Objections to evolution

Objections to evolution have been raised since <a href="/facts/History_of_evolutionary_thought/Ah1RKqf0">evolutionary ideas</a> came to prominence in the 19th century. When <a href="/facts/Charles_Darwin/uwDLGItY">Charles Darwin</a> published his 1859 book <a href="/facts/On_the_Origin_of_Species/zTMxkKVY">On the Origin of Species</a>, his theory of <a href="/facts/Evolution/qE5amP6a">evolution</a> (the idea that <a href="/facts/Species/oDg6b96r">species</a> arose through <a href="/facts/Common_descent/bwEgMu7F">descent with modification from a single common ancestor</a> in a process driven by <a href="/facts/Natural_selection/JXTte6en">natural selection</a>) initially met opposition from <a href="/facts/Scientist/JDvthEFM">scientists</a> with <a href="/facts/Alternatives_to_Darwinism/dVrGkzvu">different theories</a>, but eventually came to receive <a href="/facts/Level_of_support_for_evolution/PBz9tXhK">near-universal acceptance</a> in the <a href="/facts/Scientific_community/0YIPcVzE">scientific community</a>. The observation of evolutionary processes occurring (as well as the <a href="/facts/Neo-Darwinism/CPk8opGV">modern evolutionary synthesis</a> explaining that evidence) has been uncontroversial among mainstream <a href="/facts/Biologist/yJJGXyKR">biologists</a> since the 1940s.
Since then, criticisms and denials of evolution have come from <a href="/facts/Religion/cxntrD0R">religious</a> groups, rather than from the scientific community. Although many religious groups have found reconciliation of their beliefs with evolution, such as through <a href="/facts/Theistic_evolution/Jqm6lzby">theistic evolution</a>, other religious groups continue to reject evolutionary explanations in favor of <a href="/facts/Creationism/IIhQyYTo">creationism</a>, the belief that the universe and life were created by <a href="/facts/Supernatural/qSlTK0Ss">supernatural</a> forces. The <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">U.S.</a>-centered <a href="/facts/Creation%25E2%2580%2593evolution_controversy/w3fV9V7t">creation–evolution controversy</a> has become a focal point of perceived conflict between <a href="/facts/Relationship_between_religion_and_science/wrfQ774U">religion and science</a>.
Several branches of creationism, including <a href="/facts/Creation_science/myq6at3d">creation science</a>, <a href="/facts/Neo-creationism/rze8xyTo">neo-creationism</a>, <a href="/facts/Geocentric_creationism/5ezckMov">geocentric creationism</a> and <a href="/facts/Intelligent_design/BWx7LxGf">intelligent design</a>, argue that the idea of life being directly designed by a <a href="/facts/God/KAykGr3G">god</a> or intelligence is at least as scientific as evolutionary theory, and should therefore be <a href="/facts/Creation_and_evolution_in_public_education/7RsmozI3">taught in public education</a>. Such arguments against evolution have become widespread and include objections to evolution's <a href="/facts/Scientific_evidence/ChQVqPcP">evidence</a>, <a href="/facts/Methodology/dk5X9Hxx">methodology</a>, plausibility, <a href="/facts/Morality/CSjHHvff">morality</a>, and scientific acceptance. The scientific community does not recognize such objections as valid, pointing to detractors' misinterpretations of such things as the <a href="/facts/Scientific_method/182j8RWE">scientific method</a>, evidence, and basic <a href="/facts/Physical_law/aVtc4wpk">physical laws</a>.

Objections to evolution open-in-new

Objections to evolution