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From their synopsis:
"interpretation of the Bible, Charles Darwin is the “antichrist” for developing the Theory of Evolution. Yet few people know that Darwin once intended to be a clergyman, or that his remains are interred in the vestibules of Westminster Abbey. It turns out that Darwin was genuinely torn between the religious beliefs he espoused as a young man, and the evidence he collected that would challenge the idea of Creationism."
It turns out that Darwin was genuinely torn between the religious beliefs he espoused as a young man, and the evidence he collected that would challenge the idea of Creationism.
Well, that's no surprise. He was swimming uphill against society in his day. And simply because he felt compelled to be honest about the evidence in front of him didn't mean he personally liked the implications in all respects.
Darwin's impetus for studying natural history, ironically, was based on the "natural theology" of William Paley, which was "god acting through the laws of nature" and so very much the idea of "thinking god's thoughts after him". Later, he became disillusioned about what came to be known as the Problem of Evil, and he waffled about on his belief in god as first cause. Clearly, he wanted to retain his theism, and fought the implications of his own work. Near the end of his life, he wrote:
Quote:
Science has nothing to do with Christ, except in so far as the habit of scientific research makes a man cautious in admitting evidence. For myself, I do not believe that there ever has been any revelation. As for a future life, every man must judge for himself between conflicting vague probabilities.
You can see some of his other considered opinions on religion here:
Questioning is fine. Darwin can take it. And sure he was religious at first. In fact it wasn't evolution that made him doubt religion, but the Problem of Evil.
Why would questioning Darwin be interesting? Darwin is long dead - and the science has moved on a _lot_ since his day. He was seemingly right about many things - and wrong about many others.
Question current science - not science from decades or centuries past - and it might then be an interesting documentry to watch.
I rather thought that was what it was all about. I do hope that, apart from claiming that Darwin believed in God (and not a word about racism or eugenics ) the programme was not about trying to discredit evolution -theory by going back and having a go at the theory as it was then, rather than questioning it is as it stands now.
It turns out that Darwin was genuinely torn between the religious beliefs he espoused as a young man, and the evidence he collected that would challenge the idea of Creationism."
He was torn between his published speculations and the lack of evidence to support them. There is none.
He was torn between his published speculations and the lack of evidence to support them. There is none.
On the contrary. It was the volume and range of the evidence that led him to his theory. It was more that he knew that he was going to stir up a hornet's nest if he did and perhaps - to a certain extent you are right - the knowledge that were were large gaps in the evidence at the time that made him delay puiblishing.
But even those gaps have been filled. He predicted transitional forms, of which many have been found (though Creationists simply deny them). He could hardly have imagined the link between dinosaurs and birds, only recently really given definite fossil proof. Nor could he have imagined the additional evidence, supporting evolution in every respect, of DNA.
None?
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) the programme was not about trying to discredit evolution -theory by going back and having a go at the theory as it was then, rather than questioning it is as it stands now.
