| Published 2010 |
Evolutionists claim that creation scientists are biased in their examination of evidence, but
that evolution scientists are neutral. They also claim that there can be no such thing as
“creation science,” since creation is religion and evolution is science. 1
_______________________________________________________________________
1. Here is an evolutionist’s point of view, as quoted by Raju Chebium: “Creationism has no place
in public schools because it is not science. ‘In science you start with a hypothesis and test it. You can
go out and collect fossils to figure out if evolution is true. If you start with the premise that creationism
is true, that is not subject to scientific scrutiny,’” said Wayne Carley, executive director of the National
Association of Biology Teachers. CNN, July 13, 2000, “75 years after the Scopes trial pitted science
against religion, the debate goes on,” http://archives.cnn.com/2000/LAW/07/13/scopes.monkey.
trial/index.html (accessed March 16, 2010).
_________________________________________________________________________________
The truth is that everyone, including every creationist and evolutionist, interprets facts
based upon his own prior beliefs — including his world view. Everyone has a world view,
and the world view of an evolutionist is very different from the world view of a creationist.
This is why a creationist can believe that a particular observable fact clearly confirms
creation, while an evolutionist can believe that the same observable fact clearly confirms
evolution .2
_______________________________________________________________________
2. Dr. Jason Lisle, The Ultimate Proof Of Creation: Resolving The Origins Debate (Green Forest,
Arkansas: Master Books, 2009). See chapters 2 and 3 (pages 31-66) for a much more complete
presentation of this position.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Competing World Views
The creation world view summarized below is that of a Christian who takes the Bible
literally. There are many variations in evolution world views. The evolution world view
summarized below contains some of the more commonly held evolution beliefs.
Creationists start with the belief that there is a God who created all the “kinds” of plants
and animals in six days of ordinary length as recorded in the Bible. Plants and animals
reproduce within their own biblical kinds, but there is significant variation within each kind.
Some kinds have gone extinct. Creationists believe that the universe is young (fewer
than 15,000 years old) and there once was a worldwide flood which covered all the land,
plants, animals and people — except for those who were on the ark. Observable
evidence (rocks, fossils, plants, animals, stars, etc.) is interpreted in light of these beliefs.
Evolutionists start with a belief that, if there is a god, he had nothing to do with origins.
Many Christians believe that God used evolution as a means of bringing everything into
existence. Even these “theistic evolutionists” normally interpret facts as though God had
nothing to do with origins. Evolutionists believe that all things — living and non-living —
came into existence naturally, by chance, during the billions of years since a few
elements were produced by a “big bang.” The few elements produced by a big bang
condensed into stars, and the stars made heavier elements, which then became planets.
Living things came naturally from non-living chemicals. The first one-celled life forms
gradually changed into all the plants and animals which we see today. Evolutionists do
not believe that there was ever a worldwide flood, and they interpret evidence which they
observe today (rocks, fossils, plants, animals, stars, etc.) in the light of these beliefs. 3
_______________________________________________________________________
3. Lisle, 32-34.
_________________________________________________________________________________
The population of the United States is fairly evenly split between these two competing
world views, with half leaning toward the creationist view, and the other half toward the
evolutionary view. 4
_______________________________________________________________________
4. According to a CBS News poll conducted November 18-21, 2004, 55% of Americans said that
“God created humans in present form”; 22% said that “Humans evolved,” but “God guided the
process”; but only 13% said that “Humans evolved,” and that “God did not guide the process.” Bootie
Cosgrove-Mather, “Poll: Creationism Trumps Evolution — Most Americans Do Not Believe Human
Beings Evolved,” CBS News, November 22, 2004, http://www.cbsnewscom/stories/2004/ 11/22/
opinion/ polls/main657083.shtml (accessed March 16, 2010).
_________________________________________________________________________________
One of evolution’s most sacred beliefs is that everything came about by means of natural
causes. This a priori belief — an unsupported presupposition — arbitrarily rejects the
possibility that a Creator God exists. Either believing in a Creator God, or to believing
that no such God exists, is a religious belief based upon faith. It is impossible either to
prove or disprove the existence of God by means of human logic and reasoning. The
belief that God exists, or that he does not exist, is a matter of faith; therefore both
creation (which says that there is a Creator God) and evolution (which says that there is
no Creator God) are both faith based beliefs. Both creation and evolution use science to
interpret observable evidence in a way that conforms to their respective faith.
Neither creationists nor evolutionists will interpret any observable evidence in a way that
goes against their faith-based world view. It does not matter how massive the evidence is
for a young earth and a worldwide flood, an evolutionist will never accept either one, since
to do so would go against the evolutionist’s faith that there is no Creator God.
Neutral Ground
Evolution scientists claim that they are neutral in examining evidence. They say, “We
impartially look at the evidence. Let the cards fall where they may.” Yet they have
stacked the deck in their favor! The evolutionist says to the creationist, “Let us debate
origins on neutral ground. You give up any reference to God and the Bible so that we
can begin our discussion.” With this request, the evolutionist is asking the creationist to
accept the evolutionist’s own world view of natural causes without any Creator God.
Creation and evolution are mutually exclusive, since one says there is a Creator God,
and the other says that there is no Creator God. Such opposite positions can be
represented in formal logic by “p” and “not p.” It is logically fallacious to request that both
sides accept “p” as true before they debate whether “p” is true or “not p” is true, yet that is
what evolutionists ask creationists to do!
Most of our media and government have accepted the idea that belief in evolution is
neutral and scientific, while belief in creation is biased and religious. Consequently,
evolution is usually preached as the only reasonable view of origins in almost every
realm of society including schools, television, radio, newscasts, newspapers, magazines,
museums, and even by most religions and in most Christian churches. Evolutionists
accuse creationists of “imposing their views on others,” 5 yet the evolutionists’ view is
imposed on others far more often. Most Americans believe that both creation and
evolution should be presented side by side. 6
_______________________________________________________________________
5. Chebium also reported: “... He [Carley] also accused creationists of imposing their view on
others,” in “75 years after the Scopes trial pitted science against religion, the debate goes on,” CNN,
July 13, 2000, http://archives.cnn.com/2000/LAW/07/13/scopes.monkey.trial/index.html (accessed
March 16, 2010).
6. According to that same CBS poll, 65% of Americans want “creationism [taught] along with
evolution,” and 37% want “creationism [taught] instead of evolution.” In conclusion: “Overall, about
two-thirds of Americans want creationism taught along with evolution. Only 37 percent want
evolutionism replaced outright.” Cosgrove-Mather, “Poll: Creationism Trumps Evolution — Most
Americans Do Not Believe Human Beings Evolved,” CBS News, November 22, 2004, http://www.
cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/22/opinion/polls/main657083.shtml (accessed March 16, 2010).
_________________________________________________________________________________
In summary, everyone, both the creationist and the evolutionist, is biased in his
examination of the evidence. The creationist has a religious belief that there is a Creator
God. The evolutionist has a religious belief that there is not a Creator God. Scientific
investigation can be used to examine evidence in light of the creationists’ faith-based
world view or in light of the evolutionists’ faith-based world view.
The creation/evolution debate is a competition between two incompatible faith-based
world views. LSI
_________________________________________________________________________________
Mark Bergemann, a retired electrical engineer, serves on the LSI board. He is an evangelism
leader at Good Shepherd's in West Allis, WI, and holds a B.S. from UW–Milwaukee.
that evolution scientists are neutral. They also claim that there can be no such thing as
“creation science,” since creation is religion and evolution is science. 1
_______________________________________________________________________
1. Here is an evolutionist’s point of view, as quoted by Raju Chebium: “Creationism has no place
in public schools because it is not science. ‘In science you start with a hypothesis and test it. You can
go out and collect fossils to figure out if evolution is true. If you start with the premise that creationism
is true, that is not subject to scientific scrutiny,’” said Wayne Carley, executive director of the National
Association of Biology Teachers. CNN, July 13, 2000, “75 years after the Scopes trial pitted science
against religion, the debate goes on,” http://archives.cnn.com/2000/LAW/07/13/scopes.monkey.
trial/index.html (accessed March 16, 2010).
_________________________________________________________________________________
The truth is that everyone, including every creationist and evolutionist, interprets facts
based upon his own prior beliefs — including his world view. Everyone has a world view,
and the world view of an evolutionist is very different from the world view of a creationist.
This is why a creationist can believe that a particular observable fact clearly confirms
creation, while an evolutionist can believe that the same observable fact clearly confirms
evolution .2
_______________________________________________________________________
2. Dr. Jason Lisle, The Ultimate Proof Of Creation: Resolving The Origins Debate (Green Forest,
Arkansas: Master Books, 2009). See chapters 2 and 3 (pages 31-66) for a much more complete
presentation of this position.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Competing World Views
The creation world view summarized below is that of a Christian who takes the Bible
literally. There are many variations in evolution world views. The evolution world view
summarized below contains some of the more commonly held evolution beliefs.
Creationists start with the belief that there is a God who created all the “kinds” of plants
and animals in six days of ordinary length as recorded in the Bible. Plants and animals
reproduce within their own biblical kinds, but there is significant variation within each kind.
Some kinds have gone extinct. Creationists believe that the universe is young (fewer
than 15,000 years old) and there once was a worldwide flood which covered all the land,
plants, animals and people — except for those who were on the ark. Observable
evidence (rocks, fossils, plants, animals, stars, etc.) is interpreted in light of these beliefs.
Evolutionists start with a belief that, if there is a god, he had nothing to do with origins.
Many Christians believe that God used evolution as a means of bringing everything into
existence. Even these “theistic evolutionists” normally interpret facts as though God had
nothing to do with origins. Evolutionists believe that all things — living and non-living —
came into existence naturally, by chance, during the billions of years since a few
elements were produced by a “big bang.” The few elements produced by a big bang
condensed into stars, and the stars made heavier elements, which then became planets.
Living things came naturally from non-living chemicals. The first one-celled life forms
gradually changed into all the plants and animals which we see today. Evolutionists do
not believe that there was ever a worldwide flood, and they interpret evidence which they
observe today (rocks, fossils, plants, animals, stars, etc.) in the light of these beliefs. 3
_______________________________________________________________________
3. Lisle, 32-34.
_________________________________________________________________________________
The population of the United States is fairly evenly split between these two competing
world views, with half leaning toward the creationist view, and the other half toward the
evolutionary view. 4
_______________________________________________________________________
4. According to a CBS News poll conducted November 18-21, 2004, 55% of Americans said that
“God created humans in present form”; 22% said that “Humans evolved,” but “God guided the
process”; but only 13% said that “Humans evolved,” and that “God did not guide the process.” Bootie
Cosgrove-Mather, “Poll: Creationism Trumps Evolution — Most Americans Do Not Believe Human
Beings Evolved,” CBS News, November 22, 2004, http://www.cbsnewscom/stories/2004/ 11/22/
opinion/ polls/main657083.shtml (accessed March 16, 2010).
_________________________________________________________________________________
One of evolution’s most sacred beliefs is that everything came about by means of natural
causes. This a priori belief — an unsupported presupposition — arbitrarily rejects the
possibility that a Creator God exists. Either believing in a Creator God, or to believing
that no such God exists, is a religious belief based upon faith. It is impossible either to
prove or disprove the existence of God by means of human logic and reasoning. The
belief that God exists, or that he does not exist, is a matter of faith; therefore both
creation (which says that there is a Creator God) and evolution (which says that there is
no Creator God) are both faith based beliefs. Both creation and evolution use science to
interpret observable evidence in a way that conforms to their respective faith.
Neither creationists nor evolutionists will interpret any observable evidence in a way that
goes against their faith-based world view. It does not matter how massive the evidence is
for a young earth and a worldwide flood, an evolutionist will never accept either one, since
to do so would go against the evolutionist’s faith that there is no Creator God.
Neutral Ground
Evolution scientists claim that they are neutral in examining evidence. They say, “We
impartially look at the evidence. Let the cards fall where they may.” Yet they have
stacked the deck in their favor! The evolutionist says to the creationist, “Let us debate
origins on neutral ground. You give up any reference to God and the Bible so that we
can begin our discussion.” With this request, the evolutionist is asking the creationist to
accept the evolutionist’s own world view of natural causes without any Creator God.
Creation and evolution are mutually exclusive, since one says there is a Creator God,
and the other says that there is no Creator God. Such opposite positions can be
represented in formal logic by “p” and “not p.” It is logically fallacious to request that both
sides accept “p” as true before they debate whether “p” is true or “not p” is true, yet that is
what evolutionists ask creationists to do!
Most of our media and government have accepted the idea that belief in evolution is
neutral and scientific, while belief in creation is biased and religious. Consequently,
evolution is usually preached as the only reasonable view of origins in almost every
realm of society including schools, television, radio, newscasts, newspapers, magazines,
museums, and even by most religions and in most Christian churches. Evolutionists
accuse creationists of “imposing their views on others,” 5 yet the evolutionists’ view is
imposed on others far more often. Most Americans believe that both creation and
evolution should be presented side by side. 6
_______________________________________________________________________
5. Chebium also reported: “... He [Carley] also accused creationists of imposing their view on
others,” in “75 years after the Scopes trial pitted science against religion, the debate goes on,” CNN,
July 13, 2000, http://archives.cnn.com/2000/LAW/07/13/scopes.monkey.trial/index.html (accessed
March 16, 2010).
6. According to that same CBS poll, 65% of Americans want “creationism [taught] along with
evolution,” and 37% want “creationism [taught] instead of evolution.” In conclusion: “Overall, about
two-thirds of Americans want creationism taught along with evolution. Only 37 percent want
evolutionism replaced outright.” Cosgrove-Mather, “Poll: Creationism Trumps Evolution — Most
Americans Do Not Believe Human Beings Evolved,” CBS News, November 22, 2004, http://www.
cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/22/opinion/polls/main657083.shtml (accessed March 16, 2010).
_________________________________________________________________________________
In summary, everyone, both the creationist and the evolutionist, is biased in his
examination of the evidence. The creationist has a religious belief that there is a Creator
God. The evolutionist has a religious belief that there is not a Creator God. Scientific
investigation can be used to examine evidence in light of the creationists’ faith-based
world view or in light of the evolutionists’ faith-based world view.
The creation/evolution debate is a competition between two incompatible faith-based
world views. LSI
_________________________________________________________________________________
Mark Bergemann, a retired electrical engineer, serves on the LSI board. He is an evangelism
leader at Good Shepherd's in West Allis, WI, and holds a B.S. from UW–Milwaukee.
Can Evolutionists
Be Neutral?
by Mark Bergemann
Be Neutral?
by Mark Bergemann
The creation/evolution debate is a competition between two
incompatible faith-based world views.
incompatible faith-based world views.
