Difference Between Creationism and Intelligent design

Differences of views of protagonists of Creationism and Intelligent

Design Theory:

The world is inhabited by people who hold diverse and often opposing views on the singularly most significant question faced by human civilisation; how life on earth has come to exist! It is a healthy practice that groups owing allegiance to concepts like Creationism, Intelligent Design, Evolution, Theism, and Atheism as regards to creation of earth and arrival of life into earth air their views freely and presumably with honesty, dedication, and supported by their respective sequence of logics. This may lead us, even if in distant future, to the ultimate truth of life; who created us, and what for? Till today, the question remains to be decisively answered with finality. Thus no single group can claim hegemony in the debate and discussion on the most perplexing question, human being is facing for centuries. The paper confines the discussion into the differences that exist between the views held by ‘Creationists’ and those believe in ‘Intelligent design’.

The differences of views:

1. The believers of creationism hold Bible at the highest esteem and subscribe to the view that God exists, and did create earth in six days of twenty four hours a day only a few thousand years ago from now. Human beings were created around the same time by the almighty. The creationists discard Charles Darwin’s theory of Evolution, and believe that God created human beings without adopting any evolutionary process, i.e. no race was extinct to bring in human beings on earth.

Those who believe in the doctrine of ‘Intelligent design’, popularised by William Paley on the other hand, refuse to hold Bible in the highest esteem and eulogise that the emergence of earth and life on it were a long process of a elaborate and complex intelligent design of a supreme power. Though Evolutionists and believers of ‘Intelligent design’ subscribe to certain ideas that are dissimilar, they are conflated by Creationists for their commonality in refusing to hold Bible as sacrosanct, and disagreement to identify the supreme power with the Bible described God.

2. The idea of Creationism is based on sanctity of sacred texts and devoid of any scientific thought or evidence. Believers of the concept view the texts of Bible as undisputable.

The supporters of ‘Intelligent design’ on the other hand believe it is impossible to know whether God exists or not. They emphasize more on science and seek answer to the question as to whether the design observed in nature is a genuine design or it is a result of chance happening and natural laws.

3. The ‘Intelligent design’ theory has space for such fields as philosophy, ethics, and theology outside science. But implications for such fields are distinctly different from the science governing the design. The evolutionists, especially in the present time have been drawing theological and even religious implications out of Darwin’s theory of Evolution. From this perspective, the Evolution theory and the ‘Intelligent design’ theory have common attributes. Creationists do not hold such separate implications for scientific research on one hand and religious, theological, and philosophical on the other.

4. Creationists are divided among believers in Biblical literalism and Catholic Church dictum as regards the age of universe. But no such division is apparent among the believers of ‘Intelligent design theory’, though many of them support the Theory of Evolution.

5. Creationism is rooted in Bible, and thus supporters of creationism bind themselves to religion. On the other hand believers of intelligent theory don’t subscribe to a particular religion as regards ideas of creation of universe and life.

6. Scope of Intelligent design theory is limited, and as such the believers are contented in revealing at least partial truth, where as the Creationists claim what they believe is absolute truth.

7. Creationism came into existence as a counter force to Theory of Evolution, although it is absolutely based on Biblical texts. No separate hypothesis was offered by the Creationists. Intelligent design theory at least offered hypothesis, though no empirical evidence is found to support it.

Summary:

i. Creationists believe in supremacy of Bible, Intelligent design theorists don’t

ii. Creationists do not believe in any scientific research as regards creation of universe and human soul. Intelligent design theory supporters believe in complex scientific process in the creation of universe and human life.

iii. Intelligent design theory is more akin to Theory of Evolution as regards implications for different fields of study like science, philosophy, theology, and religion.

iv. Creationists are divided between young-earth and old-earth protagonists. No such division is prevalent among ‘Intelligent design’ theorists.

v. Creationists attribute creation of universe and life to organised religion. Intelligent design theorists don’t do so.

vi. Creationists claim to reveal absolute truth as their views are supported by theological evidences, ‘Intelligent design’ theorists can’t claim to reveal absolute truth as no evidence backs their view.

vii. Intelligent theory can be termed as refinement to Creationism as a counter to Theory of Evolution.

References:
www.intelligentdesign.org
www.scienceblogs.com

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