Evolution is wrong
Evolution is wrong?
The test of a first class mind is the ability to hold two opposing views in the head at the same time and still retain the ability to function.

F. Scott Fitzgerald
The phrase "evolution is wrong" finds about 166000 references on Google. "Evolution is true" finds about 913000. These numbers increase regularly. By "Google vote" evolution is true. Actually many "evolution is true" sites argue against evolution! In any case Google searches are hardly measures of truth.

For most the controversy is irrelevant. Time horizons for evolution and creation are vastly longer than a human lifetime. On the other hand for Christian fundamentalists evolution must be wrong. A vast creationist literature (especially on the internet) allows fundamentalists to avoid conflicting views. As a biologist, on the other hand, I use evolutionary principles in everyday work. The scientific community has accepted and used evolution since the 1870s. While scientific evidence is never absolute, scientific evidence for evolution is increasing rapidly.

Since I'm not a fundamentalist, the conflict is moot. Difficulties arise, however, if one is a scientist and a fundamentalist or a fundamentalist studying public school biology. Few fields value fluency in opposing views. Science never requires evolution to be false and fundamentalism never requires it to be true. Because evolution has thought provoking implications for mainline religions, the worst conflicts arise between mainline and fundamentalist religions.

A simple solution is fluency in both viewpoints. This is too disconcerting for most. Those who live in one world can avoid the other or discuss matters with a sympathetic person in the other world. In the current "culture war" climate, sympathy is hard to find.

Some personal stories of conflict between evolution and science.

Another personal story

Some creationists

American Scientific Affiliation creation/evolution page