Source: The Huffington Post
As “Science Guy” Bill Nye and the founder of Kentucky’s Creation Museum, Ken Ham, prepare for their much-anticipated debate Tuesday evening on evolution (Nye) versus creationism (Ham), recent polls point to Americans being largely split on the issue depending on the religious tradition to which they belong.
Most Americans fall into one of three camps, with some believing humans were created as-is by God or a supreme being, others believing humans evolved from their natural state without supernatural influence, and third group believing humans have evolved but that evolution was guided or influenced by God.
Overall, religion factors largely into how Americans view evolution. White evangelical Protestants tend to be more likely to believe in creationism, for example, while mainline Protestants are more likely to believe in evolution. Republicans are more likely to believe in creationism than to Democrats.
A Pew Research Center survey released in December showed that 33 percent of U.S. residents believe “humans and other living things have existed in their present form since the beginning of time.” Six-in-ten adults said in the survey that “humans and other living things have evolved over time” and about half of them credited natural selection — not God — for that evolution. Around quarter of adults indicated that “a supreme being guided the evolution of living things for the purpose of creating humans and other life in the form it exists today.”
According to a Gallup survey from June 2012, 46 percent of Americans believed in creationism, while 32 percent believed that God guided evolution and 15 percent said evolution happened on its own. Gallup compared responses to frequency of church attendance and found that among people who went to church weekly, two-thirds believed in creationism and a quarter believed in theistic evolution. Among churchgoers, just 3 percent believed evolution happened without divine influence.
Meanwhile, a 2011 survey from the Public Religion Research Institute found similar results as Pew and Gallup. In its survey, nearly four-in-ten (38 percent) respondents told PRRI that humans have “existed in present form since creation,” while almost six-in-ten (57 percent) said they believed in evolution. Among those who believed in evolution, 30 percent said it happened through natural selection, while 22 percent said it was guided by God.
Ham is a proponent of Young Earth Creationism, which is based on a literal reading of the Bible and advocates the belief that God created the universe and all life under 10,000 years ago.
In its survey, PRRI asked those who believe in creationism when life began. About 19 percent of creationists said humans have existed in their present form since creation and that this happened within the last 10,000 years, while 15 percent said humans have existed in their present form since creation but that it didn’t happen within the last 10,000 years. Four percent said humans have existed in their present form since creation and were unsure about the timeframe.
Additional Reading
Bill Nye Takes On Creationist Ken Ham
Darwinian Evolution: Islam or Christianity?
Exposing Creationism of Zakir Naik, Tahir ul Qadari, Yusuf Estes and Harun Yahya
Understanding of biological evolution can give the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, a perfect and a scientific tool, to engage all Christians and non-Ahmadi Muslims.
If evolution, as regards common lineage of all life forms on the planet earth, is true Original Sin cannot be true.
Again if evolution is true, the literalist’s understanding of some of the verses of the Holy Quran cannot be true.
Some fossilized questions for a transitional and healhty debate, for instance: is there evolution if there is no time? How will evolutionary biology meet new physical paradigms about time, space and so on? Will new conceptual changes deny evolution? Or on the contrary, will it become a more extraordinary process, full of astonishing implications? If so, will past human beings and the rest of living beings become something different as science progresses? After all, is life something fix-finite-defined? That is, can one understand it by means of using a flesh brain and its limited words, axioms and dogmas? Does the whole of life fit inside a bone box? Indeed, will science add indefinitely without understanding completely, is there an infinite pool of knowledge and ignorance waiting for us? Otherwise, will religions use the word God forever and ever, as if it were a death thing, a repetitive thing that is part of human discussions? And, in order to speak about God, are they using his limited brain or do they use unknown instruments? Along these lines, there is a different book, a preview in http://goo.gl/rfVqw6 Just another suggestion in order to freethink for a while
The quran talks about creation as the Ahmadis have now mounted their pulpit to proclaim evolution while holding that the quran is the literal word of God. Both of them cannot be correct. It is either creationism or evolution.
Evolution ordinarily means ‘change’. So there are two types of evolution; the micro and the macro or darwinism. Those who subscribe to the darwinian evolution say that life originated from some inorganic material and through billions or millions of years led to what is now seen. There has been no scientific experiment to prove or replicate this. So it remains an abstract construct and completely imaginary.
Interestingly, the greatest doubter of darwinism was Charles Darwin himself. He held that if the fossils showing the transitional stages of evolution were not found, then his theory will not be true. Darwinists have used every type of fraud to prove their belief. Each one has failed miserably. Species said to have been extinct millions of years ago, which reputedly showed the transition to a different form, have rubbished the theory when caught.
While there is evidence of micro evolution, there is no evidence of macro or darwinian evolution. Proponents of macro evolution keep on amending one theory after the other as new findings prove them wrong. So far there has been no evidence of fish becoming an amphibian or a deer/antelope changing to a giraffe. Every macro evolutionary theory is based on assumption. Nothing concrete.
I wish the Ahmadis well in their quest to be associated with such laughable falsehood.
Namelee: Is it so difficult to understand that there can be a ‘guided evolution’? To me this is totally logical. Nature can develop gradually, but not ‘by accident’ but ‘by design’.
Namelee: Please read: http://www.alislam.org/library/books/revelation/index.html
Rafiq,
I will not go on a wild goose chase. Until I understand what you mean by ‘guided evolution’, I will not discuss it.
On evolution by ‘design’, I recall how Zia, in one of his posts last year, tried to make a laughing stock of those who believe in ‘intelligent design’. He quoted Richard Dawkins’ mocking of a fellow scientist who believed in it. Zia went on to cite some cases decided by activist American judges who held that intelligent design should not be taught in schools. He saw that as the triumph of ‘science’ over the Christian religion.
Talking about evolution by ‘design’, you will need to be quite explicit. Knowing those I am dealing with, it will be hazardous to leave anything to chance.
I believe in micro evolution because it is observable, provable and makes sense. The finches Darwin saw in the Galapagos had distinctive features but in the end they were still finches. They were not some dinosaurs which had evolved into birds. Evolutionists believe in long time lags because nobody can observe what they are talking about. Things are assigned “billions and millions of years when nobody existed” to tell.
Macro evolutionists or darwinists are criminals because they are fraudulent.The world was deceived into believing in the “nebrsaka man” which was brought into being by the finding of just a tooth of an animal. It later turned out that the animal the tooth came from was, in fact, a pig.
In the last decade, the world was treated to a clown show when somebody attached bones from different species to some skeleton and called it the fossil of the transition from dinosaur to bird.
Symposia were held to herald “this wonder that has proved the Bible wrong once again” and a Latin name was given to it. In the final analysis, it turned out to be a fraud.
Macro evolution is now a cult in which the members use to enrich themselves and persecute any one who differs.
The ‘evolutionary chart’ of man at the top of this page does not exist in actuality. It has been created based on assumptions with the hope that some day the “missing links” will be found to end the puzzle. How can anyone call that science?
Namelee: Please go to the link I provided and you will understand the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s understanding of ‘guided evolution’. Here it is again, go to Part IV: http://www.alislam.org/library/books/revelation/
Rafiq,
I believe you can tell me what you mean without my having to visit any link.
So, in a nut shell, what is ‘guided evolution”?
In a nutshell: guided evolution is evolution guided by the Creator and not by chance. (but you are missing a lot if you do not take time to visit that link!)
Refutation of those who believe in human evolution from animals
It’s explicitly mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah that Adam is the first human being and thus refuting human evolution.
“It is He Who created you from a single person, and made his mate of like nature, in order that he might dwell with her in love” (7:189).
From these two individuals, generations of human beings have inhabited the earth. “Oh humankind! We created you from a single pair of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honoured among you in the sight of Allah is the one who is the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).” (49:13).
And “O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat from wherever you will but do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers.”But Satan whispered to them to make apparent to them that which was concealed from them of their private parts. He said, “Your Lord did not forbid you this tree except that you become angels or become of the immortal.”And he swore [by Allah ] to them, “Indeed, I am to you from among the sincere advisors.”So he made them fall, through deception. And when they tasted of the tree, their private parts became apparent to them, and they began to fasten together over themselves from the leaves of Paradise. And their Lord called to them, “Did I not forbid you from that tree and tell you that Satan is to you a clear enemy?” They said, “Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.”[ Allah ] said, “Descend, being to one another enemies. And for you on the earth is a place of settlement and enjoyment for a time.” [7:19 -24]
The above verses clearly states that Allah created Adam from clay in Paradise. Then Adam and eve were sent to earth. Thus there is no human evolution.
“O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer.” [4:1]
“Who perfected everything which He created and began the creation of man from clay. Then He made his posterity out of the extract of a liquid disdained.” [32:7,8]
Abu huraira reported; We were in the company of the Prophet Muhammad ( ) at a banquet and a cooked (mutton) forearm was set before him, and he used to like it. He ate a morsel of it and said, “I will be the chief of all the people on the Day of Resurrection. Do you know how Allah will gather all the first and the last (people) in one level place where an observer will be able to see (all) of them and they will be able to hear the announcer, and the sun will come near to them. Some People will say: Don’t you see, in what condition you are and the state to which you have reached? Why don’t you look for a person who can intercede for you with your Lord? Some people will say: Appeal to your father, Adam.’ They will go to him and say: ‘O Adam! You are the father of all mankind, and Allah created you with His Own Hands, and ordered the angels to prostrate for you, and made you live in Paradise. Will you not intercede for us with your Lord? Don’t you see in what (miserable) state we are, and to what condition we have reached?’ On that Adam will reply, ‘My Lord is so angry as He has never been before and will never be in the future; (besides), He forbade me (to eat from) the tree, but I disobeyed (Him), (I am worried about) myself! Myself! Go to somebody else; go to Noah.’ They will go to Noah and say; ‘O Noah! You are the first amongst the messengers of Allah to the people of the earth, and Allah named you a thankful slave. Don’t you see in what a (miserable) state we are and to what condition we have reached? Will you not intercede for us with your Lord? Noah will reply: ‘Today my Lord has become so angry as he had never been before and will never be in the future Myself! Myself! Go to the Prophet ( ) (Muhammad). The people will come to me, and I will prostrate myself underneath Allah’s Throne. Then I will be addressed: ‘O Muhammad! Raise your head; intercede, for your intercession will be accepted, and ask (for anything) for you will be given. ” [Bukhari book of prophets]
Abu huraira reported The Prophet ( ) said, “Allah created Adam, making him 60 cubits tall. When He created him, He said to him, “Go and greet that group of angels, and listen to their reply, for it will be your greeting (salutation) and the greeting (salutations of your offspring.” So, Adam said (to the angels), As-Salamu Alaikum (i.e. Peace be upon you). The angels said, “As-salamu Alaika wa Rahmatu-l-lahi” (i.e. Peace and Allah’s Mercy be upon you).” [Bukhari]
Narrated Anas: The Prophet ( ) said, “Allah will say to that person of the (Hell) Fire who will receive the least punishment, ‘If you had everything on the earth, would you give it as a ransom to free yourself (i.e. save yourself from this Fire)?’ He will say, ‘Yes.’ Then Allah will say, ‘While you were in the backbone of Adam, I asked you much less than this, i.e. not to worship others besides Me, but you insisted on worshipping others besides me.” [Bukhari – book of prophets]
Prophet stated that Allah the Most High created Adam and He created Eve from his short rib. [Sunan Ibn Majah]
Abdullah Ibn Abbas reported that Prophet said; “Eve was created from Adam’s shortest left rib when he was sleeping in paradise and then she was clothed with flesh. Adam named her hawwa as she was created from Adam and he was a living being.” [Ibn Ishaq & Ibn Kathir]
Ibn Umar said that Adam and eve descended to earth from paradise and were descended on safa and marwa. [Ibn Abi Hatim]
The above narrations explicitly prove that Adam and eve were created in paradise and that Adam has no parents thus the first human. Then they were sent to earth.
Narrated Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari that the Messenger of Allah said: “Indeed Allah Most High created Adam from a handful that He took from all of the earth. [Tirmidhi]
As the Qur’an at another place (Aal Imraan 3: 59) tells us that Adam was directly produced from clay (earth) and was not born to a father and a mother. “Indeed, the example of Jesus to Allah is like that of Adam. He created Him from dust; then He said to him, “Be,” and he was.”[3:59]
We also see that Allah created Adam directly without the agency of parents.
Allah says: “The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: ‘Be’ and he was.” [Sûrah Al `Imrân: 59]
We also know that Eve was created from Adam without the agency of parents.
In the Qur’an, Allah states clearly: “O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain hath spread abroad a multitude of men and women.” [Sûrah al-Nisâ’: 1]
Therefore, the Qur’an tells us that Adam and his wife were the father and mother of all human beings living on the Earth today. We know about this by way of direct revelation from Allah.
In another verse Almighty Allah Proclaims:
“Allah made all things He created excellent; and He began the creation of man from clay. Then He made his offspring from the extract of base fluid; then He fashioned and breathed into him of His Spirit; and gave you hearing and sight and the faculty of inferring. And yet how little are the thanks you offer!” (Al-Quran, ch 32:7-9)
The above verses clearly prove that Adam was created from clay and he was not born to any parents or biological species thus negating human evolution. In fact, none of Islam’s early scholars ever even considered the possibility of Adam being created in stages of existence, or that he experienced childhood at some time of his life.
To believe that Adam had monkey-like parents (despite the fact that overwhelming evidences go against it) and to completely abandon the consensus of Muslims is indicative of deep-rooted arrogance, a rejection of the clear evidences, or ignoring the correct methodology in understanding the divine texts. For example, the first step of a sound methodology would be to analyse whether the conclusion is consistent with the Arabic language, since Arabic is the primary tool used in interpreting divine revelation, and so, any interpretation that fails to fall within the framework of the Arabic language is one that is redundant. For example, the Arabs did not consider the phrase kun fa yakun (be! And it is/was) to be an indefinite period of time, for indeed, the phrase illustrates the power and might of God that His will is manifested immediately and decisively, without delay. Even the phrase “be! And it is/was” in English implies it (whatever it is) happens instantaneously, and to argue otherwise would be a distortion of the English language!
Another key principle that must be established when dealing with scripture is the inter-contextualisation of the entire divine text – in order to correctly interpret the Qur’an and ahadith we must approach them, not as solitary verses, but as one coherent and homogeneous unit that affords a holistic interpretation, and not an interpretation based on preconceived ideas that singles out isolated verses so as to misconstrue them.
Even science proves we all come from Eve; Scientists took DNA samples from every race on the earth and applied DNA lineage tracing to these samples. They found that all the people of the planet are related to each other, as the DNA lineage traces all our hereditary line back to one ancient mother.
Those who believe in evolution, say that in the past mankind existed in small groups of hunter gatherers that we can from one or many of these groups. Now if that was the case then we would have more than one root mother. However, science tells us differently, DNA lineage reveals that we come from one root mother (Eve).
The Qur’an clearly states that Adam was created by Allah, and with His own hands, “He said, ‘Iblis, what prevented you prostrating to what I created with My own two hands?” [Quran 38:75]
In addition, the famous Companion, Abdullah ibn Umar, said, “Allah created four things with His hand: the Throne, the Pen, the Garden of Eden and Adam. To the rest of His creation He said, ‘Be!’ and it was.” [Ibn Kathir Stories of the Prophets]
This narration clearly shows that the Companions believed that these four things, Adam included, were created in a way different to other animals and creatures. The authenticated ahadith furnish us with further examples that leave no doubt whatsoever that this was an actual act performed by Allah. For example, the Messenger of Allah said that on the Last Day, mankind would go from Prophet to Prophet requesting intercession; they would go to Adam and say, “You are the father of mankind, Allah created you with His hands, had the angels prostrate to you, and taught you the names of all things.” [Bukhari] If Adam was created from a ‘despised drop’ and like all other human beings, then what is the point of singling him out as being created by Allah’s hands?
Those deviant sects who believe in human evolution clearly contradict the Quran and Sunnah. They claim that all verses and hadith regarding creation of Adam is metaphor. But this assumption is wrong as Allah says that the Quran is clear and plain book. Also the Quran uses many linguistic manner and adjectives and nouns that explicitly state that Adam was the first human being created from dust and that humanity come from him. Therefore the Quran and Sunnah are so explicitly vivid about the creation of Adam from clay in heaven and his wife from him.
The story of the Sabbath-breakers is well known whereby Allah cursed the disobedient and turned them into monkeys and pigs. [5:60]
How then, can the honoured sons of Adam actually come from that which is considered a curse? Of course, in being honoured, it is only logical to conclude that either humanity haven’t come from apes or that we negate the verse itself and claim that the Sabbath-breakers did not turn into apes and pigs. Even if we were to state, for the sake of argument, that the transformation was metaphorical, the essential point still remains that they were cursed by taking on qualities of monkeys and apes. Correspondingly, there are various contradictions that arise in relation to Adam and Hawwa’ when attempting to scripturally justify human evolution. There are various mutawatir texts that confirm that Adam and Hawwa’ lived as spouses and that mankind came from the two, indeed the textual evidences regarding this point are particularly decisive.
We find that Anas ibn Malik relates from the Prophet,
“When Allah fashioned Adam in Paradise, He left him as He willed. Iblis then wandered around him examining him. Upon seeing him as hollow from within, he recognised that Adam had been created with a disposition that he would not have control over himself. [Sahih Muslim]
If we believe that Allah is the Creator and can create anything, then what is wrong in accepting that he created Adam directly from clay, fashioned him, and brought him to life instantaneously? What is it that they negate? Why do we need to distort the meanings of countless Qur’anic verses in favour of a theory that continually changes? Must we negate the numerous and authentic hadith that clearly establish a non-evolutionist narrative? Let’s not forget that Quran is the clear book of guidance and not a book of secret codes.
[All] praise is [due] to Allah, who has sent down upon His Servant the Book and has not made therein any deviance. [18:1]
[He has made it] straight, to warn of severe punishment from Him and to give good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a good reward. [18:2]
This (Quran) is a clear insight and evidence for mankind, and guidance and a mercy for people who have Faith with certainty. [45:20]
So those misguided sects that believe in human evolution and claim that the apparent meaning of the verses is not intended have a number of implications:
1) some verses of the Quran seem to mislead and deceive humanity instead of guiding them
2) that the Quran is not clear but rather vague and an ancient book of secrets and mystical book
3) That Allah didn’t reveal the truth concerning the creation of humanity but rather hinted at them in such a couched and hidden way that the truth cannot be arrived except by distorting the meaning and contradicting the verses of the Quran and hadith
4) That Allah required His servants not to believe in the apparent meanings of what He revealed but believe in the opposite of what the verses clearly state
5) That Allah always revealed verses concerning the creation of Adam whose apparent meaning opposes the truth
6) That the prophet didn’t clearly explain those verses about Adam’s creation but rather hid the truth
7) That the beloved companions of prophet Muhammad didn’t understand these verses under topic since they never believed in human evolution
8) That the beloved prophet wasn’t sincere in revealing the message of truth
9) That human beings (including prophets) are offspring of animals rather than Adam and Eve
10) The history of Adam and satan is a myth!
11) That the creation of eve from Adam is a fiction!
12) If human biological evolution was true it would imply that the Quran is apparently wrong! And that all relevant hadith are incorrect
13) If those deviant sects’ claims are true, it would have been better to not have these verses under topic since the revelation of these verses has caused deception and doubts rather than guidance and certainty!
All praises and glory to Allah! Indeed Allah is most knowledgeable of His creation and is capable of clearly explaining His Quran than His creation!
Kripkean Dogmatism: The Best Metaphor to Understand Religious Debate
Rafiq,
I subscribe to micro evolution. I believe that God created the entire universe including our earth and all that is on or in it. After creation, certain factors, such as environmental conditions, do cause minor changes in organisms. There may be color, size or shape differences, none of which leads to the emergence of a new or new species. These factors have caused the African elephant to be larger than its Asian cousin. The variation may have arisen from dietary differences. But both still remain elephants. Same thing with crocodiles.
However, in their endless quest to make sense out of macro evolution, neo-darwinists did come up with something they tagged ‘gradualistic evolution’. It did not take long before this too was discarded for the undeniable fact that new organisms appeared abruptly and disappeared with little or no change. There were no intermediate stages contrary to Darwin’s speculation.
If this last one is what you have in mind, then it does not resonate with me.