Is Atheism Rooted in the Theory of Evolution?

Diagoras of Melos would like a word...
Hope you speak Ancient Greek.

Atheism is often misunderstood as a belief system, but it's not. It is simply a personal choice, rooted in the absence of evidence for divine beings. He who, through lack of evidence, does not believe in gods or supernatural forces, is an atheist. And this has been the case since long before Darwin's time, with many adherents who had never even heard of Darwin.

The Myth of Darwinism

There is no such thing as Darwinism. It isn't a creed or doctrine. Darwin was a significant contributor to the field of science but the studies of evolution have moved far beyond his theories. Evolution is not about belief, but a biological process. At this point, all of biological science is firmly grounded in the concept that all living things have evolved through natural selection.

Most Christians accept that evolution is a deeply significant part of natural history. They read Genesis' creation account as a moral story rather than a literal account. Only a small minority interpret it literally. This divisiveness in religious communities leads some to create a pseudo-belief system, known as Darwinism, which is a misrepresentation of evolutionary theory. The term was coined by creationists in the late 19th century to discredit the theory of evolution.

Chronological Evidence

Let's dispel a few misconceptions:

Atheism: Not a creed or doctrine, but a personal choice based on the absence of evidence for divine beings. Darwinism: A creationist invention to imply that evolutionary theory is a religion, not science. Evolutionary theory as understood today extends from 1859, the publication of Darwin's On the Origin of Species, to the 1940s and the Modern Synthesis of Evolution.

So, based on chronology, atheism cannot be based on Darwinism or the theory of evolution. Moreover, the definitions of the terms differ significantly:

Atheism: Not believing in gods. Darwinism: Either a creationist extrapolation or the theory of evolution from 1859 to the 1940s. "Darwinism" is primarily used by creationists.

The vast majority of religious people embrace evolution as a tool in God's creation rather than a contradiction. However, there are fundamentalist minorities, particularly some US Evangelicals and fundamentalist Islamistic branches, who resist this interpretation.

Conclusion

Atheism is an individual choice but can't be linked to the theory of evolution, which has been understood and accepted by many religions for decades. Instead of creating artificial conflicts, it would be more productive to focus on understanding the science behind evolution and its acceptance among various religious communities.