The theory of evolution by natural selection wasn’t love at first sight. Both Darwin’s theory and his personal opinions took a long, difficult road to reach us.
Charles Darwin
Posted inBooks
Screwing with Darwin
Reading Time: 14 minutes Charles Darwin wrote a terrific book. Loved it the first time I read it, then read it twice more. And the more I read it, the more I liked it. Just super. Not everyone feels the same about this book. Some were so disturbed by what he wrote that they cut whole passages out before […]
Posted inEvolution
Darwin – friends and foes
Reading Time: 5 minutes When, in 1996 Pope John Paul II – now prancing around Heaven as a saint – said that “fresh knowledge leads to the recognition of the theory of evolution as more than just a hypothesis”, Amanda Chesworth, head of an anti-creationist Darwin Day group, pointed out in The Guardian that “at the time, newspapers in […]
Posted inEvolution
Darwin Day: Can Capitalism Be Domesticated?
Reading Time: 4 minutes This is a guest post from Dr Joe Berger, science educator who wrote the book Science and Spirituality: An Introduction for Students, Secular People & the Generally Curious [UK]. Please grab a copy to help out. Since it was Darwin’s birthday this last Friday, Joe thought he would add something relevant. Here it is (and a big thanks […]
Posted inArts, Evolution
Darwin’s Apostles
Reading Time: 2 minutes Humanist Press have recently published Darwin’s Apostles: The Men Who Fought to Have Evolution Accepted, Their Times, and How the Battle Continues, by David Orenstein and Abby Hafer. The description of the book is as follows: When Darwin finally published The Origin of Species in 1859, there was no guarantee that the grand theory of natural selection would […]
Posted inPolitics, Science
Humanists Cheer Darwin Day Resolutions Introduced in the 116th Congress
Reading Time: 2 minutes This is from the American Humanist Association: American Humanist Association (AHA) leaders applaud the introduction of House Resolution 123 and Senate Resolution 63, also known as the Darwin Day Resolutions. Introduced by Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), the resolutions commemorate the birthday of famed biologist Charles Darwin, February 12, as a national celebration […]
Posted inEvolution
Paley’s Watchmaker and Arguing with Creationists
Reading Time: 15 minutes Last night, I did something I promised I wouldn’t do again. I stayed up until past 2 o’clock in the morning arguing with creationists on Facebook. Originally, I just thought they were normal theists. I don’t know how I “know” him, but this one particular theist posted a status on Facebook that went like this: […]
Posted inReligion
The Google Doodle: Surprisingly, Ken Ham Was Right About Something.
Reading Time: 7 minutes If you’re seeing this blog post a bit late, here’s the writeup about the wide-release November 24th doodle from the folks at Google themselves. You see, November 24’s doodle celebrates the 41st anniversary of the discovery of that world-famous Australopithecus afarensis skeleton quickly nicknamed “Lucy.”
Posted inUncategorized
Who Cares About Charles Darwin?
Reading Time: 3 minutes Charles Darwin was a giant force within biology, but I don’t care what he wrote. Creationists, by contrast, care a lot. They apparently imagine that, if they can quote him out of context, they can cast doubt on the validity of evolution.
Posted inReligion
What We Can Learn About Atheists from Atheist-Whisperer Bo Wagner.
Reading Time: 14 minutes Last time we talked, we covered a “satirical” straw man essay written by a Baptist pastor, Bo Wagner, about a fictional atheist. A pity he doesn’t actually know what satire is, any more than he knows what atheism is. Today we’re going to talk more about what he–and by extension a lot of his peers–think […]