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Monday, February 06, 2006

Evilution for Dummies

South Carolina Senator Mike Fair is proposing a few changes to his state's Evilution curriculum . Just to keep the people informed like a good newspaper should, thestate.com set South Carolinians straight on exactly what evilution all about by defining The Terms:


Evolution: The theory developed by scientist Charles Darwin nearly 150 years ago and detailed in his book “The Origin of Species.” It says man developed from lesser species over millions of years through a series of genetic mutations. Darwin theorizes that through a process called natural selection, simple cells mutated into more complex cells and eventually mutated into animal life. Darwin’s theory says man evolved from animals, with man’s closest kin being lesser primates such as apes and monkeys.

Creationism: In the Bible, the book of Genesis says God created the heavens and the earth and all the animals within it. And on the sixth day, the Bible says, God created man in his own image.

Intelligent Design: This theory has gained popularity in recent years as an alternative to teaching evolution. The theory of intelligent design doesn’t dispute much of what evolution concludes about the origin of man. But intelligent design says natural selection cannot explain certain features of the universe and of living things. It says the universe has a clear and obvious design, and thus a designer.

Now don't get us wrong, we appreciate the gesture, but since when did journalistic research translate to pulling "facts" out of one's ass? Here, let me help. It's easy. Step 1: Go to Wikipedia. Step 2: look up the word of interest. Step 3: report. Thus:

Evolution: the process by which populations of organisms acquire and pass on novel traits from generation to generation. Its action over large stretches of time explains the origin of new species and ultimately the vast diversity of the biological world...The idea of biological evolution has existed since ancient times, notably among Hellenists such as Epicurus and Anaximander, but the modern theory was not established until the 18th and 19th centuries, by scientists such as Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and Charles Darwin.

Creationism: In Abrahamic religions, creationism or creation theology is the origin belief that humans, life, the Earth, and the universe were created by a supreme being or deity's supernatural intervention. The intervention may be seen either as an act of creation from nothing (ex nihilo) or the emergence of order from pre-existing chaos...Many who hold "creation" beliefs consider such to be an aspect of religious faith which is compatible with (or otherwise unaffected by) scientific views...

Intelligent Design See Creationism.