Why be concerned with where we've come from; doesn't this distract from looking towards where we're going?

Creationism vs. Evolution; this debate takes up so much time that could be used for thinking about current problems and modern solutions. Why can't every side realize we might never know the specific truths about how/when/why humans became intellectually advanced and we need to start using our self-awareness to make progress instead of stalemating on this topic?