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When investigating transmutation of species he knew that his naturalist friends thought this a bestial heresy undermining miraculous justifications for the social order, the kind of radical argument then being used by Dissenters and atheists to attack the Church of England's privileged position as the established church. Though Darwin wrote of religion as a tribal survival strategy, he still believed that God was the ultimate lawgiver. His belief dwindled, and with the death of his daughter Annie in 1851, Darwin finally lost all faith in Christianity. He continued to help the local church with parish work, but on Sundays would go for a walk while his family attended church. He now thought it better to look at pain and suffering as the result of general laws rather than direct intervention by God. When asked about his religious views, he wrote that he had never been an atheist in the sense of denying the existence of a God, and that generally "an Agnostic would be the more correct description of my state of mind.". Ultimately he found that his discoveries conflicted with the belief in God as the one and only truth.
When investigating transmutation of species he knew that his naturalist friends thought this a bestial heresy undermining miraculous justifications for the social order, the kind of radical argument then being used by Dissenters and atheists to attack the Church of England's privileged position as the established church. Though Darwin wrote of religion as a tribal survival strategy, he still believed that God was the ultimate lawgiver. His belief dwindled, and with the death of his daughter Annie in 1851, Darwin finally lost all faith in Christianity. He continued to help the local church with parish work, but on Sundays would go for a walk while his family attended church. He now thought it better to look at pain and suffering as the result of general laws rather than direct intervention by God. When asked about his religious views, he wrote that he had never been an atheist in the sense of denying the existence of a God, and that generally "an Agnostic would be the more correct description of my state of mind.". Ultimately he found that his discoveries conflicted with the belief in God as the one and only truth.
== Darwin's Vindication ==
It is quoted that later in his life, while being bed bound and close to death, Darwin professed (although not verbatim, this is generally believed to be the general idea of his quote) "I was young and foolish to think I could question God's plan. I was too involved in the idea of pioneering a new idea to realize I was stacking assumption upon assumption. I am deeply sorry for the things I wrote and I hope when I stand judgment the lord can forgive my misdeeds." The origins of this statement or rooted in heresay but are generally regarded as truth amongst critical thinking intelligent Americans.