The Concept of Evolution

In this modern age of increased knowledge there are two main-streamed theories concerning the origins of mankind – creation and evolution. The former is a widely assumed interpretation, which is embraced through religious faith. The latter is a comprehensive study, embraced through scientific supposition.

According to the “evolution theory” of the modern A. D. era, mankind has evolved through a slow, gradual process from earlier forms of life per Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection. The “evolution theory” was suggested as early as the ancient era by Greek philosophers, such as Anaximander of Melitus (c/611-546 B.C.), who assumed the development of life from non-life and the evolutionary descent of man from fish. This philosopher of antiquity, who wrote his theories in a poem [On Nature] is evidently credited with paving the way for such a scientific debate that would intensify into a worldwide controversy by the late 19th century (A.D.).

Evolutionary ideas during the Renaissance and the Enlightenment developed as natural history became more sophisticated during the 17th and 18th centuries, and as the scientific revolution and the rise of mechanical philosophy encouraged viewing the natural world as a machine whose workings were subject to analysis. Despite this, the evolutionary ideas of the early 18th century were of a religious and spiritural nature. In the 2nd half of the 18th century more materialistic and explicit ideas about biological evolution began to emerge making this an important era in the history of evolutionary thought.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolutionary_ideas_of_the_Renaissance_and_Enlightenment

However, by the end of the 19th century, the theory of evolution escalated into a major controversy among mankind. With the thought of the human being descended from the ape, many creationists did not approve the theory as it undermined the divine creation of mankind. 

In 1937, Theodosius Dobzhansky published Genetics and the Origins of Species. This book explained that neutral mutation (the source of the variation upon which evolution acts) led to a combination that brought together different fields of biology and other sources into a logical explanation of evolution. Not long after Dobzhansky’s publication, a crusade ensued to urge schools to teach the “fact” of evolution.

In the 1960’s, the Biological Sciences Curriculum's Study (BSCS) textbooks were introduced into the nation’s school systems. It was not long afterward that anti-evolutionary forces stepped in and successfully condensed the number of school districts using the BSCS biology textbooks. It is interesting to note that while the biology books were encased in a prohibition, the court system of our country continued to prevent religious instruction in public schools. (Engel v. Vitale, 1962; Murray v. Curlette, 1963)

The “creation verses evolution controversy” continues to this day with the scientific consensus on the origins of life being actively criticised by creationist organizations and religious groups who uphold the theory of creation and stands fast on their views. While the “evolution theory” suffers from stark drawbacks, it is not much different than other philosophical or religious opinions about the origins of mankind. It is supported by some facts and refuted by others.