Creationism and Intelligent Design, Evolution, Education or Indoctrination

Contents

Introduction

Reading, Interpreting, Translating of Consonantal Texts

Knowledge for Understanding not Available at Time of Translation

Politically Motivated Changes and Misinterpretations

Obscuring Meaning by making Changes (Bible Versions)

Creationism and 'Intelligent Design'

Evolution, Education or Indoctrination

Findings and Conclusions

Overview:  Church and State, Government and Religion, Education and Indoctrination

Relevant Current and Associated Works

Notes <..>

References {..} and Links

Relevant Subject Index Pages and Site Overview

Introduction

Manfred Davidmann has written a number of scientific books and reports that have had considerable impact. His work usually breaks new ground, opening up new areas of understanding. Outstanding is that his work and reports are generally accepted as objective, factual, proved, unbiased and independent.

When the Pentateuch <1> was written {1}, people had only little knowledge about science or evolution compared with what is known today. Hence concepts for which we now have precise terms were described rather than stated. Instead of the term 'scientific law' being used, for example, we see described that 'what is written applies to all people, present or absent, past or future, will happen regardless of how one feels about it, that the results of certain actions are reversed if the actions are reversed' <2>.

So the first step towards understanding the content of the Bible is to gain knowledge about its language, that is to understand how recorded letters and symbols were used to state the meaning of words. Such knowledge and understanding is particularly important when considering what scholars and clerics have done and are doing when they are 'interpreting' the text of the Bible.

Reading, Interpreting, Translating of Consonantal Texts

Just why there has been so much confusion about reading, interpreting and translating of consonantal texts can be seen from the following definitions {13}:

'Reading' and 'interpreting' are closely interconnected since choice of words determines the meaning of the sentence, of the text.

Translating scholars, working from a consonantal text (no vowels), had to 'read' the text. That is, they had to decide between, or choose from, alternative meanings for given groups of letters (words), considering and selecting the most likely meaning of the sentence (interpretation).

Of course, they could only 'read' and 'interpret' the text, could only select a 'most likely' meaning, within their own knowledge and understanding. That is, within the knowledge and understanding available to them at that time, in those days. {12}

When the Hebrew word "ereb" was taken to mean "evening", and the Hebrew word "boker" was taken to mean "morning", then the phrase at the end of each stage of creation in Genesis could be interpreted to mean "there was evening and there was morning, one day." A reading and interpretation which corresponded to the knowledge and understanding of those doing the translating in those times. The knowledge needed for understanding Genesis was simply not available at time of translation. <3>

But the Hebrew 'word' ereb, said Manfred Davidmann {5}, can mean "evening," or else "to mingle," or "not to distinguish between them." Likewise, the Hebrew 'word' boker can mean "morning," or "to search," "to examine," and possibly "to check carefully." The statement about evening and morning, then, can just as easily be translated as

"there was a mingling and a uniformity and a searching for differences and an examination of differences"

- a clear statement of the process of evolutionary advance which, said Manfred Davidmann, is both valid and relevant considering our understanding of Genesis and our present scientific knowledge.

Knowledge for Understanding not Available at Time of Translation

Adam    {See 5, 11, 12}

Hebrew grammar distinguishes between proper names of persons and general nouns such as 'life form'. This distinction <4> has been ignored by Bible translators when reading and interpreting 'adam'. However, the distinction is meaningful and needs to be made if Genesis is to be understood as it was intended to be understood {5, 11}. <5>

The Bible translators were apparently not aware of knowledge such as this, and so parts of Genesis were misread, misinterpreted or mistranslated.

Manfred Davidmann clearly states and illustrates the simple, relevant and basic rules of Hebrew grammar which distinguish between individuals and life forms. These distinctions need to be made if Genesis is to be read and understood as intended, and were first made by Manfred Davidmann in 'The Meaning of Genesis: Creation, Evolution and the Origin of Evil' {5, 11}.

Politically Motivated Changes and Misinterpretations

But there are other reasons for making changes and for insisting on them!

Names of God    {See 5, 10, 12}

Some 150 years ago, there were those who wondered why God was being referred to by different names in Genesis. At that time a likely explanation appeared to be that Genesis had been written by a number of people pretending it had all been written by one person but that each author naively referred to God by a different designation. This multi-author hypothesis has undertones of propaganda aimed at discrediting the Pentateuch and its benevolent social teachings, by discrediting its single-author-based religious authority.

The multi-author hypothesis was disproved some time ago {2, 3}. However, Manfred Davidmann was the first who clearly stated and explained the meaning of the different names (designations) of God in Genesis, and who illustrated their importance. {5, 10}

You can see in 'The Meaning of Genesis: Creation, Evolution and the Origin of Evil' {5} that the different designations for God are not only meaningful but also extremely important. <6>

Adam and Eve    {See 5, 14, 15}

It was Manfred Davidmann who proved {5} that the allegory about Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden describes the evolution of Homo sapiens (human beings, ourselves) from Homo erectus.

He showed, for example, that Genesis records that childbirth became more difficult as a result of the increased brain size (evolution of neocortex) which enabled Homo sapiens to know the difference between good and evil and to choose between them.

And that Genesis states the necessary division of work between the male and the female, as equals in different roles, in protecting and bringing up their children.

And much else.

Obscuring Meaning by Making Changes    (Bible Versions)

There were also those who seemed to think that they knew all there is to be known, that they could decide what is and what is not, that what they were not aware of did not exist, that what they did not understand could not be meaningful.

In Genesis Chapter 5, for example, the Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuchs smoothed out the Masoretic chronology's listed life spans {12}, each in a different way, and so smoothed out, obscured, clues needed for understanding the meaning of the text.

Creationism and Intelligent Design

The terms "evolution" and "natural selection" did not exist and the author of Genesis instead described the progress of evolution.

The translations (readings and interpretations) of the early translators are based on the limited knowledge and understanding available to them at the time of translation. Current translations of Genesis are in turn based on their work and we saw that conflicts have arisen because parts of Genesis have been mistranslated or misinterpreted.

Creationism apparently assumes that the resulting erroneous text correctly states God's deeds.

Following the publication of Manfred Davidmann's Genesis reports {5, 6-12}, and of the publicity they generated, the 'Creationism' hypothesis was largely abandoned in USA as untenable. But a similar hypothesis was then put forward called 'Intelligent Design'.

And it seems that 'Intelligent Design' assumes that the same erroneous text could correctly state the deeds of some other supernatural being.

Evolution, Education or Indoctrination

Manfred Davidmann shows and proves that the record of creation in the original text of Genesis corresponds in the major steps to the order in which the earth and life are known to have been formed and developed. {5}

Described is the formation of the earth and early plant life, and evolution by 'the survival of the fittest'. The evolution from reptilian to mammalian instincts, feelings and behaviour is clearly stated, as is the evolution and corresponding behaviour, feeling and thinking of human beings from humanoids (animals resembling humans) through Homo erectus (early man) to Homo sapiens (human beings, ourselves).

There is no conflict or contradiction between what is recorded in Genesis and our scientific knowledge about evolution of human beings and of our planet.

Findings and Conclusions

Conflicts have arisen because parts of Genesis have been mistranslated or misinterpreted.

The 'Creationism' hypothesis apparently assumes that the resulting erroneous text correctly states God's deeds.

And it seems that the 'Intelligent Design' hypothesis assumes that the same erroneous text could correctly state the deeds of some other supernatural being.

The source text of Genesis does not contradict the modern science of evolution.

Manfred Davidmann's research and discoveries showed and proved that the source text of Genesis, written several thousand years ago, corresponds in the major steps to the order in which the earth and life are known to have been formed and developed. {5}

Described is the formation of the earth and early plant life, and evolution by 'the survival of the fittest'. The evolution from reptilian to mammalian instincts, feelings and behaviour is clearly stated, as is the evolution and corresponding behaviour, feeling and thinking of human beings from humanoids (animals resembling humans) through Homo erectus (early man) to Homo sapiens (human beings, ourselves). {5}

There is no conflict or contradiction between what is recorded in the source text of Genesis and our scientific knowledge about evolution of human beings and of our planet.

Overview:

Church and State, Government and Religion, Education and Indoctrination

This report is one of a series, which together lay bare the controversies between church and state, between religious belief and practice on the one hand, and the government on the other. Each work is self-standing but together they provide the knowledge needed for understanding the causes of conflicts and point to solving them.

The works in this series bring together findings and conclusions from Manfred Davidmann's published reports and provide new knowledge and insights, exploring their subject in depth, generally in advance of current knowledge.

Back to Contents list

Relevant Current and Associated Works
Manfred Davidmann   (www.solhaam.org)

Back to Contents list

Notes <..>

Back to Contents list

References {..} and Links  (https://www.solhaam.org/)

Back to Contents list

Relevant Subject Index Pages and Site Overview

• General Management  (Middle, Senior and Top Level)
• Motivation
• Community  (Social Responsibility and Accountability)
• Economics

• Judaism
• Christianity
• Islam
• Religion, Government and People

• Teachings  (Quotations, Summaries, Current Problems)
  
  
• Press Notices

• About Manfred Davidmann and his Works

• Home, Site Overview  (solhaam.org)
• Terms of Use

• Contact form   (Suggestions and Comments Welcome)

The Site Overview page has links to all individual Subject Index Pages which between them list the works by Manfred Davidmann which are available on the Internet, with short descriptions and links for downloading.

To see the Site Overview page, click Overview

Back to Contents list