[USConstitutionBuff]

I think Websters definition is pretty sound. A Biblical literalist describes most people who describe themselves as Creationist. And Biblical literalists most certainly does not describe all of our Founding Fathers.

The term Creationist certainly doesn't describe everyone who believes that the world was created.

[betty boop]

A Biblical literalist describes most people who describe themselves as Creationist. And Biblical literalists most certainly does not describe all of our Founding Fathers.

I can certainly see your point, USConstitutionBuff. Still, driving home from work tonight, I found myself a little disturbed by the inconsistency of Webster’s 9th Collegiate and their current on-line dictionary regarding the definition of creationism. So I am home now, and surrounded by dictionaries. Here’s the sample:

The New World Dictionary of the American Language, 1980:

creationism n. Theol. 1. the doctrine that God creates a new soul for every human being born: opposed to TRADUCIANISM 2. the doctrine that ascribes the origin of matter, species, etc. to acts of creation by God

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, 2003:

creationism n (1880): a doctrine or theory holding that matter, the various forms of life, and the world were created by God out of nothing and usu. in the way described in Genesis — compare EVOLUTION

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 1969:

creationism n. Theology. 1. The doctrine ascribing the origin of all matter and living forms as they now exist to distinct acts of creation by God. Compare evolutionism. 2. The doctrine that each human soul is a distinct and new creation by God. Compare infusionism.

The American Heritage dictionary happens to be my personal favorite. But I recognize The Oxford Dictionary of the English Language (1971) as authoritative. It tells us so much about the history of a word:

Creationism A system or theory of creation: spec. a. The theory that God immediately creates a soul for every human being born (opposed to traducianism; b. The theory which attributes the origin of matter, the different species of animals and plants, etc., to ‘special creation’ (opposed to evolutionism).

1847 BUCH tr. Hagenbach’s Hist. Of Doctr. II. 1 The theory designated as Creationism … was now more precisely defined. 1872 LIDDON Elem. Relig. iii. 102. The other and more generally received doctrine is known as Creationism. Each soul is an immediate work of the Creator. 1880 GRAY Nat. Sc. & Rel. 89 The true issue as regards design is not between Darwinism and direct Creationism.

Anyhoot, it seems that the Webster’s on-line dictionary’s definition of “creationism” is an astounding redaction/reduction/redirection of the meaning of the word as it has been used historically in the human culture we know as our own. Or ought to.

FWIW I put my two-cents in. Thanks so much for writing, USConstitutionBuff!