evolution v. creation Essay -- essays research papers fc

Evolution   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Should the stork theory appear in books on reproduction? How about astrological lore in expositions on astronomy? It would be unreasonable to even consider those ridiculous concepts. This is why the idea of creation should not be considered as the answer to how life began. Rather, the theory of evolution accounts for the creation of life. Charles Darwin is credited with creating the theory of evolution. Evolution assumes that all natural forms arose from their ancestors and adapted over time to their environments, thus leading to variation. In evolution, there are many rules the environment places upon the survival of a species. â€Å"There are many misconceptions that creationists have about evolution. A large part of the reason why creationist arguments against evolution can sound so persuasive is because they don't address evolution, but rather argue against a set of misunderstandings that people are right to consider ludicrous† (Isaak). Evolution refers to change, or transformation over time. â€Å"There are numerous ways in which evolution occurs, the most noted are Natural Selection and Adaptation† (â€Å"Evolution v. Creationism†). As Savage said, â€Å"We do not need a listing of evidences to demonstrate the fact of evolution any more than we need to demonstrate the existence of mountain ranges† (v).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A very popular, although erroneous, argument given by creationists is that evolution has never been observed. Evolution at its simplest involves relatively minor changes in the gene pool of a particular population from one generation to the next (Savage 32). One example of evolution being observed is insects developing a resistance to pesticides over the period of a few years. Even most creationists recognize that evolution at this level is a fact. â€Å"What hasn't been observed is one animal abruptly changing into a radically different one, such as a frog changing into a cow. This is not a problem for evolution because evolution doesn't propose occurrences even remotely like that. In fact, if we ever observed a frog turn into a cow, it would be very strong evidence against evolution† (Isaak). According to Isaak, what they don't appreciate is that this rate of evolution is all that is required to produce the diversity of all living things from a common anc estor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another inaccu... ... a wide range of observations throughout the fields of genetics, anatomy, ecology, animal behavior, paleontology, and others. According to Dennett, if you wish to challenge the theory of evolution, you must address that evidence. You must show that the evidence is either wrong or irrelevant or that it fits another theory better (275). â€Å"If I had to give an award for the single greatest idea that anyone ever had, I’d give it to Darwin† (Dennett 278). Works Cited   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dennett, Daniel C. Darwin’s Dangerous Idea. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Evolution v. Creationism.† 21 April 2002. http://physics.syr.edu/courses/modules/ ORIGINS/origins.html. 4 Jan. 2004.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Isaak, Mark. â€Å"Five Major Misconceptions About Evolution.† 1 October 2003. Online. Available http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-misconceptions.html. 4 Jan. 2004.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prinze, Karl. â€Å"Evolution v. Creation: Misconceptions Dangerous.† 12 June 1999. Online. Available. http://www.ius.edu/journalism/2000/darwin.html. 4 Jan 2004. Savage, Jay M. Evolution. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc, 1963.