Freethinker.nl

Sunday, March 01, 2009

This year some celebrated the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birthday — Feb. 12, 1809. He’s the father of modern-day evolution and a virtual god to many in the field of education.

This year also marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of his On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. It’s interesting to note that the subtitle to this publication is, The Preservation of the Favored Races in the Struggle for Life.

It’s also interesting to note that Feb. 12, 1809, also marked the birthday of Abraham Lincoln. Abe’s view of race must have been the antithesis of Darwin’s views. While Lincoln did his best to preserve and give value to humans, Darwin’s book gave rise to the study of hereditary improvement of the human race by controlled selective breeding, or eugenics.

Both men have left us legacies. Darwin’s has, unfortunately, resulted in three great genocides of the last century — Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia and Communist China. All were justified by evolutionary thought.

Other controversial ideas inspired by Darwin have also arisen at certain points in our history. Compulsory sterilization of the unfit — in other words, eugenics — plus lobotomies and abortion have all been justified as a result of evolution.

We as human beings continue to be degraded, dehumanized and more and more depersonalized as we follow Darwin’s legacy.

Lincoln’s legacy, on the other hand, is significantly different. Abe’s legacy is that of a forthright Christian. He was a man of considerable faith and used the Christian Bible in many of his speeches and arguments. He will forever be remembered as having issued the Emancipation Proclamation, thus ultimately ending slavery in the United States.

Interestingly, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation well before the end of the Civil War. He explained this peculiar timing this way: “When the rebel army was at Frederick, I determined, as soon as it should be driven out of Maryland, to issue a proclamation of emancipation. . . .” It is almost like he couldn’t wait to give value to human life.

It is strange that so many spent so many months preparing to celebrate the memory of Charles Darwin, a man whose publications have justified such deviant behavior. This is Darwin’s real legacy.

The focus, however, should be on Lincoln, who wrote that all men are created equal. This year let’s honor a man who saw all people as God’s creation, not a man whose ideas unfortunately encouraged and justified racism.

Tom C. Hill, of Waco, is a retired engineer with Union Carbide.

Fishhook schreef:Een typisch voorbeeld van leugenachtig en met verdraaide feiten werkend creationisme uit de States. Evil or Very Mad

wahlers schreef:Hij is niet dom, hij is een Amerikaan.
Oh sorry, ik generaliseer

biajas schreef:

wahlers schreef:Hij is niet dom, hij is een Amerikaan.
Oh sorry, ik generaliseer

Die man weet waarschijnlijk niet beter,...
ik denk dat ie daarom ook geen leugenaar genoemd kan worden, eerder niet bijster intelligent 8)

Jenzz schreef:Ik vind ook niet dat men de gemiddelde Amerikaan mag veroordelen omdat hij niets weet en/of niet gelooft in evolutie. Bij het lezen van zo'n artikels vraag ik me soms af hoe wij zouden denken moesten we vanaf onze geboorte zo'n troep voorgeschoteld krijgen...

Fishhook schreef:

Jenzz schreef:Ik vind ook niet dat men de gemiddelde Amerikaan mag veroordelen omdat hij niets weet en/of niet gelooft in evolutie. Bij het lezen van zo'n artikels vraag ik me soms af hoe wij zouden denken moesten we vanaf onze geboorte zo'n troep voorgeschoteld krijgen...

De man is geen 12 jaar meer, en ook nog eens ingenieur. En er is meer dan genoeg te vinden op het net om een meer genuanceerde mening te hebben.

Biajas schreef:Die man weet waarschijnlijk niet beter,...
ik denk dat ie daarom ook geen leugenaar genoemd kan worden, eerder niet bijster intelligent Cool