Why Evolution Korea Will Be Your Next Big Obsession

Evolution Korea

Up until recently the Korean scientific community avoided engaging with creationists for fear of giving the movement more credibility. But silence is no anymore an option.

The STR has been fighting to get information about evolution from textbooks including the discovery that the feathered Archaeopteryx was an ancestor bird. This is just one aspect of how the concept of development has changed.

What is Evolution?

Evolution is a concept in science that explains changes in genetic characteristics over time. The theory is based upon the fact that living creatures adapt to their environment, which could result in changes to genes or even whole genomes. Over many generations the changes could result in the emergence of new species. The prevailing theory of evolution is natural selection, which describes the process through which people with advantages survive and reproduce more often than those with less favorable characteristics. This differential reproduction can be a catalyst to the development and emergence of new species.

The term “evolution” is derived from the Latin word”evolution” which means unrolling or revealing. However, the concept itself has a myriad of meanings as it has taken shape in the sciences and elsewhere. Early evolutionists, such as Jean Baptiste de Lamarck and Erasmus Darwin (Charles’s grandfather), believed that existing species transformed into other species in a predetermined fashion. Etienne Geoffroy St-Hilaire was Lamarck’s embryologist pupil who came up with the term “transmutation” to describe this idea. Charles Lyell, who published the second volume of his Principles of Geology in 1833 challenged this notion and borrowed the term “evolution” from Geoffroy’s student to describe the idea that existing species evolve into new species in an orderly and predictable manner.

Evolutionary biologists define it more recently as a process through which living things develop characteristics to increase their chances of surviving or producing offspring. Over time this genetic variation can cause the emergence of completely new physical or biological traits in a population. Natural selection is the process that drives the most evolutionary changes. Non-genetic changes, such as an increase in muscle mass from exercise or diet, can’t be considered to be evolutionary because they aren’t passed on to the next generation.

Despite the fact that evolution has stood the tests of time and thousands of scientific studies Creationists have taken advantage of the idea that the theory is controversial to claim that it shouldn’t be taught in schools. In South Korea, creationists won some victories against evolution in textbooks for high schools. This includes the removal of references about the evolutionary history of humans and Archaeopteryx which is a feathered dinosaur that is believed to be the ancestor of birds.

Why is Evolution important to humanity?

Evolution explains how the Earth and all living creatures came into existence. It is also a foundation of biology that helps scientists learn how living organisms function and grow. Evolution also shows the connections between species. Scientists study evolution to gain a better understanding of the natural world, and to make useful discoveries like the development of new drugs.

The evidence for evolution is overwhelming. There is no other scientific theory that explains so much about the universe and life on Earth, and it has been thoroughly tested and confirmed over a long period of time. Many people, including religious leaders, support the theory of evolution as a scientific fact. It is essential to remember that evolutionary biology doesn’t interfere with religious beliefs since it only focuses on physical objects, events, and processes.

In reality many religious people have come up with ways to reconcile their beliefs with the theory of evolution. Certain Christians for instance believe that God created everything through evolution and that humans have an ancestral connection to other animals.

It is important for science educators to support the teaching of evolution. In some countries around the world the anti-evolution movement is growing. In the United States, efforts to limit the teaching of evolution have made headway in a few states. In South Korea, a group known as the Society for Textbook Revise, evolutionkr.kr an offshoot of the Korea Association for Creation Research (KAC) is pushing for textbooks that cover the evolution of horses and their ancestral avian species Archaeopteryx.

It is vital to remember that the evidence in support of evolution is overwhelming. The evidence for evolution is based on a variety of sources, such as fossils, genetics, and the behavior of living creatures. Other scientists independently verify the evidence.

The majority of scientists believe in the theory of evolution. The reasons for this support vary. Some scientists study evolution to discover practical solutions such as developing new medicines or enhancing existing ones. Others do this to improve the lives of animals and plant species, mostly to benefit of humans. Some scientists are simply curious, whereas 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 as such. Many creationists are Christians however, not all. Creationists are typically divided into two categories: Young Earth Creationists (YEC) or old earth creationists.

The YECs are the best known type of creationist and they believe that God created the world exactly as described in the Bible. YECs believe that the biblical account of the six days of creation is true, and that the universe and life on Earth was created only recently.

OECs are less well known, but they are just as passionate about their beliefs as YECs. OECs believe that the universe and Earth are billions of years old, and that evolution is a myth.

Both types of creationism reject the notion that scientific principles such as natural selection and abiogenesis could explain the origins of life on Earth. They assert that evolution is inconceivable because it would require miracles. The founders of modern scientific thought shunned miracles because they feared they would lose their credibility.

Some creationists accept naturalistic evolutionary and special creation. They call their view “theistic evolution.” It is sometimes called “continuous creationism” or “evolution from created kinds.” In this view, God creates the original species and then allows them to evolve over time. These evolutionary changes eventually will result in new species similar to the original.

Other creationists believe that God created the universe and all living things in a single event, known as the Great Flood. They believe that the original species were created simultaneously, and that they grew gradually afterward. They also reject the concept of abiogenesis, and argue that the self-replicating creation of organisms from nonliving matter is not possible.

In general, creationists are against teaching evolution in schools. This is supported by a myriad of professional associations such as the National Science Teachers Association, the Association for Science Teacher Education as well as the American Anthropological Association, and the Geological Society of America. Certain scientists and educational institutions, however, are more flexible and allow both evolution and creationism to be incorporated into their curricula.

What is Creationism?

When people think about creationism, they often think of the United States. However, South Korea is also the home of an anti-evolutionist movement. The publishers of high school textbooks announced last week that they would eliminate references to evolution from their textbooks. A group dubbed the Society for Textbook Revise (STR), an independent body that is an offshoot of the Korea Association for Creation Research and has been the driving force behind the move. The STR has scored its first victory by removing from textbooks evidence of the evolution and ancestor of an bird, the Archeopteryx. It is now focusing on the removal of excerpts from Darwin’s notorious finch research as well as on human evolution too.

STR claims to have the support of 4000 families and individuals. Its goal is to weed out what it believes is the “atheist materialism” that paints an unhopeful worldview for students. It also aims to counteract the influence of American creationists in the country. A survey of trainees in biology revealed that a majority of them did not believe in evolution. The reasons aren’t clear, but could include religion or the absence of creation scientists in the United States.

The KACR has achieved a number of things through its lectures and seminar events. It publishes a bimonthly magazine called Creation and the book. One of them was an educational textbook on natural sciences with a cosmological perspective. This sparked an interest in the college community. In 1991, a professor together with a minister began teaching Creation Science at one university. It is still taught to students today.

On August 6th and 7th of 1993, KACR hosted a second International Symposium on Creation Research. This was held in conjunction with the opening of the World Expo in Daejeon. Six lecturers from outside the country including ICR’s John Morris and Steven Austin presented to an audience of several thousand. KACR members and KACR have also given lectures on creation science in major seminaries. KACR plans to establish a Creation Science Education Center in the future.