In a bold move, the Church of England launched on Monday a new section of its Web site dedicated to the naturalist Charles Darwin to mark the approaching bicentenary of his birth.
The Church even offers a posthumous apology to the late scientist, best known for his theory of evolution.
One UK blogger believes such a move makes the Church of England look "ridiculous," as stated on the well-known conservative blog named after Archbishop Thomas Cranmer.
"In the creation of a cohesive society and for the pursuit of the common good, it is conceivable that one might entertain an apology to the descendants of slaves for the role the Church played in that trade, and even to attempt some sort of bridge-building exercise with Muslims by apologising for the Crusades. But who exactly is the target audience for an apology addressed to Charles Darwin? Who is grieving for reconciliation?" the blogger states.
The Church's apology appears in the essay entitled, "Good Religion Need Good Science," written by Rev. Dr. Malcolm Brown, director of Mission and Public Affairs of the Archbishops' Council. He writes:
"Charles Darwin: 200 years from your birth, the Church of England owes you an apology for misunderstanding you and, by getting our first reaction wrong, encouraging others to misunderstand you still. We try to practice the old virtues of 'faith seeking understanding' and hope that makes some amends."
Brown also characterizes critical arguments that say natural selection justifies racism and other forms of discrimination as a social misapplication of Darwin's discoveries.
He goes on to describe the "mistakes" of the Church, comparing the Church's reaction to Darwin's theory of natural selection as comparable to its treatment of 17th century astronomer Galileo who proposed that the earth orbited around the sun.
"People, and institutions, make mistakes and Christian people and Churches are no exception. When a big new idea emerges that changes the way people look at the world, it's easy to feel that every old idea, every certainty, is under attack and then to do battle against the new insights," offers Brown.
"The Church made that mistake with Galileo's astronomy and has since realized its error. Some Church people did it again in the 1860s with Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection," he continued.
"So it is important to think again about Darwin's impact on religious thinking, then and now," said Brown, who suggests that Christian teaching and science can be compatible.
In dismay, the Archbishop Cranmer blogger argues, "Apart from the fact that the Church has historically ‘misunderstood’ far more important things, the Church of England did not actually ‘misunderstand’ Darwin’s theory at all, not least because (as always) it was divided on the issue."
"The bishops understood completely the significance of the nexus of the theory (and theory it remains) - that man is the progeny of apes. It really is so simple that even a bishop in the Church of England can comprehend it," the blog post continues.
The Church's essay is featured as the main highlight of the new section on its Web site, which also includes other resources that give insight into the relationship between the Church of England and Darwin. One sub-section gives a brief history of Darwin's achievements while another on provides links to Darwin's major written works and a listing of how various bodies will be marking the bicentenary.
Under "Darwin and Faith," the section quotes Darwin's own words to offer a look at how the famous scientist - who originally sought out to be a clergyman - slowly lost his personal Christian faith.
The Darwin section on the Church of England's Web site also timely anticipates the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species in 1859.
The section went public in the midst of a debate in the United Kingdom on whether creationism should be taught alongside science in classrooms.
On the Web: The Church of England on the Origin of Darwin.
RSS
The whole evolution debate aside its a little risky to appeal to the authority of the pilgrims against the church of england. Remember it was our "founding fathers" of Mass. who under the early "Christian" theocracy of that state were hanging Quakers because of religious impurity. I for one have no desire to have my Christian faith associated with the intolerance, bigotry and unchristlike behavior and beliefs of that crowd.
Darwin was merely an apostate antiChristian bigot devoted to destroying Christianity in revenge for the death of daughter Annie, so its appropriate today's apostate CoE Isaiah 3:12 cursed (i.e. the recent women clergy-bishops) buggery promoters should smile on him whom they are now so like. One wonders what will happen when Islam declares jihad after they gain control in the near future in the vacuous UK where <5% give a rip about the CoE.
Those of us who prefer God's Word or even rationality and truth to the bogus, irrational frauds of evolution, "intelligent design" and the oxymoronic "old earth creation" and "theistic evolution" only held by irrational brainwashed antiChristian bigots who like Darwin reject ultimate Biblical authority, appreciate the exhaustive refutation of these antiBiblical delusions at especially www.answersinGenesis.org and www.trueorigin.org and many others.
Maybe Darwin will accept the apology maybe not, I think it would be to hot to find out.
I hope they will make Marx a saint next.
Thanks for the insight on Lewis and Chesterton, chris.I have great respect for both of them!!
"The BNP, I don't think so"
Glad to hear that Chris you had me worried, I was on Brighton pier the other night eating fish and chips from paper!
As a Catholic, I actually feel more at home in the high Anglican churh, I have the novels of Susan Howatch to thank for that.
Best wishes
Steve
French Fries and Fried whitefish , yum. And I dont like my peas mushy. Nice sweet corn yummers.
Ok we all need to get on our knees and beg for forgiveness for, err, umm , what was the question?
Yes, CS Lewis was a High Church Anglican, which is the closest thing to being Catholic and yet still being Protestant.
He would have rolled over in his grave for certain! CS Lewis mentor was GK Chesterton and both gentleman would have had a field day with this.
Wasn't C.S. Lewis an Anglican.Wonder what he would think of this?
Steve,
The BNP, I don't think so. I still have duel citezenship to GB and my father had the letter OBE at the end of his name(Order of the British Empire). It use to mean something. If he was still alive today he would be appalled how England has lost her soul, being that her soul is her Christian faith.
I'd take my fish and chips and mushy peas anyday over curry. Next time I get back to England, I hope the Kettle is still on to serve a proper pot. If Tea goes, there goes the Great in Britain.
Whats so wrong with curry being a national dish, theres nothing like a nice Ruby Murray on a Saturday night...have you thought of joining the BNP?
Just one more thing...
Anyone been to England lately? London looks Tehran and the North of England's favorite food is no longer Fish and Chips and mushy peas, it is Indian Food. Go to the North of England and you will see more Sikh, Hindu and Moslem temples than Churches.
England's Methodists and Anglicans are a dying breed. The only Christians in England that are doing well and in fact are growing at a strong rate due to the Anglican communion falling to liberal heresy and the fact many Poles and Lithuanians are moving to GB is the Catholic Church.
For the first time, more Catholics go to Church on Sunday(1.8 Million out of 4.5 million) than Anglicans and Methodists combined(1 million out of 52 million).
What is so sad that only 3- 3.5 Million people go to church on Sunday including all Christian denominations. England and GB is in a very sad state!
Makes sense that The C of E would honor an Anglican turned Atheist. Is the Archbishop of Canterbury next?
By the way, Darwin was only an atheist when his daughter died at a very young age. He blamed God and became an atheist to get back at God. Since he became an Atheist to get back at God, then doesn't that make him a believer who actually hates God then?
Next they will honor Henry the 8th as a man of "Morality".
I know this might even be reaching for them.
Cheers...
That said, I do like the old bells and smells service
Unlike conforming Puritan groups who maintained their membership in and allegiance to the Church of England, Separatists held that their differences with the Church of England were irreconcilable and that their worship should be organized independently of the trappings, traditions and organization of a central state church
Bradford, William (1898). "1", in Hildebrandt, Ted: Bradford's History "Of Plimoth Plantation"
So, tes, Steve, the Pilgrims WERE in a way escaping the Puritans, but the CofE was strongly influenced by the Puritans.
DP
I think you are going to correct me here but I thought that the pilgrim fathers left old blighty to escape the Puritans who felt that the C of E did not go far enough and ruled the country between Charles I and II.
Please put me out of my misery
Steve