Evolutionism

The divine comedy
Creationism

Running gags

* Biblical literalism
* Young/Old Earth
* Intelligent design
* Creation scientists

Jokes aside

* Starlight problem
* Atmosphere of the Moon
* Grand Canyon
* Yellowstone

Blooper reel

* Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed
* The Principle
* You Can Lead an Atheist to Evidence, but You Can't Make Him Think
* Global flood

Evolutionism debunkers

* Jonathan Otto
* Mark Dice
* Encyclopedia of American Loons
* Zakir Naik

v \- t \- e

“”One thing that disturbs me is the use of the word "Evolutionist". It sounds like evolution is a faith or belief, when it really is a natural process that scientists have worked hard to understand. I prefer to say "I understand evolution" rather than "I believe in evolution". It is similar to saying "I understand photosynthesis" or "I understand gravity", or "I understand the process of decay".

—anonymous poster at Talk Origins[1]

The term evolutionism (also evilutionism), an anti-science label used by creationists and intelligent-design proponents, implies that belief in "macroevolution" (and standard cosmology, abiogenesis, and common descent) is a secular religion. Creationists argue that this means that evolution should not be taught (because it'd be a religious doctrine) and that evolutionism has led to the failings of present-day society.[2]

The implications of the term "evolutionism" typify the misinformation deliberately generated by proponents of the Wedge Document, and in this sense, the role of the term is similar that of "Darwinism" to Creationists or of "warmism" to climate change deniers.

Often, however, the term just gets thrown around to refer to anyone creationists are disagreeing with at the time, such as atheists or liberal Christians — which explains why the term is often employed by apologists when discussing things completely unrelated to evolutionary theory, such as cosmology or theodicy.

## Contents

* 1 Scientific view
* 2 Teach the Controversy
* 2.1 Lack of evidence
* 2.2 Non-scientific nature
* 2.3 Morality
* 2.4 Dogmatism
* 2.5 Michael Ruse
* 3 Origin
* 4 Misuse
* 5 See also
* 6 External links
* 7 Further reading
* 8 References

## Scientific view[edit]

“”"Evolutionists"...? What do you mean; scientifically literate people?

—Atheist YouTuber Martymer81 (paraphrase)[3]

Scientists generally reject the term "evolutionism", as the suffix "-ism" carries a connotation of belief and thereby misleadingly suggests that evolution is a religion. The word may also equate a "belief" in evolution with other philosophical movements, most of which are very accepting of evolution — such as atheism or secular humanism.

This serves primarily to pull "evolutionism" down to the level of creationism, as equally faith-based belief-systems. Capitalizing the word, to make "Evolutionism", involves a similar tactic.

## Teach the Controversy[edit]

See the main articles on this topic: Teach the Controversy and Scientism

“”These textbooks present that billions of years ago, from nothing we got everything. The evolutionary (religious) belief or worldview is that the universe and life is the result of purely natural processes, apart from a Supreme Being or other intelligence. It sounds "natural" enough, but it is a belief nonetheless. It is still a belief in the sense that it is without conclusive scientific evidence to conclusively verify it, just as the religions mentioned above.

—Jerry Smith at Liberty University, conflating the Big Bang with evolution[4]

"Evolutionism" is a derogatory term used to characterize evolution, and its use stems from the anti-evolutionary attitude in many parts of the USA. By retitling natural selection as "Darwinism", creationists seek to reduce the theory to the level of any other "ism" — like racism, capitalism, or socialism. This gives the illusion that the theory is a subjective belief-system, and so its acceptance becomes relative, optional, and independent of evidence.[5]

This claim is false for largely the same reasons that using the word "scientism" as a pejorative is wrong. Creationists have several arguments for this, rebutted below.

Moreover, if the theory of evolution is disqualified because it is actually a religion, then, does this mean that Christianity is not a religion and that the Book of Genesis is not a holy text?

### Lack of evidence[edit]

Creationist Henry Morris (1918-2006) argued that because evolution has never been observed, the theory of evolution requires as much faith as creationism does. This is because evolution – unlike the usual science – relies on forensic evidence rather than empirical evidence gathered from a methodological system of directly observed, repeatable results.[6]

More generally, many creationists have repeated the mantra, "evolution requires as much faith as creationism". (The units used to measure degrees of "faith" may remain undefined.)

"Evolution" as a religion without scientific basis is an attempt to color the argument and imply that evolution is just another belief-system or worldview ("ism") — as opposed to a scientific theory. One can only assume that the creationist is saying, in effect: "Your beliefs are just as baseless and religiously-motivated as mine are, so you might as well believe what I believe."

Creationists don't seem to understand that scientific ideas cannot be beliefs. Science is based on interpretation of facts, and, by definition, theories are never beliefs. We may accept evolution, but it would not be science if we believed evolution (or, rather, if one had to believe it regardless of evidence).

Creationists also seem to ignore the massive amount of evidence for historical and current evolution on Earth.

### Non-scientific nature[edit]

See the main articles on this topic: Falsifiability of evolution and Historical and operational science

Creationists also argue that evolution is not scientific. Generally, creationists argue that evolution can't be disproven (falsified) — often as part of the very same incoherent rant that boils down to a half-assed attempt to do exactly that — and that evolution is based on historical events rather than observational science. Both of these claims are incorrect.

The results of evolution have been directly observed in the beak shapes of finches in the Galapagos islands, which, among other things, helped inspire Darwin's theory of evolution. As to whether evolution is the source of current biodiversity, it cannot be proven because it is historical. However, just as we can use indirect evidence to make very strong predictions about occurrences in geology, astronomy, and cultural anthropology, so can we in biology.

On the other hand, creationists fail to note the (lack of) falsifiability of creationism.

### Morality[edit]

See the main articles on this topic: Evolution and morality and Teleology

Creationist Henry Morris argues that:[7]

“”Evolution is a religion because it encompasses views of values and ultimate meanings.

This view is incorrect,[8] to put it mildly.

First and foremost, the scientific theory of evolution does not say anything about values or meanings. While some people may add on such constructs to the theory, in doing so, they form a separate philosophy which should not reflect on the theory itself. This claim that evolution is a religion is false, as the theory of evolution says absolutely nothing about the origin, destiny, or even existence of souls and/or spirits. If evolution is a religion, then why do the alleged evolutionists recognize no formal priesthood, no holy texts, no holy laws, nor even prayers or rituals?

This argument also falls prey to the fallacy of composition: just because some evolutionists get morality from evolutionary beliefs, does not mean that all evolutionists do, or that evolution necessarily leads to these moralities. In fact, the wide range of political beliefs of evolutionists (from liberal to conservative to Social Darwinist) suggests that evolution is unrelated to moral beliefs.

### Dogmatism[edit]

See the main article on this topic: Evolution conspiracy

Creationists argued that evolution has become unquestionable. This is incorrect. See the main article.

### Michael Ruse[edit]

See the main articles on this topic: Michael Ruse and List of fallacious creationist quotes

Creationists AIG[9] and Duane Gish[10] cite the 2000 article "Creationists correct?: Darwinians wrongly mix science with morality, politics" by Michael Ruse (an anti-creationism writer):[11]

> Evolution is promoted by its practitioners as more than mere science. Evolution is promulgated as an ideology, a secular religion—a full-fledged alternative to Christianity, with meaning and morality. I am an ardent evolutionist and an ex-Christian, but I must admit that in this one complaint—and Mr [sic] Gish is but one of many to make it—the literalists are absolutely right. Evolution is a religion. This was true of evolution in the beginning, and it is true of evolution still today.

> [...]

> Evolution therefore came into being as a kind of secular ideology, an explicit substitute for Christianity.

Ruse's point was that two kinds of evolution exist side-by-side. There's the powerful scientific theory of evolution which is well-evidenced and one of the crowning achievements of science, and there's the quasi-religious evolution which promotes particular moral or social theories. His purpose is to prevent the two from being confused. Unfortunately, creationists have misused his essays on the subject to promote their own purposeful confusion of the two.

Ruse specifically pointed out several times that evolution (including common descent) is scientific. There are, however, other things called "evolution" which are not. For example, in Is Evolution a Secular Religion, he writes: ". . . if the claim is that all contemporary evolutionism is merely an excuse to promote moral and societal norms, this is simply false. Today's professional evolutionism is no more a secular religion than is industrial chemistry."

What if it was claimed that "John Doe, a creationist theologian who previously defended creationism as science, has now stated that creationism is actually religious in nature." Would you accept this as an argument against creationism? An appeal to authority is a poor argument at best. Science is based on evidence, not social hierarchy. Michael Ruse can say whatever he wants, but it will not change the facts.

## Origin[edit]

The word evolutionist appears in English from 1833 (meaning "acrobat") and from 1866 (meaning something like a "practitioner of evolution").[12]

Darwin used the term "evolutionist" in chapter 6 of The Descent of Man (first published in 1871), writing: "Every evolutionist will admit that the five great vertebrate classes, namely, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes, are descended from some one prototype; for they have much in common, especially during their embryonic state."[13]

Currently, some scientists are happy to use the term "evolutionist" to refer to a biologist who specialises in evolution. Thus, the term "evolutionist" may be no more indicative of religious faith in evolution than "florist" indicates faith in flowers or "physicist" suggests a philosophical acceptance of the premises of physics.[1] Similarly, evolutionary biologists in countries such as the UK use the term "Darwinism" as a synonym for "evolution by natural selection" with no controversy (Richard Dawkins has done so, for instance), with those who accept it being "Darwinists". This is distinguished from specialist creationist usage.

## Misuse[edit]

Many Young Earth creationists misuse the word "evolutionist" by referring to cosmologists as evolutionists, such as "evolutionists claim that the universe is 16 billion years old"?[14] They also misattribute abiogenesis to the field of evolution, such as "evolutionists claim that we came from a rock!", or talk about for example "evolutionary geologists" (or worse, "evolutionary selenologists"), which should give a hint of how much they understand the science they talk about and especially their credibility (i.e. barely above zero).

## See also[edit]

* Evobabble
* 12 Arguments Evolutionists Should Avoid
* Cdesign proponentsists
* Gravityism
* Einsteinism

## External links[edit]

* God and Evolution
* ICR, 2000. ICR Tenets of Creationism.

## Further reading[edit]

* Ruse, Michael, 2003 (Mar.). Is Evolution a Secular Religion?. Science 299:1523-1524.
* Harrub, Brad, 2003. Is Evolution Ready to Take Over Christianity?

## References[edit]

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.talkorigins.org/origins/feedback/apr06.html#r52
2. ↑ From the Beagle to the School Board: God Goes Back to School, Morris Sullivan, Impact Press, Spring 2005.
3. ↑ https://youtu.be/0T694kD-wl4?t=270
4. ↑ Smith, Jerry F. "The Inclusion of False, Falsified, and Falsifiable Data that Favor an Evolutionary Worldview in the High School Science Curriculum of Public and Private Schools in the Philippines."
5. ↑ Eugenie Scott and Glenn Branch. Don't Call It Darwinism. Evolution: Education and Outreach, Volume 2, Number 1 (2009), 90-94
6. ↑ Morris, Henry M., 1974. Scientific Creationism, Master Books, Arkansas, p. 4.
7. ↑ Morris, Henry M., 1974. Scientific Creationism, Master Books, Arkansas, pp. 196-200.
8. ↑ Claim CA610
9. ↑ Anonymous. Leading anti-creationist philosopher admits that evolution is a religion. Answers in Genesis.
10. ↑ Duane Gish. (Sept 1, 2004). Science, Education, and the subject of Origins.
11. ↑ Ruse, Michael, 2000 (May 13). Creationists correct?: Darwinians wrongly mix science with morality, politics. National Post.
12. ↑ Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd edition, 2008, s.v. "evolutionist".
13. ↑ http://charles-darwin.classic-literature.co.uk/the-descent-of-man/ebook-page-106.asp
14. ↑ https://bibleask.org/how-do-evolutionists-explain-the-origin-of-the-universe/

v \- t \- e

Articles about creationism

Types of creationism: |  Gap creationism • Day-age creationism • Old Earth creationism • Progressive creation • Hare Krishna creationism • Young Earth creationism • Intelligent design •
Evidence against a recent creation: |  Creationism and social history • Geomagnetism • Petrified forest • Radiometric dating • Carbon dating • Dendrochronology • Y-chromosomal Adam • Mitochondrial Eve • Starlight problem • Plate tectonics • Rotation of the Earth • Atmosphere of the Moon • Biogeography • K-Pg extinction event • Geologic timeline • Fossil • Transitional fossil • Fossil record • Lake Agassiz • List of transitional forms • Punctuated equilibrium • Bird evolution • Geology • Grand Canyon • Fossil fuel • Paleontology • History of the Earth • Evidence against a recent creation • Yellowstone • Diamond • Iron • Age of the Earth • Evolution •
| Creationist claims: |  Geomagnetism • Do you want to be descended from a monkey? • Evolution and religion • Evolution and morality • C-decay • Peanut butter argument • Intelligent design and academic freedom • Science was wrong before • Science doesn't know everything • Catastrophic plate tectonics • Hydroplate theory • Lunar bukkake hypothesis • Creationist mathematics • Biblical literalism • Bumblebee argument • Orchidaceae • Irreducible complexity • Leap second • Wedge Strategy • Noah's Ark • 101 evidences for a young age of the Earth and the universe • Noah's Ark sightings • Evolution conspiracy • Recession of the Moon • Rotation of the Earth • Atmosphere of the Moon • Lunar dust • Lunar radioactivity • White hole cosmology • Firmament • Haji Yearam • Galactocentricity • Hanzi of Genesis • Historical and operational science • Proof of the inconsistency of arithmetic • List of creationist claims • Global flood • De-evolution • Microevolution and macroevolution • In the Beginning: Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood • Borel's Law • Dinosaur denialism • Baraminology •
| Global flood: |  Flood geology • Noah's Ark • Noah • Lunar bukkake hypothesis • Fossil sorting by the global flood • Hydroplate theory • Global flood • Grand Canyon • Noah (film) • Epic of Gilgamesh • Didit fallacy • God's Love • Noah's Ark sightings • Haji Yearam • Lake Agassiz • Parasites during the global flood • Life and the global flood • Global flood chronology • Yellowstone • Petrified forest • Baraminology •
Intelligent design creationism: |  Falsifiability of creationism • Irreducible complexity • Cdesign proponentsists • Intelligent design and academic freedom • Argument from design • The Wonders of Creation Reveal God's Glory • Biological Information: New Perspectives • Seeking God in Science: An Atheist Defends Intelligent Design • John A. Davison • Evolution Under the Microscope: A Scientific Critique of the Theory of Evolution • Rethinking Darwin: A Vedic Study of Darwinism and Intelligent Design • Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature Is Almost Certainly False • Providence Lost: A Critique of Darwinism • The Darwin Myth: The Life and Lies of Charles Darwin • The Mystery of Life's Origin: Reassessing Current Theories • The Origin of Human Nature: A Zen Buddhist Looks at Evolution • Thomas Nagel • Darwinism Under The Microscope: How Recent Scientific Evidence Points To Divine Design • The End of Darwinism • Ask Darwinists • Polonium halos • Explanatory Filter • Flowers of asexually-reproducing plants • Eye • Argument from fine tuning • Argument from beauty • Argument from first cause • Flagellum • Moody Institute of Science • Intelligent design • Laryngeal nerve • Suboptimal design • Adam and Evolution: A Scientific Critique of Neo-Darwinism • Expelled: Leader's Guide • Banana argument • Vault-Co •
| "Intelligent" alternatives: |  Intelligent falling • Scientific storkism • Pastafarianism • Scientific Geoterrapinism • Wedgie strategy •
| Teach the controversy: |  Santorum Amendment • Missouri House Bill 1227 • Indiana Senate Bill 89 • Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District • Academic Freedom Act • Louisiana Academic Freedom Act • Tennessee monkey bill • Edwards v. Aguillard • Thomas More Law Center • School vouchers • Eugenie Scott • Teach the controversy • Truth in Science • McLean v. Arkansas Board of Education •
Creationists: |  Ben Stein • Barry Setterfield • Jonathan Sarfati • Ray Comfort • B.H. Shadduck • Kirk Cameron • Harun Yahya • Wendy Wright • Carl Wieland • John Ankerberg • Jack Cuozzo • William Jennings Bryan • Russ Miller • Lee Strobel • Brother Stair • Paul Nelson • James Nienhuis • Art Robinson • Alan O'Reilly • PPSIMMONS • Hank Hanegraaff • Charlie Wagner • Rush Limbaugh • Roy Spencer • Grover Norquist • Ann Coulter • Christopher Booker • Andrea Minichiello Williams • Tom Bethell • Chuck Baldwin • Rick Perry • Bradley Monton • Christopher Langan • Aimee Semple McPherson • Richard Kent • Ljiljana Čolić • Abuz Zubair • Scott Huse • Barry Arrington • Grant Jeffrey • Janet Porter • Alan Clifford • Kurt Wise • Kenneth McKilliam • Bradlee Dean • Hugh Ross • Geoffrey Simmons • James Le Fanu • Norman Nevin • Shaun Johnston • John C. Sanford • Fazale Rana • Benjamin Wiker • Hugh Dower • Lee Spetner • Mark Ludwig • Alan Hayward • Werner Gitt • William Fix • Maciej Giertych • John C. Landon • Barbara Cargill • Ken Jopp • Frank Tipler • Richard William Nelson • Todd Friel • Bob Sorensen • Eugene Windchy • Berit Kjos • Glenn Beck • Robert McLuhan • George C. Deutsch • Ross McKitrick • Daniel Neiman • Ron Wyatt • Desmond Paul Allen • Jay Wile • Jack Chick • Ian Juby • Anthony Peake • Tim Ball • Sheik Feiz Muhammad • J. P. Holding • Michael Cremo • Chuck Norris • Steve Milloy • Rick Santorum • Christine O'Donnell • Larry Craig • Mike Bara • John Hawkins • Alan Keyes • Chris Carter • Ted Cruz • Bobby Jindal • James Ussher • Larry Pratt • Bob Dutko • Steve Fuller • Denyse O'Leary • Mike Huckabee • Babu G. Ranganathan • Ben Hobrink • Carl Baugh • Humans Are Free • Mary Lou Bruner • Educate-yourself.org • Andrew Schlafly • Ian Paisley • VenomFangX • Todd Akin • Paul Broun • James Manning • Shockofgod • Sye Ten Bruggencate • Brad Stine • Charlton Heston • Pat Toomey • Josh Axe • Ben Carson • William Dembski • Presents Of God Ministry • Jim Allister • Whale.to • Jonathan Otto • Becky Fischer • Roy Moore • David Wilcock • Jerry Falwell Sr. • Mark Dice • Ron Paul • Sam Brownback • Pat Buchanan • Don McLeroy • Marco Rubio • Michele Bachmann • Pat Robertson • John Hagee • Mary Fallin • The Vigilant Christian • Betsy DeVos • WND • Joseph Farah • Media Research Center • Theodore Beale • Encyclopedia of American Loons • Got Questions • R. L. Wysong • ProphecyFilm.com • Kent Hovind • Steven Anderson • Dennis Prager • Bernard d'Abrera • Mohammad Tawhidi • CJ Pearson • Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry • Eric Hovind • Cornelius Van Til • Frank Turek • Sarah Palin • William Lane Craig • Alex Jones (slovensky) • Charlie Kirk • Owen Benjamin • Steven Crowder • Rick Warren • Jerry Falwell Jr. • Ted Holden • Alex Jones • E. Calvin Beisner • Kate Tieje • Michael Denton • New Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Movement • Mark Cahill • Jim Inhofe • Gary Birdsong • R. J. Rushdoony • Pat Boone • The Washington Times • Canada Free Press • NewsBusters • Jimmy Swaggart • Miroljub Petrović • Marjorie Taylor Greene • Chuck Colson • Stephen E. Jones • Lew Rockwell • Tom Tancredo • John Kasich • Gary North • E. W. Jackson • Kevin Stitt • Zachary K. Hubbard • Conservapedia • Mike Johnson • National Rifle Association • Butch Hartman • Joshua Feuerstein • Christopher Rufo • Peter Sweden • Alvin Plantinga • Tucker Carlson • Mission: America • American Thinker • Brandon Tatum • Nick Fuentes • Mike Pence • Zakir Naik • Glenn Morton •
| Fundie schools: |  Brigham Young University • Cedarville University • Patrick Henry College • Regent University • Patriot Bible University • Fundie school • The Master's University • San Diego Christian College • Columbia Pacific University • Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools • Pensacola Christian College • Bob Jones University • Hyles-Anderson College • University of South Los Angeles • Cambridge Theological Seminary • Haven University • Liberty University • Louisiana Baptist University and Seminary • New Eden School of Natural Health • Andersonville Theological Seminary • Ambassador Baptist College • Hillsdale College • Illegal schools in the United Kingdom •
| Discovery Institute: |  Teach the controversy • Of Pandas and People • Wedge Strategy • Text of The Wedge Strategy • Explore Evolution • David Berlinski • Biologic Institute • Jonathan Wells • Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed • Michael Egnor • Douglas Axe • Academic Freedom Day • Casey Luskin • What is intelligent design? • Behe: The Edge of Evolution, Interview • Science and Human Origins • Wedgie strategy • Project Steve • BIO-Complexity • Texas Board of Education • Richard Weikart • Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District • Human exceptionalism • Darwin's Predictions • Stephen Meyer • Howard Ahmanson • Melvin Mulder • Lists of creationist scientists • Discovery Institute • Complex Specified Information • Michael Behe • Phillip Johnson • Joel Brind • Non-materialist neuroscience • Academic Freedom Act •
| Answers in Genesis: |  Answers in Genesis Dawkins interview controversy • Bodie Hodge • Andrew Snelling • Affirmations and Denials Essential to a Consistent Christian (Biblical) Worldview • Answers in Genesis/Creation Ministries International's Statement of Faith • Hanzi of Genesis • Atheists Outline Their Global Religious Agenda • 12 Arguments Evolutionists Should Avoid • Creation Ministries International • Lists of creationist scientists • Answers Research Journal • Ark Encounter • Jason Lisle • Answers in Genesis • Ken Ham • Creation Museum • Buddy Davis • Bill Nye debates Ken Ham • Ham Hightail • Cedarville University •
|  | Answers Research Journal: |  Answers Research Journal volume 2 • Answers Research Journal volume 3 • Answers Research Journal volume 5 • Answers Research Journal volume 1 • Answers Research Journal volume 6 • Answers Research Journal volume 4 • Answers Research Journal • Answers Research Journal volume 7 • Answers Research Journal volume 8 • Answers Research Journal volume 9 • Answers Research Journal volume 10 • Answers Research Journal volume 11 • Answers Research Journal volume 12 • Answers Research Journal volume 13 • Answers Research Journal volume 14 • Answers Research Journal Volume 15 •
| Institute for Creation Research: |  Nathaniel Jeanson • Jeffrey Tomkins • Lawrence Ford • Henry Morris • Brian Thomas • Duane Gish • RATE • Your Origins Matter • John Morris • Jerry Bergman • San Diego Christian College • Timothy LaHaye • Russell Humphreys • Lists of creationist scientists • Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools • Andrew Snelling • Alpha Omega Institute • Jason Lisle • Institute for Creation Research • Danny Faulkner • David DeWitt •