On the Origins of Species

[OopsMartin]

I recently made an attempt at reading Darwin's "On the Origins of Species" and while I couldn't get through the whole book (If anyone ever complains about how boring parts of the Bible are to them, tell them to read Darwin's book) I did manage to read the main establishment of the theory (first half of the book) and the summary/recapulation section. I find it interesting how close Darwin was to being correct even from a creationist viewpoint. He simply carries it a bit too far in my opinion.

This was the last line in the book which I found of particular interest:

"There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst the planet has gone cycling according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved"

-On the Origins of Species by Means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin (Emphasis added).

The bolded line is the one that really got me, because it shows that Darwin:

a) was not an athiest.

b) was open to the possibility that there were multiple original species, not just one.

So although this is just guessing, Darwin might have been a Christian. And his theory is almost right. Lets say instead of "a few forms", it was a couple thousand forms? Obviously there has been some diversification (evolution if you will), some of the species alive now were probably not on the ark. I believe that there was one dog, one horse, etc. on the ark and that they produced more varieties from there.

Anyways, I'm not really going anywhere with this. Just something interesting. And just to put aside one other rumour, I've heard fairly often people saying that "Darwin didn't believe his own theory". I'm not sure where that came from, but it's not true as far as I can tell.

God Bless,

Keilan

Yes, Darwin was a Christian. I don't know about the rest of his life. On his death bed he spoke of regretting his youthful musings. He died as a Christian going home to His Lord. To my recollection he never promoted his young theories. They were grabbed up by some group that pushed and promoted them. I don't know why he wasn't able to stop them.

[apothanein kerdos]

Yes, Darwin was a Christian. I don't know about the rest of his life. On his death bed he spoke of regretting his youthful musings. He died as a Christian going home to His Lord. To my recollection he never promoted his young theories. They were grabbed up by some group that pushed and promoted them. I don't know why he wasn't able to stop them.

Not a single bit of that is true - it's just part of Christian folk-lore.

[EricH]

Yes, Darwin was a Christian. I don't know about the rest of his life. On his death bed he spoke of regretting his youthful musings. He died as a Christian going home to His Lord. To my recollection he never promoted his young theories. They were grabbed up by some group that pushed and promoted them. I don't know why he wasn't able to stop them.

Not a single bit of that is true - it's just part of Christian folk-lore.

His daugther (one of them) who was with him when he died, denied that he reembraced the faith .

[OopsMartin]

Yes, Darwin was a Christian. I don't know about the rest of his life. On his death bed he spoke of regretting his youthful musings. He died as a Christian going home to His Lord. To my recollection he never promoted his young theories. They were grabbed up by some group that pushed and promoted them. I don't know why he wasn't able to stop them.

Not a single bit of that is true - it's just part of Christian folk-lore.

I used to have a book authenticating the last words of famous people. His last words were in there. According to what was written there he was a Christian. Since the book was a simple compilation of people's last words there is no reason to believe they had any agenda either way.

[apothanein kerdos]

Yes, Darwin was a Christian. I don't know about the rest of his life. On his death bed he spoke of regretting his youthful musings. He died as a Christian going home to His Lord. To my recollection he never promoted his young theories. They were grabbed up by some group that pushed and promoted them. I don't know why he wasn't able to stop them.

Not a single bit of that is true - it's just part of Christian folk-lore.

I used to have a book authenticating the last words of famous people. His last words were in there. According to what was written there he was a Christian. Since the book was a simple compilation of people's last words there is no reason to believe they had any agenda either way.

I've read his biography and also stuff his wife and later his daughters wrote about him - all of them denied he ever accepted Christ on his death bed.

[OopsMartin]

Yes, Darwin was a Christian. I don't know about the rest of his life. On his death bed he spoke of regretting his youthful musings. He died as a Christian going home to His Lord. To my recollection he never promoted his young theories. They were grabbed up by some group that pushed and promoted them. I don't know why he wasn't able to stop them.

Not a single bit of that is true - it's just part of Christian folk-lore.

His daugther (one of them) who was with him when he died, denied that he reembraced the faith .

Do you happen to remember where this was recorded? newspaper, book, ???

[OopsMartin]

Yes, Darwin was a Christian. I don't know about the rest of his life. On his death bed he spoke of regretting his youthful musings. He died as a Christian going home to His Lord. To my recollection he never promoted his young theories. They were grabbed up by some group that pushed and promoted them. I don't know why he wasn't able to stop them.

Not a single bit of that is true - it's just part of Christian folk-lore.

I used to have a book authenticating the last words of famous people. His last words were in there. According to what was written there he was a Christian. Since the book was a simple compilation of people's last words there is no reason to believe they had any agenda either way.

I've read his biography and also stuff his wife and later his daughters wrote about him - all of them denied he ever accepted Christ on his death bed.

Really. Curious. I'd like to read some of it. Got any book titles handy? My understanding was that he was already a Christian when he came up with his theories. He wouldn't need to re-accept the Lord. But I did read where he repented of his earlier beliefs. Don't recall how old he was when he died.

I would certainly be interested it verifying this. Wish I still had that book I read his last words in.

[apothanein kerdos]

Yes, Darwin was a Christian. I don't know about the rest of his life. On his death bed he spoke of regretting his youthful musings. He died as a Christian going home to His Lord. To my recollection he never promoted his young theories. They were grabbed up by some group that pushed and promoted them. I don't know why he wasn't able to stop them.

Not a single bit of that is true - it's just part of Christian folk-lore.

I used to have a book authenticating the last words of famous people. His last words were in there. According to what was written there he was a Christian. Since the book was a simple compilation of people's last words there is no reason to believe they had any agenda either way.

I've read his biography and also stuff his wife and later his daughters wrote about him - all of them denied he ever accepted Christ on his death bed.

Really. Curious. I'd like to read some of it. Got any book titles handy?

The Autobiography of Charles Darwin

Emma Darwin's Diaries

[OopsMartin]

The Autobiography of Charles Darwin

Emma Darwin's Diaries

Since Emma's Diaries are online, tell me where she says anything about Darwins death. It is only an appointment book with notes in it.

As for the other, it does appear to support what you suggest.

[apothanein kerdos]

The Autobiography of Charles Darwin

Emma Darwin's Diaries

Since Emma's Diaries are online, tell me where she says anything about Darwins death. It is only an appointment book with notes in it.

As for the other, it does appear to support what you suggest.

I think the most damning evidence against Darwin's recantation is that Emma, who was troubled over Darwin's agnosticism, would have been motivated to say he converted or recanted his beliefs - yet she never said he did. Of all people, she would have been the one to speak about it, but she didn't. Regardless, his children adamantly denied he ever converted.

One of his [Charles] daughters wrote in 1922 in a newspaper (I think it was The Christian) that he never recanted at his death bed, and no one was present that helped him recant.

The book The Darwin Legend has a letter from Francis Darwin to Huxley stating that there was no conversion.

I could go on, but you should do some research yourself.

Fact is, he never recanted.