RI>Any thoughts on this?
RI>Richard
Darwin's desire to enter the ministry, in his own words was never
"formally given up, but died a natural death". He reported carrying his
faith with him on the Beagle voyage and there are indications that he
preached to the crew and occasionally administered the Lord's Supper.
Somewhere between the Beagle and "Origins", Darwin's faith appears to
have died. In his autobiography, Darwin wrote , "I had gradually come by
this time, i.e. 1836 to 1839, to see that the Old Testament was no more
to be trusted than the sacred books of the Hindoos or the beliefs of any
barbarian."
Later he wrote... "I never gave up Christianity until I was forty years
of age" (i.e. 1849, prior to the 1859 publishing of "Origins").
The refinement of Darwin's theory occurred between the Beagle and the
publishing of "Origins". Charles Lyell's work appears to have been the
dominant influence on his work. He wrote in 1875, at Lyell's death that
"I never forget that almost everything which I have done in science I
owe to the study of his great works." It was probably what happened
during and after Beagle that was most significant to Darwin's work, and
not his years at Christ's College or his lack of experience in his early
years.
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Rv:4:11: Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for
thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
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Paul Durham
Oakland, Maryland
pdd@gcc.cc.md.us
to: IN:richardn@southconn.com
cc: IN:evolution@calvin.edu