Creationism is the belief that the universe, Earth, and all life were created by God in a specific, intentional act, as described in the Book of Genesis in the Bible. Creationism asserts that God is the direct, sovereign creator of all things and that life and the universe were designed by divine will rather than occurring through natural processes or evolutionary mechanisms. Creationism typically contrasts with evolutionary theories about the origins of life and the universe.

Key Beliefs of Creationism:

1. Divine Creation – Creationists believe that God created the universe, Earth, and all life forms. The most widely known version is based on the Genesis account, which states that God created the world in six days.
2. Special Creation of Life – Creationism holds that each kind of organism was created by God as distinct and purposeful. Unlike evolution, which suggests species evolved through natural selection, creationism maintains that all life forms were created by divine design and have not changed in fundamental ways over time.
3. Young Earth Creationism – Some creationists interpret the Bible to believe that the Earth is relatively young, usually around 6,000 to 10,000 years old.
4. Intelligent Design – Some modern forms of creationism, like Intelligent Design, do not necessarily adhere to the literal six-day creation account but argue that life is so complex that it must have been designed by an intelligent creator. Intelligent Design focuses on the idea that certain features of the universe and living organisms are best explained by an intelligent cause rather than natural processes like evolution.

Variations of Creationism:

1. Young Earth Creationism – This view believes that the Earth and the universe were created in six literal 24-hour days, as described in Genesis.
2. Old Earth Creationism – This view accepts that the Earth is billions of years old but maintains that life was created by God. The “days” in Genesis may be interpreted as long periods of time rather than literal 24-hour days.
3. Gap Creationism – This theory posits that there is a gap between the first two verses of Genesis, during which a previous creation was destroyed. The present creation is said to be a restoration or re-creation by God.
4. Progressive Creationism – This view believes that God created life gradually over long periods of time, in stages, rather than in a single, instant act of creation. It accepts much of the scientific understanding of Earth’s age but still holds that life was created by God rather than through evolution.

In summary, creationism is the belief that God created the universe and all life, as described in religious texts like the Bible.

Written by AI. A more correct, God given, explanation can be found here.