was Darwin an atheist?

Ruby456

asking this Q because my own feeling about this is that he probably believed in God but his evolutionary thesis is used to support atheism. how come?

OUTLAW

was Darwin an atheist?

............ Image result for Darwin agnostic

Ruby456

thanks outlaw.

trouble is he often said he believed in God. for example when he wrote On The Origin of the Species he said he was a firm believer in God.

does agnostic mean that one can be a believer in God sometimes and not believe in God at other times?

There is a school of thought that one of the reasons he delayed publication of OTOOTS is that he didn't want to offend the sensibilities of his deeply religious family and peers. I think it's fairly certain that he was a believer before his voyages on the beagle but a lot less so after his return.

cofty

Darwin was studying to be an Anglican minister as a young man. His wife was a devout christian.

I took this picture of the grave of Darwin's beloved daughter Annie in Malvern on holiday last year. She died aged 11. This was the end of Darwin's faith.

cofty

his evolutionary thesis is used to support atheism. how come? - Ruby

This is a common misunderstanding.

Millions of rational believers accept the fact of evolution.

Evolution makes a creator god redundant it doesn't make him impossible.

Daniel1555

He became an agnostic.

Evolution does not say anything against the concept of a "higher creative power" or "god."

Mephis

does agnostic mean that one can be a believer in God sometimes and not believe in God at other times?

More the final position he reached, with a long personal journey to get there. Most biographies trace the change over time until eventually he's willing to go public with his agnosticism.

Phizzy

Agnostic literally means "without knowledge", or "without evidence" may be better.

Using this definition many rational thinkers prefer it as a label to being saddled with the label "Atheist" as the latter causes pointless debates that they do not wish to engage in.

In effect, they are saying " As there is no evidence whatsoever for a Creator God I simply have a mind open to examining any evidence that does come along, but as for now, there is no such evidence".

I think Darwin would not have caviled at the above.

Landy

In effect, they are saying " As there is no evidence whatsoever for a Creator God I simply have a mind open to examining any evidence that does come along, but as for now, there is no such evidence".

That's an atheist point of view rather than an agnostic. A atheist simply has a 'lack of belief', but is willing to be swayed by any subsequent evidence.

was Darwin an atheist?

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