2009 Marks the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species." When I discovered the celebration that was going on in the scientific community, I was dumbfounded to say the least. "What is so great about Darwin?" I asked myself. A better question was in fact, "Why does the scientific community at large have such a favorable bias toward a theory? It is after all, unproven." One might argue that the theory is a special case because parts of it are observable (e.g. micro-evolution). In fact, a disgruntled blogger became angered by another person's disbelief in the theory, saying, "Evolution is all around us!" I'm not so sure what he meant by "evolution is all around us," but as far as micro-evolution is concerned, I always thought of it as a natural process that had the word "evolution" slapped on it, perhaps as means by which to give macro-evolution more favor when it wasn't deserved. But that's just me.
As another example of Darwin's supposed greatness, some people may argue that Darwin contributed to society sociologically. I am very skeptical of this, however, because if Darwin made so many positive contributions to society in this respect, then why have some of the largest wars, bloodiest revolutions, and most evil doctrines occurred after his book's publication? I am not saying that Darwin contributed to these catastrophes (although he did influence some of them unintentionally). Rather, if Darwin's sociological contributions were so great, then why was the 20th century alone so plagued as it was with two world wars, multiple revolutions that destroyed Democracies and appointed tyrants, the Socialism that has so crippled Europe and strangles it to this day (if Europe had adopted Capitalism as Japan did, they wouldn't be dependent on the U.S.), and other less notable calamities?
Now one might argue that Christianity hasn't done much good either (supposing that I'm a Christian, as I am). My answer first is that the world does not follow Christian ethics, and to suppose that America is a a shining example of their use is a fallacy. Our culture of commercialism, sex and violence, and foul language is a strong indicator that we have gone astray, and it is a wonder why we have a rising crime rate despite the prisons we have built and the officers we have stationed. My second point is that while the Roma Empire was crumbling, the Church was thriving as a community. In fact, the pagans hated the Christians because their charitable efforts were more affective then theirs, saying that they brought shame to the temples. However, when the Catholic Church turned away from fundamental Christian principles and laws, things went to hell again. However, it was not another religion or form of doctrine that mended this problem, but the Reformation brought about by Christians, so Christianity does work. Third and finally, Christian ethics and values were never intended to bring about peace and prosperity. Jesus said, "Peace I give to you, not as the world gives peace do I give to you." Jesus went on to say, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
" 'a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law -
36a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'[a]
To assume that Christian ethics were ever even intended to lead to peace and prosperity is false and not Biblical. The potential of the ethics and values is there, but man's capacity is not, and neither is it the goal.
However, man's efforts to perfect humanity by any means fail miserably, and our strongest efforts have lead to the most devastating wars and brought rise to history's most notorious dictators. But that's a subject for another day. I will conclude, that after 150 years of zero evidence, I don't get what the hype of evolution is all about, and if the most significant contribution to society that Darwin has ever made was the "discovery" that our ancestors threw poop at each other, then I don't wonder why people think that life is meaningless.
As another example of Darwin's supposed greatness, some people may argue that Darwin contributed to society sociologically. I am very skeptical of this, however, because if Darwin made so many positive contributions to society in this respect, then why have some of the largest wars, bloodiest revolutions, and most evil doctrines occurred after his book's publication? I am not saying that Darwin contributed to these catastrophes (although he did influence some of them unintentionally). Rather, if Darwin's sociological contributions were so great, then why was the 20th century alone so plagued as it was with two world wars, multiple revolutions that destroyed Democracies and appointed tyrants, the Socialism that has so crippled Europe and strangles it to this day (if Europe had adopted Capitalism as Japan did, they wouldn't be dependent on the U.S.), and other less notable calamities?
Now one might argue that Christianity hasn't done much good either (supposing that I'm a Christian, as I am). My answer first is that the world does not follow Christian ethics, and to suppose that America is a a shining example of their use is a fallacy. Our culture of commercialism, sex and violence, and foul language is a strong indicator that we have gone astray, and it is a wonder why we have a rising crime rate despite the prisons we have built and the officers we have stationed. My second point is that while the Roma Empire was crumbling, the Church was thriving as a community. In fact, the pagans hated the Christians because their charitable efforts were more affective then theirs, saying that they brought shame to the temples. However, when the Catholic Church turned away from fundamental Christian principles and laws, things went to hell again. However, it was not another religion or form of doctrine that mended this problem, but the Reformation brought about by Christians, so Christianity does work. Third and finally, Christian ethics and values were never intended to bring about peace and prosperity. Jesus said, "Peace I give to you, not as the world gives peace do I give to you." Jesus went on to say, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
" 'a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law -
36a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'[a]
To assume that Christian ethics were ever even intended to lead to peace and prosperity is false and not Biblical. The potential of the ethics and values is there, but man's capacity is not, and neither is it the goal.
However, man's efforts to perfect humanity by any means fail miserably, and our strongest efforts have lead to the most devastating wars and brought rise to history's most notorious dictators. But that's a subject for another day. I will conclude, that after 150 years of zero evidence, I don't get what the hype of evolution is all about, and if the most significant contribution to society that Darwin has ever made was the "discovery" that our ancestors threw poop at each other, then I don't wonder why people think that life is meaningless.
