# What alternatives are there to Creationism and Evolutionism? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 25, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-alternatives-are-there-to-creationism-and-evolutionism/171199 "2003-04-25T21:40:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KeeblerElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/47e85d/32.png) [@KeeblerElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KeeblerElf)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-alternatives-are-there-to-creationism-and-evolutionism/171199/1 "2003-04-25T21:40:47Z")
After reading through the Great Debates forum on this fine website, I began to wonder what alternatives exist to Creationism and Evolutionism. Are there any? If there are, are any somewhat mainstream? ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-alternatives-are-there-to-creationism-and-evolutionism/171199/2 "2003-04-25T22:01:33Z")
Some people think we’re an experiment of some more highly evolved alien race. I guess that would count. ---
**Author:** ![Coffeeguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/958977/32.png) [@Coffeeguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coffeeguy)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-alternatives-are-there-to-creationism-and-evolutionism/171199/3 "2003-04-25T22:04:19Z")
One of the most popular alternatives is “not thinking about it”. -CoffeeGuy ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-alternatives-are-there-to-creationism-and-evolutionism/171199/4 "2003-04-25T22:07:54Z")
Creationism in internet debates almost always means ‘Judaeo-Christian creationism’ - there are plenty of other religious creation myths. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-alternatives-are-there-to-creationism-and-evolutionism/171199/5 "2003-04-25T22:29:33Z")
Depends on your definition of creationism. The Pope once told Steven Hawkings that it was “ok” to explain everything in the universe via science up until the Big Bang. Anything before that is God’s territory. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-alternatives-are-there-to-creationism-and-evolutionism/171199/6 "2003-04-25T22:39:25Z")
Sure, you could make up anything you choose. How 'bout: All the species that ever existed sprang instantly into being on Thursday, April 6, 200,498,032 B.C. and have been steadily going extinct ever since. ---
**Author:** ![Alien2022](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19adc/32.png) [@Alien2022](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alien2022)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2003, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-alternatives-are-there-to-creationism-and-evolutionism/171199/7 "2003-04-25T22:48:56Z")
Whoa… there is some real substance to that one. Obviously its the sort of thing a diety would do… I’ll start worshipping that God ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-alternatives-are-there-to-creationism-and-evolutionism/171199/8 "2003-04-26T00:43:24Z")
I’d tell you, but I feel it would hasten the [Coming of the Great White Handkerchief](http://www.angelfire.com/la/catapult/arkle.html) ---
**Author:** ![Poto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@Poto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poto)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-alternatives-are-there-to-creationism-and-evolutionism/171199/9 "2003-04-26T00:47:07Z")
Mythology. Most mythology is creationist, though. Some might involve nature as a continuing force. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-alternatives-are-there-to-creationism-and-evolutionism/171199/10 "2003-04-26T01:47:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > \*\*Creationism in internet debates almost always means ‘Judaeo-Christian creationism’. \*\* What about Deist? They believe in a “Creator” yet reject the Judaeo-Christian Bible. ---
**Author:** ![gypsymoth3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@gypsymoth3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gypsymoth3)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-alternatives-are-there-to-creationism-and-evolutionism/171199/11 "2003-04-26T01:56:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > \*\*Creationism in internet debates almost always means ‘Judaeo-Christian creationism’ - there are plenty of other religious creation myths. \*\* yeah… the cherokees think the world was a big round blob of mud and “the great buzzard” made the hills and valleys by flapping his wings. where his wings went down were valleys and where they came up again were hills. no lie. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-alternatives-are-there-to-creationism-and-evolutionism/171199/12 "2003-04-26T01:59:07Z")
Can I be the first to say that creationism is not in any way an alternative to evolution? The first is religion, the latter is science. It’s like saying Easter is an alternative to tensor calculus. ---
**Author:** ![Payne\_N.Diaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Payne\_N.Diaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Payne_N.Diaz)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-alternatives-are-there-to-creationism-and-evolutionism/171199/13 "2003-04-26T02:50:18Z")
Here’s an idea–life as we know it is not the product of natural selection, but artificial selection by a Supreme Being. Kinda like the alien theory, but with God rather than ET directing the process. Well, it could be. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-alternatives-are-there-to-creationism-and-evolutionism/171199/14 "2003-04-26T03:16:01Z")
The “brains in vats paradox” _sort of_ qualifies. ---
**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-alternatives-are-there-to-creationism-and-evolutionism/171199/15 "2003-04-26T03:21:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Payne N. Diaz \* > \*\*Here’s an idea–life as we know it is not the product of natural selection, but artificial selection by a Supreme Being. Kinda like the alien theory, but with God rather than ET directing the process. > > Well, it could be. \*\* This theory is usually called [“design theory” or “intelligent design.”](http://www.arn.org/idfaq/What%20is%20intelligent%20design.htm) ---
**Author:** ![cgrayce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@cgrayce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cgrayce)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-alternatives-are-there-to-creationism-and-evolutionism/171199/16 "2003-04-26T04:33:01Z")
Well, the only theory I can imagine which does not belong to the same universality class as creationism (“Someone Else created the universe”) and spontaneous creation (“no one created the universe, it just happened”) would be solipsism (“I created the universe.”) ---
**Author:** ![Dahnlor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahnlor/32/533_2.png) [@Dahnlor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahnlor)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-alternatives-are-there-to-creationism-and-evolutionism/171199/17 "2003-04-26T05:00:40Z")
[The Church of Last Thursday](http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=4vovtf%24o66%40nntp5.u.washington.edu&oe=UTF-8&output=gplain) Though they are being challenged by [Last Tuesdayism](http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&threadm=329444a5.260997832%40nntp.ix.netcom.com&rnum=3&prev=/groups%3Fq%3Dlast%2Bthursdayist%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26selm%3D329444a5.260997832%2540nntp.ix.netcom.com%26rnum%3D3) ---
**Author:** ![Dostromin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c0e974/32.png) [@Dostromin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dostromin)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2003, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-alternatives-are-there-to-creationism-and-evolutionism/171199/18 "2003-04-26T05:47:46Z")
Think to yourself about where we came from, if not creationism or evolutionism. Then write a book on it. Surprisingly enough, people will like it and read it even if your book sucks complete ass. This is true, some people are just thrilled to read these kinds of books. Don’t ask me why, they just do. Ever read “I fell asleep in frog pajamas” or “hitchikers guide to the galaxy”?? Complete crap (which is why I hate it) but people suck that up like it’s the most scientific work of literature ever written.