

Answer 10

The salient fact about creationism is that the theory is useless, because it cannot predict anything. Evolution is now a proven fact; proof details available on request. (Please provide an e-mail address.) We do not now have a satisfactory explanation for how life began in the first instance.