Statements Supporting Evolution

The contemporary theory of biological evolution is one of the most robust products of scientific inquiry. 

Evolution is supported by abundant evidence from many different fields of scientific investigation. 

As a community, biologists agree that evolution occurred. 

Today, the theory of evolution remains the primary unifying cognitive framework in the biological sciences. 

Evolution is a basic component of many aspects of anthropology (including physical anthropology, archeology, cultural anthropology, and linguistics) and is a cornerstone of modern science, being central to biology, geology, and astronomy. 

One of the most important advances in our knowledge has been the development of the theory of evolution by natural selection. 

Since its first appearance on Earth, life has taken many forms, all of which continue to evolve, in ways which palaeontology and the modern biological and biochemical sciences are describing and independently confirming with increasing precision. 

[T]he theory of evolution provides a fruitful and unifying scientific explanation for the emergence of life on earth, that many theological interpretations of origins can readily embrace an evolutionary outlook, and that an acceptance of evolution is entirely compatible with an authentic and living Christian faith… 

Reaffirms that there is no contradiction between an evolutionary theory of human origins and the doctrine of God as Creator. 

…evolution is more than a hypothesis. It is indeed remarkable that this theory has been progressively accepted by researchers, following a series of discoveries in various fields of knowledge. The convergence, neither sought nor fabricated, of the results of work that was conducted independently is in itself a significant argument in favour of this theory. 

We recognize science is a legitimate interpretation of God’s natural world. We affirm the validity of the claims of science in describing the natural world, although we preclude science from making authoritative claims about theological issues. 

[L]eaving humanity out of the evolutionary story makes no scientific sense. The same kinds of evidence from fossils, comparative anatomy, and biochemistry that indicate that other species have evolved point in that direction for Homo sapiens, too. 

Evolution helps us see our faithful God in a new way. Our creator works patiently, calling forth life through complex processes spanning billions of years and waiting for us to awaken and respond in conscious participation in God's own overarching dream for all living things. Evolution also helps us see ourselves anew, as creatures who share a common origin with other species… 

Religious truth is of a different order from scientific truth. Its purpose is not to convey scientific information but to transform hearts… We the undersigned, Christian clergy from many different traditions, believe that the timeless truths of the Bible and the discoveries of modern science may comfortably coexist. We believe that the theory of evolution is a foundational scientific truth, one that has stood up to rigorous scrutiny and upon which much of human knowledge and achievement rests. 

As rabbis from various branches of Judaism, we the undersigned, urge public school boards to affirm their commitment to the teaching of the science of evolution… It is possible to be inspired by the religious teachings of the Bible while not taking a literalist approach and while accepting the validity of science including the foundational concept of evolution.