[edit] Original text of the article by Elizabeth Hope:
“ . . . He (Charles Darwin) waved his hand toward the window as he pointed out the scene beyond, while in the other hand he held an open Bible, which he was always studying.
‘What are you reading now?’ I asked as I seated myself beside his bedside. ‘Hebrews!’ he answered – ‘still Hebrews. 'The Royal Book' I call it. Isn't it grand?’
Then, placing his finger on certain passages, he commented on them.
I made some allusions to the strong opinions . . . on the history of the Creation . . .
He seemed greatly distressed, his fingers twitched nervously, and a look of agony came over his face as he said: "I was a young man with unformed ideas. I threw out queries, suggestions, wondering all the time over everything, and to my astonishment, the ideas took like wildfire. People made a religion of them."
Then he paused, and after a few more sentences on "the holiness of God" and the ‘grandeur of this book," . . . he suddenly said:
2007-03-26
05:06:05
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3 answers
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asked by
Lilliana
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Society & Culture
➔ Religion & Spirituality
‘I have a summer house in the garden which holds about thirty people. It is over there,’ pointing through the open window. ‘I want you very much to speak there. I know you read the Bible in the villages . . .’
‘What shall I speak about?’ I asked.
‘Christ Jesus!’ he replied in a clear, emphatic voice, adding in a lower tone, ‘and his salvation. Is not that the best theme? And then I want you to sing some hymns with them. You lead on your small instrument, do you not? . . . this window will be open, and you will know that I am joining in with the singing."
How I wished I could have made a picture of the fine old man and his beautiful surroundings on that memorable day!
2007-03-26
05:06:17 ·
update #1
Darwin's son Francis wrote in a letter on May 28, 1918:
“Lady Hope's account of my father's views on religion is quite untrue. I have publicly accused her of falsehood, but have not seen any reply. My father's agnostic point of view is given in my Life and Letters of Charles Darwin, Vol. I., pp. 304–317. You are at liberty to publish the above statement. Indeed, I shall be glad if you will do so."
Darwin's daughter Henrietta Litchfield stated:
“I was present at his deathbed, Lady Hope was not present during his last illness, or any illness. I believe he never even saw her, but in any case she had no influence over him in any department of thought or belief. He never recanted any of his scientific views, either then or earlier. We think the story of his conversion was fabricated in the U.S.A. ... ...The whole story has no foundation what-so-ever."
2007-03-26
05:11:03 ·
update #2
But credible scientist have never ever backed up Piltdown man, big foot, lockness or any other imaged creature (including god). They don't even waist their time on such silliness.
2007-03-26
05:26:43 ·
update #3