Evolution
Since the Scopes trial, the theory of evolution has been seen as a sort of boogeyman plotting to discredit religion. However, this was not Charles’ Darwin’s intention when he first published On the Origin of the Species. Darwin, who studied theology at Cambridge University, wrote in the conclusion of his landmark work, “There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed [“by the Creator” was later added] into a few forms or into one…” In addition to Darwin’s consideration of a Creator God, Aczel notes that while evolution serves its purpose of explaining where we come from biologically, it does not sufficiently address some qualities of our nature, such as human altruism.