While many people are observing the birthday of Abe Lincoln, let’s not forget that today also marked the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin.
It’s more than probable (indeed quite certain) that his theory of natural selection would have emerged under the aegis of another intrepid author, but doubtful that it would have ever been expressed so compellingly with such delightful eloquence and reverent spirituality.
Update: Wingnuts are, if nothing else, persistent blighters. A Christian ministry called Answers in Genesis is holding anti-Darwin conferences this month, aimed at helping Americans “understand that Darwinian evolution is wrong and that it has undermined the Christian faith and has fueled social ills like racism and abortion” and, rather than commemorating Darwin’s discoveries, are instead encouraging sheep people to “celebrate our Creator who made the universe, life, and humanity in six literal days according to His Word.”
Rachel Maddow had a piece on this last night about how only 39% of Americans believe in the theory of Evolution. I don’t know why it should shock me, but it did. I guess there’s still a part of me that holds out hope that we can evolve as a people, but as long as religious dogma is around….
I watched that. The professor from Pepperdine said that the situation is actually getting worse! Americans are becoming even more literal in their interpretation of the Bible than in the past. Amazing.