Lesson 2 - Darwin

Question 1

CHARLES DARWIN

Answer 1

Was an English naturalist, geologist and biologist, best known for his contributions to the science of evolution. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors.

Question 2

Evolution

Answer 2

the change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. Evolutionary processes give rise to biodiversity, including the levels of species and individual organisms.

Question 3

Darwins - on the origin of species

Answer 3

Darwin’s On the Origin of Species (1859) was hugely controversial because, for the first time, it suggested that a simple natural mechanism – natural selection – could explain the appearance of design by God, and therefore, make the idea of a designer God unnecessary.

Question 4

NATURAL SELECTION

Answer 4

one of the basic mechanisms of evolution, where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Question 5

Natural selection explanation

Answer 5

-Within any species there are some members whose particular characteristics help them to survive better than others.

-Those who survive to adulthood are able to breed, so they pass on those characteristics to the next generation.

-Through this mechanism, over generations, characteristics which improve the chance of survival will be found in more individuals within the species.

-Over time, the characteristics of a species are gradually modified of those that help the species to survive in its environment.

Question 6

Problem with natural selection

Answer 6

1.Natural selection challenges the notion of purpose in creation.

2.Species flourish or decline depending upon how they adapt to their environment.

3.There is no external purpose in their survival, which contradicts the concept of God creating the world for a purpose. God is still working in the world.

Question 7

Darwin quote

Answer 7

“Old Testament from its manifestly false history of the world”

Question 8

What is Darwin expressing in this quote?

Answer 8

-Darwin is expressing his skepticism towards the Old Testament of the Bible.

-He highlights what he sees as inaccuracies or falsehoods in the Old Testament, specifically pointing out the “manifestly false history of the world” with references to events like the Tower of Babel and the rainbow as a sign after the great flood.

-Darwin also criticizes the portrayal of God in the Old Testament, describing God as having the “feelings of a revengeful tyrant.”

-This suggests that Darwin found aspects of the Old Testament’s depiction of God to be morally questionable or inconsistent with his own understanding.

Question 9

Charles Darwin - example why god cant exist

Answer 9

-Charles Darwin said an all loving God would not create or design an animal like a parasitic wasp, that could so cruelly kill another animal.

-Therefore, God must not be real.
(ATHEIST VIEW)

Question 10

Who is Richard Dawkins?

Answer 10

-atheist and humanist

-therefore doesn’t believe in god and follows the principles of humanism

-agrees with Darwins theory of evolution

Question 11

What does dawkin say?

Answer 11

-believes evolution is more logical and makes more sense than a god creating all life on earth

-he stated that natural selection “has no purpose in mind”: this is no creator guiding the process

-Dawkins argues whole organisms don’t evolve - genes within them do
-genes that are good and beneficial to organism survive, bad becomes extinct
-means that over time, the organism becomes better suited to survival

-believes that this process of natural selection has driven the development of all life without creator god.

Question 12

Richard Dawkins quotes

Answer 12

“Evolution is just a theory? Well so is gravity and i dont see you jumping out of buildings”

“Today the theory of evolution is about as much open to doubt s theory that earth goes round the sun”

Question 13

Fundamentalist responses to the theory of evolution

Answer 13

-Rejected / ridiculed the theory. It was incompatible with scripture, the infallible and inerrant word of God.

-Creationism

Question 14

Creationism

Answer 14

The name given to a set of religious beliefs according to which religious accounts of the origin of the world/the universe are to be believed, and scientific theories are considered irrelevant, as they contradict scripture.

Question 15

Church of England response to theory of evolution?

Answer 15

-Bishop Wilberforce “Did your descent from a monkey come from your grandmother or grandfather?”.

-Claimed that the theory of evolution and natural selection was a way of simply turning humans in to beasts.

-Challenges the idea that humans were literally created in God’s image (imago dei) in Genesis 1:26-27.

-Many in the Modern CoE accept Evolution as compatible with a belief in God.

Question 16

Liberal anglican responses to theory of evolution

Answer 16

-God initiated the evolution of species by natural selection with the aim of producing beings such as humans.

-Links with Hick’s Iraenaen theodicy – God produced humanity by evolution so that we would remain at an epistemic distance from God.

Question 17

Karl Rahner - catholic theologian

Answer 17

-Human beings are made wholly by evolution.

-Human beings are also made wholly by God.

-God and evolution are compatible explanations for human origins.

-Evolution works by the processes of biology, chemistry and physics, and these laws are the design principles by which the universe behaves in the way it does.

-It is reasonable for Christians to understand God as the ‘author’ of the laws and evolution.

Catholicism + a belief of Evolution = compatible.

Question 18

Pope Francis quote

Answer 18

“He created beings and let them develop according to internal laws which He gave every one, so they would develop, so they would reach maturity”.

Question 19

Young earth Christian’s

Answer 19

-Young earth creationists reject Darwin’s theory of evolution.

-This is because it is incompatible with a literal understanding of the Genesis creation stores, which young earth creationists would see as the inerrant and infallible word of God.

-Genesis says that man was ‘formed from the dust of the earth’ (Genesis 2:7), not the result of thousands of years of evolution. God then ‘breathed into his nostrils the breath of life’ (Genesis 2:7).

Question 20

Problems with taking fundamentalist view

Answer 20

-There are many problems with taking a fundamentalist approach to Genesis.

-For example, there are talking snakes and Genesis 1 and 2 seem to contradict each other by providing two different creation narratives.

-It was written in a pre-scientific age, it is a different genre of writing – was it intended to be taken literally by author?

Question 21

How do most modern Christians view theory of evolution?

Answer 21

-As the correct explanation for how human beings came into existence.

-However, they do not believe this is a random biological process – they believe it is divinely created.

-God is the reason for evolution – he started the process off and created beings that would evolve.

Question 22

Problems with Christianity’s view of evolution?

Answer 22

Problems: Most Christians do not believe Evolution is a random process, which fundamentally… Evolution is.
Evolution is an empirically based argument, but there is not empirical evidence of a divine creator, this is a matter of faith.

Question 23

Impact of “on the origin of species”

Answer 23

-Darwin’s theory of evolution, as presented in his seminal work “On the Origin of Species” (1859), had a profound impact on Christian thought in the nineteenth century.

-The theory proposed that species evolve over time through a process of natural selection, challenging the prevailing view of divine creation and biblical literalism.

Question 24

Some key ways in which Darwin’s theory influenced Christian thought during that period:

Answer 24

-conflict with literal interpretation of genesis
-reinterpretation of scripture
-theological response
-social and ethical considerations
-diversity of Christian responses
-impact on religious authority
-development of theological evolution

Question 25

Conflict with literal interpretation of genesis

Answer 25

-Darwin’s theory contradicted the literal interpretation of the Genesis account of creation, where God created the world and all its inhabitants in six days.

-This led to a significant tension between the biblical narrative and evolutionary science.

Question 26

Challenges to Anthropocentrism

Answer 26

-Darwin’s theory challenged the idea of human exceptionalism, suggesting that humans were not created separately in the image of God but shared a common ancestry with other species.

-This challenged the traditional view of humanity’s unique and privileged position in the divine order.

Question 27

Reinterpretation of Scripture

Answer 27

-Some Christian thinkers sought to reconcile Darwinian evolution with their faith by adopting more metaphorical or allegorical interpretations of biblical texts.

-They argued that the Genesis creation account should be understood symbolically rather than as a literal historical record.

Question 28

Theological Responses

Answer 28

-Theologians grappled with the theological implications of evolution, attempting to reconcile the idea of God as the creator with the apparent randomness and natural processes proposed by Darwin.

-Some embraced theistic evolution, suggesting that God guided the evolutionary process.

Question 29

Social and Ethical Considerations

Answer 29

-Darwin’s ideas extended beyond biology and influenced social thought, particularly through the application of evolutionary concepts to human society.

-This led to debates about the implications of evolution for morality, ethics, and social structures, with some Christians questioning traditional views on human nature.

Question 30

Diversity of Christian Responses

Answer 30

-Christian reactions to Darwin’s theory were diverse.

-While some conservative theologians vehemently opposed it, others, often influenced by liberal theology, sought to integrate evolution with Christian beliefs.

-This diversity of responses highlighted the complexity of the relationship between science and faith.

Question 31

Impact on Religious Authority

Answer 31

Darwin’s theory contributed to a broader trend challenging traditional religious authority and dogma.

As scientific discoveries continued to reshape the understanding of the natural world, some Christians began to reconsider the role of religion in relation to scientific knowledge.

Question 32

Development of Theological Evolution

Answer 32

-Over time, some Christian theologians developed the concept of “theological evolution,” said God used evolution as a means of creating the diversity of life.

-This perspective sought to harmonize the scientific understanding of evolution with a belief in a purposeful, guiding divine force.

-Darwin’s theory of evolution triggered significant debates and shifts in Christian thought during the nineteenth century, leading to a re-evaluation of traditional interpretations of scripture and the relationship between science and religion.

-The impact varied among different denominations and individuals, contributing to ongoing discussions about the compatibility of evolution and faith.

Question 33

Who is Charles Darwin?

Answer 33

-Charles Darwin was a famous scientist in the 1800’s.

-He came up with the theory of evolution. In 1831 he went on a voyage to many different countries to observe and collect different types of plants and animals.

Question 34

Darwin - finch evolution

Answer 34

-Darwin had found 15 different species of finch (which is a small bird) on his journey.

-He noticed that the finches from different countries were similar to each other but they also all had different shaped beaks.

-Darwin released that the different sized beaks matched the type of food available to the birds.

-The finches who ate hard fruits had sharp beaks so they could get through the skin.

-The finches who ate insects had skinny beaks so they could pick them up better.

Question 35

Natural selection - Charles Darwin- finches

Answer 35

-Darwin concluded that there was only one way this could have happened.

-The finches had adapted to their environment and the food available to them over time.

-He called this the “survival of the fittest” or natural selection. Animals which are best suited to their environment are the ones which survive and pass on their genes to their babies.

Question 36

Natural selection - moths

Answer 36

-A good example of natural selection is peppered moths. In London in the early 1800’s 98% of peppered moths were light coloured as this was the colour of the trees so they could hide really well from birds.

-Only 2% were dark as they were easy to see and eat! Then came the smoke and soot from the factories which stained trees and homes dark. Suddenly the dark moths could survive better so by 1895 only 5% of peppered moths were light and 95% were dark.

Question 37

Middle 1700s

Answer 37

Carolus Linnaeus came up with his taxonomic naming system, which grouped like species together and implied there was an evolutionary connection between species within the same group.

Question 38

Late 1700s

Answer 38

-first theories that species changed over time.

-Scientists like the Comte de Buffon and Charles Darwin’s grandfather, Erasmus Darwin, both proposed that species changed over time, but neither man could explain how or why they changed.

-They also kept their ideas under wraps due to how controversial the thoughts were compared to accepted religious views at the time.

Question 39

John Baptiste Lamarck

Answer 39

-first to publicly state species changed over time.

-However, part of his theory was incorrect. Lamarck proposed that acquired traits were passed down to offspring.

-Georges Cuvier was able to prove that part of the theory incorrect, but he also had evidence that there were once living species that had evolved and gone extinct.

Question 40

Theory of evolution controversy

Answer 40

-the theory of evolution is often portrayed in the media as a controversial subject.

-Primate evolution and the idea that humans evolved from monkeys has been a major point of friction between scientific and religious communities.

-Politicians and court decisions have debated whether or not schools should teach evolution or if they should also teach alternate points of view like intelligent design or creationism.

Question 41

First major court case over evolution

Answer 41

-The State of Tennessee v. Scopes, or the Scopes “Monkey” Trial, was a famous court battle over teaching evolution in the classroom.

-In 1925, a substitute teacher named John Scopes was arrested for illegally teaching evolution in a Tennessee science class.

-This was the first major court battle over evolution, and it brought attention to a formerly taboo subject.

Question 42

Theory of evolution in biology

Answer 42

-The theory of evolution is often seen as the main overarching theme that ties all topics of biology together.

-It includes genetics, population biology, anatomy and physiology, and embryology, among others.

-While the theory has itself evolved and expanded over time, the principles laid out by Darwin in the 1800s still hold true today.