From: Rally
ORIGINS INTEREST GROUP, GCF
Did Darwin recant?
by Russell M. Grigg M.Sc
Charles Darwin died on 19 April 1882, at the age of 73. To some it was
deplorable that he should have departed an unbeliever, and in the years that
followed several stories surfaced that Darwin had undergone a death-bed
conversion and renounced evolution. These stories began to be included in
sermons as early as May 1882.1 However, the best known is that attributed to a
Lady Hope, who claimed she had visited a bedridden Charles at Down House2 in
the autumn of 1881. She alleged that when she arrived he was reading the Book
of Hebrews, that he became distressed when she mentioned the Genesis account of
creation, and that he asked her to come again the next day to speak on the
subject of Jesus Christ to a gathering of servants, tenants and neighbours in
the garden summer house which, he said, held about 30 people. This story first
appeared in print as a 521-word article in the American Baptist journal, the
Watchman Examiner,3 and since then has been reprinted in many books, magazines
and tracts.
The main problem with all these stories is that they were all denied by members
of Darwin 's family. Francis Darwin wrote to Thomas Huxley on 8 February 1887,
that a report that Charles had renounced evolution on his deathbed was 'false
and without any kind of foundation',4 and in 1917 Francis affirmed that he had
'no reason whatever to believe that he [his father] ever altered his agnostic
point of view'.5 Charles's daughter Henrietta (Litchfield) wrote on page 12 of
the London evangelical weekly, The Christian, for 23 February 1922, 'I was
present at his deathbed. Lady Hope was not present during his last illness, or
any illness. I believe he never even saw her, but in any case she had no
influence over him in any department of thought or belief. He never recanted
any of his scientific views, either then or earlier … . The whole story has no
foundation whatever'.6 Some have even concluded that there was no Lady Hope.
So what should we think?
Darwin's biographer, Dr James Moore, lecturer in the history of science and
technology at The Open University in the UK , has spent 20 years researching
the data over three continents. He produced a 218-page book examining what he
calls the ' Darwin legend'.7 He says there was a Lady Hope. Born Elizabeth Reid
Cotton in 1842, she married a widower, retired Admiral Sir James Hope, in 1877.
She engaged in tent evangelism and in visiting the elderly and sick in Kent in
the 1880s, and died of cancer in Sydney , Australia , in 1922, where her tomb
may be seen to this day.8
Moore concludes that Lady Hope probably did visit Charles between Wednesday, 28
September and Sunday, 2 October 1881, almost certainly when Francis and
Henrietta were absent, but his wife, Emma, probably was present.9 He describes
Lady Hope as 'a skilled raconteur, able to summon up poignant scenes and
conversations, and embroider them with sentimental spirituality'.10 He points
out that her published story contained some authentic details as to time and
place, but also factual inaccuracies—Charles was not bedridden six months
before he died, and the summer house was far too small to accommodate 30
people. The most important aspect of the story, however, is that it does not
say that Charles either renounced evolution or embraced Christianity. He merely
is said to have expressed concern over the fate of his youthful speculations
and to have spoken in favour of a few people's attending a religious meeting.
The alleged recantation/conversion are embellishments that others have either
read into the story or made up for themselves. Moore calls such doings 'holy
fabrication'!
It should be noted that for most of her married life Emma was deeply pained by
the irreligious nature of Charles's views, and would have been strongly
motivated to have corroborated any story of a genuine conversion, if such had
occurred. She never did.
It therefore appears that Darwin did not recant, and it is a pity that to this
day the Lady Hope story occasionally appears in tracts published and given out
by well-meaning people.
References
1. James Moore, The Darwin Legend, Baker Books, Grand Rapids , Michigan ,
1994, pp. 113-14.
2. Down House retained the spelling of the old name of Darwin 's village,
which was changed to Downe in the mid-nineteenth century to avoid confusion
with County Down in Northern Ireland . Source: Ref. 1, p. 176.
3. Watchman Examiner, Boston, 19 August 1915, p. 1071. Source: Ref. 1 ,
pp. 92-93 and 190.
4. Ref. 1, pp. 117, 144.
5. ibid, p. 145.
6. ibid, p. 146.
7. ibid.
8. After the death of Admiral Hope in 1881, Lady Hope married T.A. Denny,
a 'pork philanthropist', in 1893, but preferred to retain her former name and
title (Ref. 1, pp. 85; 89-90).
9. Ref. 1, p. 167.
10. ibid, p. 94.
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From: Suzianty Herawati
"For there stood by me this night the angel of God." --Acts 27:23
Tempest and long darkness, coupled with imminent risk of shipwreck, had
brought the crew of the vessel into a sad case; one man alone among them
remained perfectly calm, and by his word the rest were reassured. Paul was the
only man who had heart enough to say, "Sirs, be of good cheer."
There were veteran Roman legionaries on board, and brave old mariners, and yet
their poor Jewish prisoner had more spirit than they all. He had a secret
Friend who kept his courage up. The Lord Jesus despatched a heavenly messenger
to whisper words of consolation in the ear of His faithful servant, therefore
he wore a shining countenance and spake like a man at ease.
If we fear the Lord, we may look for timely interpositions when our case is
at its worst. Angels are not kept from us by storms, or hindered by darkness.
Seraphs think it no humiliation to visit the poorest of the heavenly family. If
angel's visits are few and far between at ordinary times, they shall be
frequent in our nights of tempest and tossing. Friends may drop from us when we
are under pressure, but our intercourse with the
inhabitants of the angelic world shall be more abundant; and in the strength of
love-words, brought to us from the throne by the way of Jacob's ladder, we
shall be strong to do exploits.
Dear reader, is this an hour of distress with you? then ask for peculiar help.
Jesus is the angel of the covenant, and if His presence be now earnestly
sought, it will not be denied. What that presence brings in heart-cheer those
remember who, like Paul, have had the angel of God standing by them in a night
of storm, when anchors would no longer hold, and rocks were nigh.
"O angel of my God, be near,
Amid the darkness hush my fear;
Loud roars the wild tempestuous sea,
Thy presence, Lord, shall comfort me."
CH Spurgeon
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From: Suzianty Herawati
"The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and
the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."
--Song of Solomon 2:12
Sweet is the season of spring: the long and dreary winter helps us to
appreciate its genial warmth, and its promise of summer enhances its present
delights. After periods of
depression of spirit, it is delightful to behold again the light of the Sun of
Righteousness; then our slumbering graces rise from their lethargy, like the
crocus and the daffodil from their beds of earth; then is our heart made merry
with delicious notes of gratitude, far more melodious than the warbling of
birds--and the comforting assurance of peace, infinitely more delightful than
the turtle's note, is heard within the soul.
Now is the time for the soul to seek communion with her Beloved; now must she
rise from her native sordidness, and come away from her old associations. If we
do not hoist the sail when the breeze is favourable, we shall be blameworthy:
times of refreshing ought
not to pass over us unimproved. When Jesus Himself visits us in tenderness, and
entreats us to arise, can we be so base as to refuse His request? He has
Himself risen that He may draw us after Him: He now by His Holy Spirit has
revived us, that we may, in newness of life, ascend into the heavenlies, and
hold communion with Himself. Let our wintry state suffice us for coldness and
indifference; when the Lord creates a spring
within, let our sap flow with vigour, and our branch blossom with high resolve.
O Lord, if it be not spring time in my chilly heart, I pray Thee make it so,
for I am heartily weary of living
at a distance from Thee. Oh! the long and dreary winter, when wilt Thou bring
it to an end? Come, Holy Spirit, and renew my soul! quicken Thou me! restore
me, and have mercy on me! This very night I would earnestly implore the Lord to
take pity upon His servant, and send me a happy revival of spiritual life!
CH Spurgeon
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From: Bayo Afolaranmi
Dearly Beloved,
ONE MAN'S FOOD...
"For the message about Christ's death on the cross is nonsense to those who are
being lost; but for us who are being saved it is God's power" (1 Corinthians
1:18, TEV).
One adage says, "One man's food is another man's poison." The adage has come to
reality many times in my online ministry. Many people are happy that they come
across the ministry while many are ready to crucify me, if possible, for doing
the ministry. While many would appreciate a message, some would see something
wrong in the message, while some would remain indifferent to such message.
The gospel message has saved many souls. More and more souls are being blessed
in diverse ways by it everyday. In fact, "it is the power of God for the
salvation of everyone who believes [in the Lord Jesus Christ]" (Romans 1:16,
NIV). Nonetheless, there are many people that are hostile to it. It does not
make sense to such people that God could empty Himself in order to save
humankind (see Philippians 2:5-8). They are not ready to accept God's plan of
salvation for man.
However, either they accept it or not, nothing can change the plan.
"For all of us must appear before Christ, to be judged by him. Each one will
receive what he deserves, according to everything he has done, good or bad, in
his bodily life" (2 Corinthians 5:10, TEV).
Even this is applicable to other things that men are doing or saying.
There are people that will readily accept such actions or words either good or
bad, and there are people that will reject or oppose the actions or words. As
there would be ardent advocates of a cause, so also would there be antagonists
of the very cause. One man's food is indeed another man's poison.
What are you doing that seems that some people are opposing or criticising you?
Are you convinced within you that you are led by God to do such things? If yes,
disregard any form of opposition. Continue the good cause. Some people are
being blessed by it in spite of the seeming opposition.
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).<<image001.jpg>>
