The Scopes Trial: Navigating the
Clash Between Evolution and Creationism
Evolution
is a scientific theory established to explain the origin and development of
biodiversity through time. It is based on the inheritance of characteristics
from parents to offspring from generation to generation. It is a theory that
was established as a scientific way of explaining the origin of humans.
However, there are many other theories, and Biblical theory of creation is one
of the biggest and most widely used. John Scopes was a teacher from Tennessee,
and in the year 1925, he was charged with teaching his students about evolution
as the theory to explain the origins of humans. At the time this was an act
that was illegal in the state and went against the Butler acts. He was tried in
court and was fined a hundred dollars for the crime. The Butler Act was a law
developed in Tennessee in the year 1925 and was aimed at prohibiting the use of
the evolution theory as an explanation for the origins of humans. At the time,
this theory was developing great momentum in the scientific world and was
slowly overshadowing the biblical accounts of creation as the main source of
explanation of the origins of humans. The charge of John began a series of
challenges of the act. The main issue associated with the case is the
challenges that the evolution theory brings to the biblical account of creation
and origin of humans. The evolution theory was scientific and is based on
empirical evidence. As a result of the theory of evolution greatly undermined
the biblical account of creation and law makers sought to find a way to protect
the biblical theory from being overshadowed by the evolution theory (Woolnough,
2010).
The
theory of evolution came to be thanks to Charles Darwin who championed it based
on empirical evidence from astronomical, paleontological, biological and
geological results. His theory gave rise to scientific evidence that
contradicted that of the biblical theory of creation. This is a theory that
greatly challenged the Christian belief and faith because it undermined and
questioned the biblical account of creation by providing scientific evidence.
As a result, the conflict between the evolution and biblical theory as
explanations for the origin of humans has only increased in intensity and size
because of the lack of reconciliation between the two. For many years the
conflict has forced the evolution theory from being taught in schools. The 20th
century saw great levels of indifference where conservative Christians tried to
prevent the theory from being taught in schools. It led to the biblical theory
of creation to become the single theory for explaining the origins of humans.
Many tried to eliminate the teaching of the theory of evolution. Despite such
conflicts, the theory of evolution grew regarding basis, and the number of
people that saw it as a solid and established theory also grew. The fact that
is a theory based on empirical evidence led to its high level of establishment.
Many started to see the biblical theory as highly defended ion faith, hunches and
lacked a clear explanation many also began to dismiss creations more of a
religion and less of science. The case of John Scopes shows the conflict
between the two theories. The case took place at a time where conservative
Christians had more influence in the world, and they had alienated the
evolution theory from being taught in class (Hagen and Lisa, 2004).
The
main issue with the John Scopes case is the ability of the Evolution theory to
have more support. Teaching it to children provided a great risk of them
undermining the biblical theory of creation. Many conservative Christians
feared that people would have less support for the biblical theory. The fact
that the evolution theory had empirical evidence gave it more strength over the
biblical theory, but at the time the theory had little support from the
society. However, the development of the act to criminalize the teaching of the
evolution theory was unfair and against people's right of expression. People
have the right to choose what they want. John was convicted and was fined a
hundred dollars for his action. It was until later in the future did the law
get challenges from proponents of the evolution theory. In the year 1967, the
law was challenged based on the fact that it was undermining people’s right to
expression. There have been developed acts of law to repeal the Butler act, and
they have been enacted into law (Hagen and Lisa, 2004).
It
is, therefore, very important to comprehend the influence of culture and belief
and how it can influence the society. In the case of John Scopes, the Christian
religion had great influence in the society to the extent of developing an act
to prevent the teaching of evolution theory in schools. The development of such
an act was because of the ability of the evolution theory to undermine the
credibility of the biblical theory of creation as an explanation of the origins
of humans. However, the development of the act and the conviction of John
scopes were made at a time when discrimination and lack of civil liberties were
rampant (Woolnough, 2010).
Work Cited
Hagen,
L. Kirk and Lisa Morano. "The Texas Textbook Wars." Skeptic, vol. 11,
no. 1, Mar. 2004, pp. 18-20.
Woolnough,
Brian E. "Science and Christianity: Friends or Foes?." Transformation
(02653788), vol. 27, no. 2, Apr. 2010, pp. 83-94.
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