Neo-Creationists intentionally distance themselves from other forms of creationism. Their goal is to restate creationism in terms more likely to be well received by the public, education policy makers and the scientific community. It aims to re-frame the debate over the origins of life in non-religious terms and without appeals to scripture, and to bring the debate before the public. Neo-creationists may be either Young Earth or Old Earth Creationists, and hold a range of underlying theological viewpoints. Neo-Creationism currently exists in the form of the Intelligent Design movement.
One of its principal claims is that orthodox science, with a foundation in naturalism, is a dogmatically atheistic religion. Its proponents argue that the scientific method excludes certain explanations of phenomena, particularly where they point towards supernatural elements, thus effectively excluding religious insight from contributing to understanding the universe. This leads to an open and often hostile opposition to what they term “Darwinism”, which refer to evolution, but may include abiogenesis, stellar evolution and the Big Bang theory.
Various neo-creationist groups claim to run scientific enterprises that conduct legitimate scientific research. Notable examples are the “Discovery Institute” and its “Centre for Science and Culture”. Neo-creationists have yet to establish a recognized line of legitimate scientific research and thus far lack scientific and academic legitimacy.
The main form of neo-creationism is Intelligent Design. A second form, abrupt appearance theory, claims that first life and the universe appeared abruptly and that plants and animals appeared abruptly in complex form, has occasionally been postulated. Unlike their scientific creationism forebears, neo-creationists largely do not believe in many of the traditional cornerstones of creationism such a young Earth, or in a dogmatically literal interpretation of the Bible.
The neo-creationist movement is motivated by the fear that religion is under attack by the study of evolution. According to neo-creationists society has suffered “devastating cultural consequences” from adopting materialism and that science is the cause of this decay into materialism since science seeks only natural explanations. They believe that the theory of evolution implies that humans have no spiritual nature, no moral purpose, and no intrinsic meaning, and thus that acceptance of evolution devalues human life. The movement’s proponents seek to “defeat the materialist world view” represented by the theory of evolution in favour of “a science consonant with Christian and theistic convictions”. Phillip E. Johnson, ‘father’ of the Intelligent Design movement, states the movement’s goal is to “affirm the reality of God.”
Much of the effort of neo-creationists in response to science consists of polemics highlighting gaps in understanding or minor inconsistencies in the literature of biology, then making statements about what can and cannot happen in biological systems. Critics of neo-creationism suggest that neo-creationist science consists of quote-mining the biological literature for minor slips, inconsistencies or polemically promising examples of internal arguments. These internal disagreements, fundamental to the working of all natural science, are then presented dramatically to lay audiences as evidence of the fraudulence and impending collapse of “Darwinism”. Critics suggest that Neo-creationists routinely employ this method to exploit the technical issues within biology and evolutionary theory to their advantage, relying on a public that is not sufficiently scientifically literate to follow the complex and sometimes difficult details.
Neo-creationists generally reject the term “neo-creation” as any linkage of their views to creationism would undermine their goal of being viewed as advocating a new form of science. Instead, they identify themselves to their non-scientific audience as conducting valid science. This is rejected by the vast majority of actual science practitioners. Nevertheless neo-creationists profess to present and conduct valid science which is equal, or superior to, the theory of evolution. Instead, the preponderance of neo-creationist works are publications aimed at the general public and lawmakers and policymakers. Much of that published work is polemical in nature, disputing and controverting what they see as a “scientific orthodoxy” which shields and protects “Darwinism” while attacking and ridiculing alleged alternatives like Intelligent Design.
Wanakili wa ubunifu wa zamani hujitenga kimakusudi na aina nyingine za ubunifu. Lengo lao ni kuelezea upya uumbaji katika maneno ambayo yanaweza kukaribishwa vizuri na umma, watunga sera za elimu na jamii ya kisayansi. Lengo lake ni kuunda upya mjadala juu ya asili ya maisha katika maneno yasiyo ya kidini na bila rufaa kwa maandiko, na kuleta mjadala mbele ya umma. Neo-uumbaji inaweza kuwa ama Young Earth au Old Earth Creationists, na kushikilia mbalimbali ya msingi theological maoni. Neo-Uumbaji kwa sasa ipo katika fomu ya harakati ya Ubunifu wa Akili. Mojawapo ya madai yake makuu ni kwamba sayansi ya kawaida, yenye msingi wa kiasili, ni dini isiyoamini kuna Mungu. Wafuasi wake wanasema kwamba mbinu ya kisayansi inakataza maelezo fulani ya matukio, hasa pale yanapoelekeza kwenye mambo ya ajabu, hivyo kwa ufanisi inakataza ufahamu wa kidini kutoka kwa kuchangia kuelewa ulimwengu. Hii inaongoza kwa upinzani wazi na mara nyingi uhasama kwa kile wanachokiita <unk>Darwinism<unk>, ambayo inahusu mageuzi, lakini inaweza kujumuisha abiogenesis, mageuzi ya nyota na nadharia ya Big Bang. Vikundi mbalimbali vya neo-uumbaji hudai kuendesha mashirika ya kisayansi ambayo hufanya utafiti halali wa kisayansi. Mifano mashuhuri ni <unk>Discovery Institute<unk> na <unk>Centre for Science and Culture<unk>. Wana-Uumbaji Mpya bado hawajaanzisha mstari uliotambuliwa wa utafiti halali wa kisayansi na kwa hivyo hadi sasa hawana uhalali wa kisayansi na kitaaluma. Aina kuu ya neo-uumbaji ni Ubunifu wa Akili. "Nafasi ya pili, ""Theory of Abrupt Appearance,"" inadai kwamba uhai wa kwanza na ulimwengu ulionekana ghafula na kwamba mimea na wanyama walionekana ghafula katika umbo tata." Tofauti na mababu zao wa sayansi, neo-creationists kwa kiasi kikubwa hawaamini katika mengi ya msingi wa jadi wa uumbaji kama Dunia ya vijana, au katika tafsiri ya kidogoma ya Biblia. Harakati ya ubunifu mpya huchochewa na hofu ya kwamba dini inashambuliwa na utafiti wa mageuzi. Kwa mujibu wa neo-creationists jamii imepatwa na "matokeo ya kitamaduni ya uharibifu" kutokana na kupitisha uhalisi na kwamba sayansi ni sababu ya uharibifu huu katika uhalisi tangu sayansi inatafuta maelezo ya asili tu. Wanaamini kwamba nadharia ya mageuzi inamaanisha kwamba wanadamu hawana asili ya kiroho, hawana kusudi la maadili, na hawana maana ya ndani, na hivyo kukubali mageuzi hupunguza thamani ya maisha ya kibinadamu. Watetezi wa harakati hiyo wanatafuta "kushinda mtazamo wa ulimwengu wa kimwili" unaowakilishwa na nadharia ya mageuzi kwa niaba ya "sayansi inayolingana na imani za Kikristo na theistic". "Phillip E. Johnson, ""baba"" wa harakati ya Ubunifu wa Akili, anasema lengo la harakati hiyo ni ""kuthibitisha ukweli wa Mungu"" - juhudi nyingi za neo-creationists katika kujibu sayansi ni polemics kuonyesha mapungufu katika uelewa au incoherences ndogo katika fasihi ya biolojia, kisha kufanya taarifa kuhusu nini inaweza na haiwezi kutokea katika mifumo ya kibiolojia." Wakosoaji wa neo-creationism wanasema kwamba sayansi ya neo-creationist inajumuisha quoting-uchimbaji wa fasihi ya kibiolojia kwa ajili ya slips ndogo, kutofautiana au polemically mfano kuahidi ya hoja za ndani. Tofauti hizi za ndani, za msingi kwa kazi ya sayansi yote ya asili, kisha zinawasilishwa kwa njia ya kuvutia kwa watazamaji wa kawaida kama ushahidi wa udanganyifu na kuanguka kwa karibu kwa "Darwinism". Wakosoaji wanasema kwamba Neo-Creationists mara kwa mara kutumia mbinu hii kwa kutumia masuala ya kiufundi ndani ya biolojia na nadharia ya mageuzi kwa faida yao, kutegemea umma kwamba si kutosha kisayansi kusoma na kuandika kufuata maelezo tata na wakati mwingine vigumu. Kwa ujumla, wanakili wa Neo-Creationism wanakataa neno "Neo-Creation" kwa sababu kuunganisha maoni yao na uumbaji kungeharibu lengo lao la kuonekana kama kuunga mkono aina mpya ya sayansi. Badala yake, wao hujitambulisha kwa watazamaji wao wasio wa kisayansi kama wanaofanya sayansi halali. Hilo linakataliwa na wengi sana wa watendaji wa kisayansi halisi. Hata hivyo, wanakili wa ubunifu mpya wanadai kuwa wanatoa na kufanya sayansi halali ambayo ni sawa, au bora kuliko, nadharia ya mageuzi. Badala yake, idadi kubwa ya kazi za neo-creationist ni machapisho yaliyolenga umma kwa ujumla na wabunge na watunga sera. Kazi nyingi zilizochapishwa ni za ubishi kwa asili, zikipinga na kupinga kile wanachoona kama "utamaduni wa kisayansi" ambao unalinda na kulinda "Darwinism" wakati wa kushambulia na kudhihaki mbadala zinazodaiwa kama Ubunifu wa Akili.