| Line 25: |
Line 25: |
| | Scholars refer to the private notebook in which Charles Darwin stated he was a materialist as the "M" notebook of 1838.<ref>Barrett, Paul H. ''Darwin on Man'' 1974:276</ref> [[Ernst Mayr]] wrote that "It is apparent that Darwin lost his faith in the years 1836-39, much of it clearly prior to the reading of [[Robert Malthus|Malthus]]. In order not to hurt the feelings of his friends and of his wife, Darwin often used deistic language in his publications, but much in his Notebooks indicates that by this time he had become a 'materialist' (more or less = atheist)".<ref>''American Scientist'' May 1977:323</ref> | | Scholars refer to the private notebook in which Charles Darwin stated he was a materialist as the "M" notebook of 1838.<ref>Barrett, Paul H. ''Darwin on Man'' 1974:276</ref> [[Ernst Mayr]] wrote that "It is apparent that Darwin lost his faith in the years 1836-39, much of it clearly prior to the reading of [[Robert Malthus|Malthus]]. In order not to hurt the feelings of his friends and of his wife, Darwin often used deistic language in his publications, but much in his Notebooks indicates that by this time he had become a 'materialist' (more or less = atheist)".<ref>''American Scientist'' May 1977:323</ref> |
| | | | |
| − | Charles Darwin's casual mentioning of a ‘creator’ in earlier editions of The Origin of Species appears to have been a merely a ploy to downplay the implications of his materialistic theory.<ref>http://creation.com/charles-darwin-s-real-message-have-you-missed-it</ref> [[Intelligent design]] advocate John Calvert declares that atheists often don't reveal their atheism and stealthily try to promote their atheism.<ref>[https://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=207581 Atheism: A stealth religion]</ref> It can be argued that this was Darwin's approach. | + | Charles Darwin's casual mentioning of a ‘creator’ in earlier editions of The Origin of Species appears to have been a merely a ploy to downplay the implications of his materialistic theory.<ref>https://creation.com/charles-darwin-s-real-message-have-you-missed-it</ref> [[Intelligent design]] advocate John Calvert declares that atheists often don't reveal their atheism and stealthily try to promote their atheism.<ref>[https://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=207581 Atheism: A stealth religion]</ref> It can be argued that this was Darwin's approach. |
| | | | |
| | For example, Charles Darwin wrote: | | For example, Charles Darwin wrote: |
| − | {{cquote|“It appears to me (whether rightly or wrongly) that direct arguments against Christianity & theism produce hardly any effect on the public; & freedom of thought is best promoted by the gradual illumination of men’s minds which follow[s] from the advance of science. It has, therefore, been always my object to avoid writing on religion, & I have confined myself to science.”<ref>http://www.nysun.com/arts/war-peace/42267/</ref>}} | + | {{cquote|“It appears to me (whether rightly or wrongly) that direct arguments against Christianity & theism produce hardly any effect on the public; & freedom of thought is best promoted by the gradual illumination of men’s minds which follow[s] from the advance of science. It has, therefore, been always my object to avoid writing on religion, & I have confined myself to science.”<ref>https://www.nysun.com/arts/war-peace/42267/</ref>}} |
| | | | |
| | Given the Victorian anti-atheism sentiments of many during this period, Darwin did want to appear to be agnostic as can be seen by this quote: | | Given the Victorian anti-atheism sentiments of many during this period, Darwin did want to appear to be agnostic as can be seen by this quote: |
| Line 51: |
Line 51: |
| | In a [[Creation Ministries International]] article entitled ''Darwin and eugenics: | | In a [[Creation Ministries International]] article entitled ''Darwin and eugenics: |
| | Darwin was indeed a ‘Social Darwinist’'' Bill Muehlenberg writes: | | Darwin was indeed a ‘Social Darwinist’'' Bill Muehlenberg writes: |
| − | {{cquote|‘Darwin’s work is filled with references to the work of those involved in creating a radical new “scientific” justification for labeling races, classes, and individuals as “inferior”. … Darwin writes in The Descent of Man that “a most important obstacle in civilized countries to an increase in the number of men of a superior class” is the tendency of society’s “very poor and reckless”, who are “often degraded by vice”, to increase faster than “the provident and generally virtuous members”.’<ref>[http://creation.com/darwin-and-eugenics ''Darwin and eugenics: Darwin was indeed a ‘Social Darwinist’'' by Bill Muehlenberg]</ref>}} | + | {{cquote|‘Darwin’s work is filled with references to the work of those involved in creating a radical new “scientific” justification for labeling races, classes, and individuals as “inferior”. … Darwin writes in The Descent of Man that “a most important obstacle in civilized countries to an increase in the number of men of a superior class” is the tendency of society’s “very poor and reckless”, who are “often degraded by vice”, to increase faster than “the provident and generally virtuous members”.’<ref>[https://creation.com/darwin-and-eugenics ''Darwin and eugenics: Darwin was indeed a ‘Social Darwinist’'' by Bill Muehlenberg]</ref>}} |
| | | | |
| | In addition, Dennis Sewell declared cornering the Darwin family: | | In addition, Dennis Sewell declared cornering the Darwin family: |
| − | {{cquote|[In the] years leading up to the First World War, the eugenics movement looked like a Darwin family business. … Darwin’s son Leonard replaced his cousin Galton as chairman of the national Eugenics Society in 1911. In the same year an offshoot of the society was formed in Cambridge. Among its leading members were three more of Charles Darwin’s sons, Horace, Francis and George.” <ref>[http://creation.com/eugenics-a-darwin-family-business Eugenics: “a Darwin family business”]</ref>}} | + | {{cquote|[In the] years leading up to the First World War, the eugenics movement looked like a Darwin family business. … Darwin’s son Leonard replaced his cousin Galton as chairman of the national Eugenics Society in 1911. In the same year an offshoot of the society was formed in Cambridge. Among its leading members were three more of Charles Darwin’s sons, Horace, Francis and George.” <ref>[https://creation.com/eugenics-a-darwin-family-business Eugenics: “a Darwin family business”]</ref>}} |
| | | | |
| | == Darwin's obsessive preoccupation with his public persona and reactions to criticism == | | == Darwin's obsessive preoccupation with his public persona and reactions to criticism == |
| Line 73: |
Line 73: |
| | | | |
| | [[Pangenesis]] was an [[evolution]]ary notion that was developed by Charles Darwin. [[Creation science|Creation scientist]] Dr. [[Jerry Bergman]] wrote concerning pangenesis: | | [[Pangenesis]] was an [[evolution]]ary notion that was developed by Charles Darwin. [[Creation science|Creation scientist]] Dr. [[Jerry Bergman]] wrote concerning pangenesis: |
| − | {{cquote|Pangenesis is based on the idea that all somatic cells produce ‘gemmules’ or gene material that is ‘thrown off’ into the body’s circulatory system. These gemmules multiply by dividing, and eventually collect in the organism’s eggs and sperm (the gametes). Consequently, the experiences of their bearers are imprinted in the gemmules, and then can be passed on to the organism’s offspring. Darwin discussed his pangenesis idea in great detail, and felt confident that it would provide a feasible mechanism to produce new genetic information.<ref>http://creation.com/images/pdfs/tj/j17_2/j17_2_19-25.pdf</ref>}} | + | {{cquote|Pangenesis is based on the idea that all somatic cells produce ‘gemmules’ or gene material that is ‘thrown off’ into the body’s circulatory system. These gemmules multiply by dividing, and eventually collect in the organism’s eggs and sperm (the gametes). Consequently, the experiences of their bearers are imprinted in the gemmules, and then can be passed on to the organism’s offspring. Darwin discussed his pangenesis idea in great detail, and felt confident that it would provide a feasible mechanism to produce new genetic information.<ref>https://creation.com/images/pdfs/tj/j17_2/j17_2_19-25.pdf</ref>}} |
| | | | |
| − | Despite there being devastating experimental evidence against the notion of pangenesis provided by [[Francis Galton]], Charles Darwin stubbornly held to the notion of pangenesis as he had no [[naturalism|naturalistic]] explanation on how genetic information could be formed.<ref>http://creation.com/images/pdfs/tj/j17_2/j17_2_19-25.pdf</ref> | + | Despite there being devastating experimental evidence against the notion of pangenesis provided by [[Francis Galton]], Charles Darwin stubbornly held to the notion of pangenesis as he had no [[naturalism|naturalistic]] explanation on how genetic information could be formed.<ref>https://creation.com/images/pdfs/tj/j17_2/j17_2_19-25.pdf</ref> |
| | | | |
| | ==Criticism of the Work of Charles Darwin by Cliff Lillo== | | ==Criticism of the Work of Charles Darwin by Cliff Lillo== |
| Line 104: |
Line 104: |
| | A look at some of Darwin's writing reveals that he sometimes did not think himself that intelligent, and that he had strong misanthropic tendencies. "I am very poorly today and very stupid." he wrote, "and [I] hate everybody and everything." | | A look at some of Darwin's writing reveals that he sometimes did not think himself that intelligent, and that he had strong misanthropic tendencies. "I am very poorly today and very stupid." he wrote, "and [I] hate everybody and everything." |
| | | | |
| − | One of Darwin's biographers characterized him as "'nerdy [and] prone to anxiety'....He was not quick, witty, or social. He spent decades working out his ideas, slowly, mostly by himself, writing letters and tending to a weak heart and a constantly upset stomach. He was a Slow Processor, who soaked in the data, thought, stared, tried to make sense of what he was seeing, hoping for a breakthrough. All around were snappier brains, busy being dazzling, but not Darwin's, which just plodded on..." <ref>[http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2012/10/18/163181524/charles-darwin-and-the-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-day]</ref> | + | One of Darwin's biographers characterized him as "'nerdy [and] prone to anxiety'....He was not quick, witty, or social. He spent decades working out his ideas, slowly, mostly by himself, writing letters and tending to a weak heart and a constantly upset stomach. He was a Slow Processor, who soaked in the data, thought, stared, tried to make sense of what he was seeing, hoping for a breakthrough. All around were snappier brains, busy being dazzling, but not Darwin's, which just plodded on..." <ref>[https://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2012/10/18/163181524/charles-darwin-and-the-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-day]</ref> |
| | | | |
| | == See also == | | == See also == |