History of the creation–evolution controversy

The creation–evolution controversy is the disagreement between those who think that humans and other life on earth are the result of a creator, like God or a higher power, and those who think that humans and other life on earth evolved from simpler organisms over millions of years. The history of the debate goes back hundreds of years, when some people first started to think that things on earth may have changed over time, rather than remaining the same since we were first created.

In the 1800s, scientists started to present evidence showing that earth and its creatures were much older than people had previously thought. This idea, called evolution, was seen by some as a challenge to religious beliefs that everything was created in its present form at the same time. Over time, debates between those who believed in creation and those who believed in evolution became more and more heated.

The controversy is still alive today. Many religious people think that evolution is incompatible with their faith, and that science should not be teaching evolution as fact. Meanwhile, many scientists are pushing for evolution to be taught in schools, and for people to accept the evidence backing it up as fact.