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Creation or Evolution?

MPS: Yuba City, CA, USA: Proponents of creationism and intelligent design are demanding that their faith based versions of creation be taught in public schools as an alternative to the theory of evolution. Scientists who support the theory of evolution have not yet demanded that the theory of evolution be taught in churches as an alternative to creation.

This reporter believes that If creation is to be taught in public schools then all versions of creation should be taught.

The following is a brief description of some beliefs about creation. These are a few examples, there are more versions of creation which space does not allow for inclusion here.

The Judo and Christian belief is contained in Genesis in the old testament of the bible which states that God, referred to as the word, created the universe in six days. That includes the heavens, the earth, the people and animals. There is no explanation of who or what created god. When asked, theologians say that god is eternal. Since he always existed he needed no creator.

Aboriginal people of Australia hold their landscape to be sacred. They believe the landscape was created in the Dreamtime by fantastic beings, half human and half animal. Each person is created with his or her own dreaming.

In the beginning, according to the Maori, Sky Father and Earth Mother embraced each other in darkness. Between them lay their children called the gods of wind, food, forest, sea, and a god known as The Fierce One . Father and Mother had to be forced apart to enable their children to see the light.

Most Native Americans believe in a Great Spirit. They have many elaborate creation beliefs which they passed on through story and song. The Iroquois, for example believe that the daughter of the Sky Chief fell through a hole into the waters below. She was rescued by swans. A toad dove through the hole and returned with a mouthful of soil which he spat onto the shell of a turtle. From this the earth grew.

The Dinka people of southern Sudan believe a woman sowing her field tore a hole in the sky thereby angering the Sky God who sent the people through the tear along with disease and death.

The Barotse of Zambia tell of the creator, Nyambi and his wife living on earth with the human beings he created. The leader of the humans, Kamonu annoyed the gods who had a giant spider weave a web with which they climbed to the sky. The humans stranded on earth see the gods as the sun and moon.

Hindus believe in the ultimate reality of eternity known as Brahman, the godhead, source and origin of all. They believe that through reincarnation they can cycle through birth, death and rebirth and during this process purify themselves to eventually break the cycle and return to the ultimate reality, Brahman.

Proponents of Intelligent Design believe the universe was created six thousand years ago by some unknown intelligence. They point out that a universe of such complexity could not just evolve, therefor some intelligence must have designed, got approval from the department of universes, and built it. They state that they do not imply that the creator was god. Perhaps it was an alien race or beings from another dimension or perhaps Satan. They believe that the creators built a fake geological history of billions of years to confound scientists and hundreds of minor variations in creatures to entertain those who believe in evolution.

The Iroquois believe the earth emerges from a clog of mud on the Back of a turtle.

To Hindus Creation is eternal.