Darwin's theories

Darwin is among the school of Deists that believe that God created man and then left him alone, and allowed evolution to commence. God instilled in man's ancestor a series of traits that were beneficial at the time. With the passing of time when it became obvious that some of the chosen attributes were valuable they were retained. However, those characteristics and bodily structures that proved no longer useful evolved over many years into those that could further mans chance for survival. If Darwin believed that the divine hand was responsible for choosing all of man's traits, then what role does free will play in the theory of evolution. Darwin again states that man was in no way responsible for the characteristics that allowed him to rise to the top of the food chain so quickly. Man's ancestor possessed these qualities, and they were then passed along to man because they proved to be beneficial in the game of survival. Darwin felt that the traits were chosen for man, but it was the human's role to choose what to do with those attributes. Man could have remained content with the qualities given to him and live only with the intention of finding a mate and food in order to make sure that the species survived. However, man was able to use the characteristics that only he possesses to create society and culture. Man had no choice in choosing his traits, but he was able to use his intellect and free will to transcend the status of animal. Another key role in understanding man's rise is his intellect.

Firstly, Darwin claims that possibly the only trait that set man apart from the other animals on this planet is his ability to think and have emotions. Man possessed these same abilities at the beginning of the species, but over time he was able to cultivate and refine those abilities in order to further enhance his ability to survive, and to make sure that he alone would be the dominant species on this planet. Man was aboriginally given the traits that he needed to survive, but with his intellect, man was able to speed up the process of evolution. For no longer does man need to fight in order to survive. By using his mind man was able to create medicines to cure those that otherwise would die as dictated by the theory of "survival of the fittest". Man was able to use his inborn attributes to further his standing as the dominant species. However, man might cheat the theory of "survival of the fittest", he cannot cheat evolution. As time passes nature will provide man with adapted forms of his present-day traits so that he can better survive in the future. Man will again be able to use his "godlike intellect" and "noble qualities" to further strengthen his chances for survival. Even though man possesses many noble qualities too often he resembles his beastly counterparts, and reveals the "indelible stamp of his lowly origin". Above all, man's physical qualities are responsible for his organic success. Homosapiens, like all other species on this planet have the ability to adapt to their environment in order to ensure survival.

However, unlike other mammals, humans can survive in almost every environment on the Earth. Therefore, this is why humans are presents in every location on the planet, whereas animals have not adapted to every kind of environment. Humans can also further their ability to adapt by using their intellect, They can make clothes and construct shelters to adjust to their surroundings, and ensure their organic success on every inch of soil. Darwin's theory of evolution greatly challenges the religious beliefs about the creation of man, because his theory claims that god did not create man with all of the traits that make him the unique species. Both Biblical and scientific creationists agree that a supernatural being specially created man in fully human form from the start. Darwin's theory threatens this belief because he states that God did not create man as he is now. Rather man evolved to his present form from the original ancestor created by God.

Also, Darwin's ideas oppose those of creationists because he states that men were not specially created but rather they evolved from a common ancestor with the other mammals roaming the planet. As well, many creationists are angered because they feel that Darwin states that man is not unique, but is just one of a number of species that happened to have evolved differently due to the separation in geography. Darwin's theories entirely undermine all of the lessons taught by religion about the creation and uniqueness of man, and so various creationists feel the need to retaliate. As a means to combat the threat posed by evolutionism, numerous creationists began to call themselves "scientific creationists". The basis of scientific creationism is the belief that "the first human being did not evolve from animal ancestry but were specially created in fully human form from the start. Furthermore the 'spiritual' nature of man (self-image, moral consciousness, abstract reasoning, language, will, religious nature, etc.) is itself a supernaturally created entity distinct from mere biological life."

Stephen Jay Gould, states that creationism is not a "science" on the basis of philosopher Karl Popper's "Falsification Principle". The principle states that "the primary criterion of science is the falsifiability of its theories. We can never prove absolutely, but we can falsify. A set of ideas that cannot, in principle, be falsified is not science". According to Gould, creationism is not science because there are no means to falsify that which they claim is true. There is no tangible evidence of a supernatural being capable of working such miracles as the creation of the universe and man. There are also no facts or concrete observations of a mystical force with the ability of creating humans. Also, whereas the theory of creation cannot be disproved by any means, the theory of evolution can easily be disproved because of the numerous gaps in the theory, and all of the minor disagreements among the evolutionists.

Therefore the creationists use that which makes this "theory" science, the ability to falsify it, and use that to try to disprove the possibilities of evolution. The creationists can easily try to falsify the theory even with the numerous amount of evidence, but they cannot replace the theory of evolution with a theory that is as equally grounded in tangible evidence. The "science" of creationism can only furiously try to disprove any theory that rivals that which they have been taught every week in Sunday school. But in no ways can they work to create a new theory based on scientific fact that would logically explain the origin of man, as does Darwin's theory of evolution. "I know, but I cannot imagine what potential data could lead creationists to abandon their beliefs. Unbeatable systems are dogma, not science"-Stephen Jay Gould.