[asa] Quoting Darwin out of context

As is well established, one of the major flaws in YEC publications is
their habit of quote-mining and then quoting evolutionists out of
context thereby putting a false spin on what they said a typical
example is this oft-quoted phrase:

---
It may be of interest to note that Charles Darwin, the human credited
for the so-called scientific development of the theory of evolution,
wrote the following in his book  The Origin of the Species: "If it
could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not
possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight
modifications, my theory would absolutely break down" (Darwin C. The
Origin of Species.  In Chapter 6, Difficulties on Theory).
---
This then is used in the context of the discussin of Irreducible
complexity and so forth.  What nearly all citations of this sentence
omit to put was the very next sentence, which is ...
   .... but I can find out no such case.
No one arguing for intelligent design wants to quote this because they
want to put the spin on it that Darwin had some doubts that are now
justified.
It is certainly right that we should challenge such dishonest tactics.
However, it is not always the YEC's that are guilty of stripping out
context and putting their own favoured spin on it.
I found a clear example of this in Richard Dawkins's  "River out of
Eden".  He begins the chapter "God's utility function" by stating that
Darwin lost his faith as a result of a wasp,  citing the following
sentence:
I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would
have designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention
of their feeding within the living bodies of caterpillars ...
Dawkins continues the grand theme of this chapter leading to the
inevitable conclusion that there is at bottom no evidence of design in
the universe at all, just blind pitiless indifference, and an amount
of suffering that goes beyond decent contemplation, which is a natural
consequence of the way things are.
However, I was rather surprised to find the full context of Darwin's
quote on Wikiquotes.  It is from a letter to Asa Gray and concerns
Darwin's thoughts on the theological question:
With respect to the theological view of the question: This is always
painful to me. I am bewildered. I had no intention to write
atheistically, but I own that I cannot see as plainly as others do,
and as I should wish to do, evidence of design and beneficence on all
sides of us. There seems to me too much misery in the world. I cannot
persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have
designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention of
their feeding within the living bodies of caterpillars or that a cat
should play with mice... On the other hand, I cannot anyhow be
contented to view this wonderful universe, and especially the nature
of man, and to conclude that everything is the result of brute force.
I am inclined to look at everything as resulting from designed laws,
with the details, whether good or bad, left to the working out of what
we may call chance.
----
Interestingly, Darwin appears to have adhered to the idea that the
laws of the universe were in fact designed - that he could not view
everything as a result of brute force.
It clearly does not support Dawkins's argument that there is "at
bottom, no design ..." to quote Darwin coming to the opposite
conclusion, that the laws are designed.  So he left it out.
This really leaves the conundrum ... is it really of any benefit
citing what people said, because inevitably there is the temptation to
leave out the bits that don't fit.
Off on holiday for a week, so hopefully this will have prompted some discussion.
Iain
-- 
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After the game, the King and the pawn go back in the same box.
- Italian Proverb
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