[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=FJ88l5ql_FQ]
Dear Mr. Charles Darwin,
It has been nearly 150 years since you published The Origin of Species. What can I say, other than “Thank You”. In one brilliant, elegant book you lifted us from the intellectual darkness and created the theoretical foundation on which all modern biology is based.
You’ll be glad to know that your reputation has become better and better through the years. In fact compared to the other leading minds of your era – such as Marx and Freud – only your theories have stood the test of time and become reinforced through growing human knowledge.
Ok, now for the bad news. While the theories of evolution are uncontested within the mainstream scientific community, many people still don’t believe them. Regrettably, some will never believe in evolution despite the overwhelming evidence. As was the case in 1859, some people find your theories so disruptive that they cannot accept them.
I’d like to tell you that we’re only talking about a handful of ignorant zealots, but unfortunately some people running for political office in the United States openly dispute the theory that species evolve. Witness this video of Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, and Mike Huckabee – three candidates for the Presidency of the United States – who have gone on public record in this video regarding their beliefs.
I imagine this comes as quite a shock to you. Given the growing body of scientific knowledge supporting evolution I’m sure you never would have anticipated that educated people would still be debating this topic.
Thank you Stephen for passing this along and best of luck at Google…
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
The big irony here, is that the grand canyon (where the David Attenborough series on evolution, Life on Earth) starts, is the perfect place to see evolution in action. As you descend the canyon, you see different fossils. At the top there is many different animals and plants, and as you descent you have fewer and fewer animals with increasing simplicity.
Many people have a fundamental need to believe in religion. It helps them cope with the cold, hard reality of their own mortality and insignificance.
Evolution is the one science that comes the closest to disproving a large number of Christian beliefs. That’s why it is fought so ferociously; it threatens to tear the safety blanket of religious belief away from a very large number of people.
Like the common occurrence of TV-preachers disparaging the evils they secretly practice, I think this is a case of the attractiveness of Darwin’s theories taking root in the back of ther consciousness. Denial becomes more strident as the realization of the truth grows within them.