Evolution Korea
Up until recently, the Korean scientific community resisted working with creationists due to the fear of giving the movement more credibility. The silence is no longer an alternative.
The STR has been fighting to remove evolution-related content from textbooks, including the discovery that the feathered Archaeopteryx was an ancestor bird. But this is merely one aspect of the evolution of the development paradigm.
What is Evolution?
Evolution is a theory of science that explains changes in genetic characteristics over time. The theory is based on the fact that living organisms adapt to their surroundings and this can lead to changes in genes or even complete genomes. Over the course of many generations, these changes can lead to the emergence new species. The prevailing theory of evolution is known as natural selection, which explains the process through which individuals with advantageous characteristics survive and reproduce more often than those with disadvantageous characteristics. This variation in reproduction could, over time, lead to the development and emergence of new species.
The word "evolution" is derived from Latin for unrolling or revealing has been used in a variety of different ways as the concept has changed, both in science and elsewhere. Some early evolutionists, like Jean Baptiste de Lamarck and Erasmus Darwin (Charles's grandfather), believed that existing species transformed into other species in a predetermined fashion. The term"transmutation" was coined by the Lamarck's disciple, embryologist Etienne Geoffroy Saint Hilaire, to describe this notion. Charles Lyell, who published the second volume of his Principles of Geology in 1833 opposed this notion and borrowed the term "evolution" from Geoffroy's student to describe the view that existing species evolve into other species in an orderly and predictable manner.
Evolutionary biologists define evolution more recently as a process in which living things develop characteristics that increase their chances of surviving or conceiving offspring. As time passes the genetic variability could cause the emergence of completely new biological functions or physical traits in a population. This shift in gene frequency is called natural selection, and is the primary driver behind evolutionary change. Other changes that aren't genetic, such as an increase in muscle mass due to exercise or diet, cannot be considered to be evolution since they don't pass on to future generations.
Despite the fact that evolution has withstood the test of time and a multitude of scientific experiments, creationists have seized on the idea that evolution is controversial to argue that it shouldn't be taught in school. In South Korea, creationists have gained a few victories in their efforts to eliminate evolution from textbooks for high school and have also gotten rid of references to the evolutionary origins of humans and the Archaeopteryx feathered dinosaur believed to be the ancestral bird's parent.
Why is Evolution Important for Humanity?
Evolution explains how the Earth and all its living creatures came into existence. It is also one of the pillars of biology, and helps scientists to understand how living things function and develop. Evolution also helps us understand the connections between species. Scientists study evolution to better understand the natural world and to make useful discoveries including the development of new drugs.
The evidence for evolution of biological species is overwhelming. There is no other scientific theory that explains so much about the universe as well as life on this planet and has been rigorously tested and confirmed over many years. Many people, including religious leaders, are in support of the scientific theory. It is crucial to keep in mind that evolutionary biology isn't in contradict religious beliefs because it only focuses on physical objects, events and processes.
Many religious people have come up with a way of reconciling evolution with their beliefs. Certain Christians for instance, believe that God created everything through evolution, and that humans share an ancestry that is shared with other animals.
It is important for scientists to stand up for the teaching of evolution. In some countries, the anti-evolution movement has been rising. In the United States, efforts to restrict the teaching of evolution have made progress in a few states. In South Korea, a group called the Society for Textbook Revise, an offshoot from the Korea Association for Creation Research (KAC) is a campaign for textbooks to include content on the evolutionary history of horses and their ancestral avian species Archaeopteryx.
Although these are alarming developments, it is important to keep in mind that the evidence for evolution is overwhelming. The evidence comes from a wide variety of sources, including fossils, genetic studies, and the behavior of living organisms. The evidence is also independently verified by other scientists.
The majority of scientists support the theory of evolution. This support is based on various reasons. Some scientists study evolution in order to make practical discoveries such as developing new drugs, while others do so to improve the quality of animal and plant species, usually for the benefit humans. Some scientists are simply curious, while others have an intense faith in God.
What is Creationism?
Creationists believe that God created everything in the universe. They also believe that the Bible is the word of God and should be taken seriously. Many creationists are Christians however, not all. Creationists are generally divided into two groups: Young Earth Creationists (YEC) or old earth creationists.
The most popular type of creationist is the YEC. They believe that God created the universe exactly in the manner described in the Bible. YECs hold that the biblical account of six days of creation was true and that the universe and the life on Earth were only created recently.
OECs are not as well-known however they are just as committed to their beliefs as YECs. OECs believe that the universe and life on Earth are billions of years old and they believe that evolution is a myth.
Both forms of creationism reject the notion that scientific principles like natural selection and abiogenesis are able to explain the origin of life on Earth. They argue that evolution is not possible because it requires the creation of a miracle, and the founders of modern science eschewed miracles for fear of losing credibility.
Some creationists are able to accept naturalistic evolution as well as special creation, and refer to their belief "theistic evolution." This is sometimes called "continuous creationism" or "evolution from the original species." The theory suggests that God creates the original species and allows them to change over time. Eventually these evolutionary changes will create new species that are identical to the original species.
Some creationists believe that God created all living things and the universe in one event called the Great Flood. They believe that the original species were created at the same time, and that they developed slowly afterwards. They reject the concept of abiogenesis and claim that self-replicating living cannot come from non-living matter.
In general, creationists are opposed to the teaching of evolution in schools. Numerous professional organizations like the National Science Teachers Association and the Association for Science Teacher Education endorse this view as do the American Anthropological Association and the Geological Society of America. However, certain researchers and educational institutions are more flexible, and allow the inclusion of both evolution and creationism in their curricula.
What is Creationism in Korea?
When people think about creationism, they often think of the United States. South Korea also has an anti-evolution group. The publishers of high-school textbooks announced last week that they will remove the mention of evolution in their books. The Society for Textbook Revise, an independent organization that is an offshoot of the Korea Association for Creation Research (KACCR) is the one who has led this effort. The STR has scored its first victory by removing from textbooks examples of the evolution and ancestor of an avian, the Archeopteryx. Its next target is to remove the finch-research of Darwin's famed as well as on human evolution.
에볼루션코리아 to have the support of around 4000 families and individuals. Its mission, it states is to cleanse the world of what it calls "atheist materialism" which paints an image of students as being negative. It also hopes to combat the influence of American Creationists in the nation. A survey of students in biology revealed that a majority of them did not believe evolution. The root causes are unclear but could be due to religion and the absence of full-time creation scientists across the country.
The KACR has achieved a lot through its seminars and lectures in the past. It publishes a bimonthly magazine called Creation and the book. One of them is a textbook on the natural sciences, with an orthodox creationist perspective, which sparked interest in college communities. In 1991 an academic and minister started teaching Creation Science in one university, and it is taught until today.
On August 6th and 7th of 1993, KACR hosted a second International Symposium on Creation Research. The event was held in conjunction with the opening of the World Expo in Daejeon. Six foreign lecturers, including ICR's John Morris and Steven Austin, spoke to an audience of several thousand. KACR members and KACR have also presented lectures on creation science in major seminaries. KACR plans to establish a Creation Science Education Center.