Evolution The Humanist Religi

Evolution, The Humanist Religion The best statement which can be made concerning evolution is that the only proof of change from the simple to complex, from the primitive to the modern has been in the theory of evolution itself. As the supposed age of the earth was pushed back into the archean mists of time –a backhanded acknowledgement that the complexity of God’s creation is overwhelming– the estimated age of the earth (in evolutionary terms) has doubled six times over since 1900. The sextupling of years is not, as evolutionists would have us believe, merely the result of a more reliable and increasingly accurate scientific method. It is the result of a growing awareness that not all is well with Darwins enigma. Charles Darwin, in his Origin of Species, presented an ancient argument against the Special Creation of each individual being. Darwin argued that no species has been created, but that rather through the process of natural selection all species trace their ancestry back to several primary beings. Natural selection became Darwin’s god, a god of nature, choosing, preserving, and enhancing the genetic variations, which were the result of adapting to and surviving in the wild. Each organism was thought to pass on these acquired characteristics to succeeding generations, thus preparing them for the struggle to survive in a hostile environment. Eventually, it was believed, these newly acquired characteristics would create a new (perhaps more vigorous) species. It is unfortunate that Darwin was unaware of Gregor Mendel’s pioneering work with common garden peas. It was not until the 6th edition of his book that Darwin hinted at evidence contrary to his view of natural selection. Mendel’s work provided verifiable proof that species pass on characteristics (though they may become recessive) to its offspring. Darwin’s ideas about natural selection presupposed that through the blending of characteristics only those beneficial to speciation would be preserved. It was presumed to be as simple as mixing paint (as in mixing black and white to achieve grey) where the original parent material is lost forever. Darwin believed that the blend would be inherited and that through this process evolved the entire plant and animal kingdoms. Despite his beliefs Darwin knew that there existed no concrete evidence for much of what he wrote, thus he hoped that future generations would provide the evidence needed to bolster the stillborn theory of evolution. The next article in this series will begin with the Scopes Monkey Trial. In the 1920’s, during the Scope’s Monkey Trial, Clarence Darrow presented the Nebraska Man as proof of evolution. This tooth was later discovered to be from an extinct pig. Darrow’s arguments did not sway the jury, however, and his famous client was convicted of breaking the law.