Missed the question. Re: Darwin's influence on Stalin

>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "James Mahaffy" <mahaffy@mtcnet.net>
> To: <asa@calvin.edu>
> Sent: Monday, July 25, 2005 10:58 AM
> Subject: Re: Darwin's influence on Stalin
>
>> It is possible that is what AIG is saying but that is NOT what Nancy
>> Pearcy is saying in Total truth. She is using this as an illustration
>> of someone whose worldview was changed away from a theistic world view
>> by reading Darwin.
>
> I would submit that any reading of Darwin that concludes
> that atheism follows from descent with modificaion and
> natural selection is incomplete, and that Pearcey is either
> ignorant or dishonest when she does not include
> Darwin's own statements about his theory and religion,
> namely, he states some will call it irreligious, he thinks it
> is no more irreligious than describing gestation and birth
> in physical terms.
>

Nancy is not saying that. The question is was Stalin's move away from
Christianity influenced by his reading of Darwin. She is also saying, I
think that the theory had a secularizing effect on a number of people and
on culture. George Marsden, a first class evangelical historian, would
agree with her in that regard. He suggests that the secularization of the
American University was in part due to the secularizing effect of the
neoDarwinian theory taught in the University, that no longer saw "God's
laws in the sciences".

And Nancy is really not talking about Darwin's own struggle with his faith
and the faith of his wife. May I suggest if you really want to understand
that, then read Desmond and Moore's The life of a tormented evolutionist,
Darwin. Clearly many on this list are evangelical Christians and accept a
form of neoDarwinism so you can not argue that you will always lose your
Christianity if you accept neoDarwinianism. But it may still be legitemate
to say that the secularization of science was historically tied to the
paradigm shift that occurred with Darwin's theory. Maybe if Asa Gray had
been Darwin's popularizer instead of Huxley, the story would have been
different. But now I am skirting on the thin ice of history of science
that I know much less about than Carboniferous palynology.

>>
>> Yes she is making a case that classical Darwinism is a world view and
>> not just a scientific theory. I think she has some insight here. I was
>> just trying to check with historians on Yaroslavsky's statement
>> (footnoted by Nancy) on Stalin's reason for rejection of Christianity.
>>
>> If we are going to disagree with Nancy's argument, may I sugest we do it
>> on the basis of knowing what she says in Total Truth. The book is quite
>> readable and I suspect may have an impact on evangelicals.
>>
>> --
>> James and Florence Mahaffy 712 722-0381 (Home)
>> 227 S. Main St. 712 722-6279 (Office)
>> Sioux Center, IA 51250
>>
>>
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Received on Mon Jul 25 15:50:59 2005