How many people here think that Darwin really denounced evolution on his deathbed?

Question

And please site sources. I want you to actually look it up.

I have posted sources several times, but I keep seeing this come back over and over and over again. Maybe if a few people actually take a second to goole it before they say something stupid, we won't have to hear it anymore.

Here is a well known pro-creationist site: http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v18/i1/darwin_recant.asp
The wiki article only mentions there was a story, and that the daughter says it isn't true.

Answer 1

i don't- his daughter said he didn't

interesting isn't it how when asked to actually look it up it no longer matters. Christians tried to do the same thing with Carl Sagan, George Harrison, and Einstein, just to name a few.

Answer 2

I will not do the research for others, I have enough pages of research already going on. But I do believe that he did, and here is why. Generally during the death bed, a person wonders where he is going. A pastor, or priest is sent in, and they give them scripture, and generally, The Holy Spirit reaches them at this time, because he wants none to perish without Hope. Also, the only reason 10,000 pastors denounced teaching only creationism, is because darwinism, was still only a theory, not fact, so why debunk a theory, or take away the free will to believe that they know God gives us. Without debate and other theories, we are not choosing for ourselves.

Answer 3

Even though it angered me for you to demand we look this up, I did anyway because I feel like there was no proof he ever did. I first looked under wikepedia, and it was so long I did not get through it but a so called Christian website gave me the answers I was looking for.

There is really no evidence that he did except for one lady's word. I have seen many Christians make an assumption based on what they want to beleive instead of what really is. No one was present when she visited and there is no proof she even visited him, but even so, if her story is true, she did not say he actually recanted his thory. Even if he was reading Hebrews, that means nothing. Non christians read the bible all the time. I do.

I left Christianity 6 years ago and I still read the bible because I am still confronted by people who want to convert me.I have to be prepaired to stand my ground with them. Why would Darwin be any different? I have people today tell me that because I still read the bible I have not actually left christianity and I have some tell me I have come back to the faith.

I do not find it difficult at all to beleive that the woman who suppossedly visited Darwin was seeing only what she wanted to see. His own family siad he did not. I tend to beleive them because I do not mean to be rude, but in my experience you cannot beleive christians. sorry, this is just my opinion based on 54 years experience living among them.

NO, HE DID NOT DENOUNCE HIS THEORY ON HIS DEATHBED.

Answer 4

In an article at Christian answers, the story of Lady Hope is debunked. In my recent copy of "On the Origin of the Species", with a modern introduction, no mention of his recanting is included.

Using both of these sources, I tend to doubt that he did recant at all, and believe it to be a ploy of tract producers and those writing sermons failing to make an effort to check reliable sources.

The first rule of good journalism is to go to primary sources, and those promulgating this story are failing to do so, thus deceiving believers in an attempt to lend some credibility to creationism by diminishing evolutions' founder.

Answer 5

Who cares. Back then they had half the understanding of the universe and science than we have now so god was actually a possibility. Evolution theory wasn't very developed back then so I'd probably denounce it too as god and heaven would seem the most reasonable explanation for what happened after I died, and I wouldn't want to get on god's bad side if I was about to die and the idea of a some angry, egotistical, judgmental, genocial, sadist dictator sitting in the sky didn't contradict with the limited understanding of the earth that I had at that period...

Answer 6

I think you mean "renounced." And no, I don't think he did, nor do I think that it matters one way or the other, save for correcting the delusions of Christians who think that it is somehow relevant what Darwin did on his deathbed. What matters is not what Darwin said as he was dying. What matters is that the theory of evolution remains the best explanation for the origin of species. Critics of evolution like to divert attention from the empirical reality of evolutionary processes by focusing instead on the hypothetical things that Darwin may or may not have said. It matters not.

Answer 7

There are lots of lies regarding Darwin. It's impressive how much slander can be dished out by those who profess to a religion that includes phrases such as "Thou shalt not bear false witness." and "Love thy neighbor." My favorites are the ones who slander his entire life, then claim he recanted and repented on his deathbed. If he repented, why such venom? All that, and the theory is solid, even if he did everything that is said of him.

Answer 8

No, not at all.

The story of Darwin's recanting is not true. Shortly after Darwin's death, Lady Hope told a gathering that she had visited Darwin on his deathbed and that he had expressed regret over evolution and had accepted Christ. However, Darwin's daughter Henrietta, who was with him during his last days, said Lady Hope never visited during any of Darwin's illnesses, that Darwin probably never saw her at any time, and that he never recanted any of his scientific views (Clark 1984, 199; Yates 1994).

The story would be irrelevant even if true. The theory of evolution rests upon reams of evidence from many different sources, not upon the authority of any person or persons.

Answer 9

Don't forget that Catholics see no conflict between evolution and creation. Don't ask me how they do that trick of the mind. Logic is not their forte. All religious people must follow faith, not reason.

If religion had no contradictions, it would be called reason.

Answer 10

Well, I tried, but Wiki says nothing about that, so it probably didn't happen. But I DID find out his last words were to his wife, Emma, "Remember what a good wife you have been."

Answer 11

I don't. I don't need to site sources. Just think, some Christains (not all some) a long time ago wanted to make sure it was not spread to be the truth. So they said he denied it at his death bed. That doesn't mean its true.