Is it really true that Darwin actually believed in God?

Question

and that he only said he didn't to increase sales?

Answer 1

I don't know what you are talking about.

Answer 2

Quite the reverse. He started out on the Beagle as a firm believer but read a lot of geological books. By the time he returned, he was no longer a believer. He was never an atheist, though he was so appalled by what some animals will do to survive - the icheumon wasp was the one that really shocked him - that he could not believe in a benign creator. He would be called an agnostic today, and that's how he died.

As far as sales are concerned, he had no interest in making money from his book even if his publishers did. He was a wealthy man already and actually DELAYED publishing for as long as possible (about 23 years) to protect his reputation. He was at pains in The Origin to ensure that the creator got an honorable mention as the force behind natural selection, and he also avoided referring to man in the whole book.

Answer 3

It is absolutely irrelevant if Darwin believed in God or not. People are not convinced in the theory of evolution because they see Darwin as a "prophet" and believe everything he said. The theory of evolution is absolutely accepted by all serious scientists now because of the overwhelming evidence for it. Many other scientists after Darwin have contributed to this.
Actually Darwin wrote in "On the origin of species" that life came to existance by creation and then evolved to more complexity. It is reported that he said somewhen that his true opinion was that life might have come to existance without a creator and he only wrote about a creator in his book to please the church. But again, it is irrelevant what Darwin thought. He was just a man who had an idea that was shown to be correct. There is nothing like "prophets" in science.

Answer 4

Darwin was a God-fearing man and was actually horrified to see what his works caused.

His theories were sound and have passed the test of time, it did show that there were patterns.


Darwin did not have a problem with the idea that life 'evolved', what his proponents of his day could not understand was that Darwin still felt it all came from God. Darwin believed AFTER it got here it evolved.

Answer 5

His autobiography shows that he was a Christian fundamentalist in his youth and actively preached scripture-by the end of his life he had confessed to being an agnostic but because he was a very private man his true views are difficult to be know for certain. Possibly the death of his young daughter which affected him deeply caused him to question his religious convictions.

Answer 6

No; but he did not leave out the possibility of there being a Creator.

At least Darwin was wise enough to know that he did not have ALL of the answers; but so many of Darwin's followers act as if he were infalible.

Answer 7

As far as I know he believed in god but not the Christian version of him. He started doubting Christianity, but I think he still believed in the existence of a supreme being.

It's obvious you are trying to pick a fight here and stir trouble. Your religious peers must be so proud of you.

Answer 8

No, Darwin was the guy who invented Evolution!!!
And even if he did believe in God, he wouldn't have gone to heaven, plus isn't his whole point in Evolution to get people to think there was no God and we all just happened?!!!!
So please don't believe in Evolution, believe that there is a God, a God who loves you and cares for you even if you are a non Christian. Seeing isn't believing it's believing that's seeing!
But don't just believe me look it up in the Bible.

Answer 9

Bad liberal nailed it. His family also denied that he recanted anything on his deathbed as is believed quite commonly.

Answer 10

people will be arguing about that till the end of time.

Answer 11

yes