Everyone is "agnostic" within the context that we "do not know" all of the answers to all of the mysteries of the universe and/or the final answer to the cosmological conundrum.
That said, Charles Darwin was quite obviously as much a non-believer in Christian lore and that particular God who fathered a half-god son (Jesus) born of a human female (Mary) as Christians are of Zeus who fathered a half-god son (Heracles) born of a human female (Alcmene).
In this context, Darwin was as much an atheist as I am.
"Dear Sir
I am sorry to have to inform you that I do not believe in the Bible as a divine revelation, & therefore not in Jesus Christ as the son of God.
Yours faithfully | Ch. Darwin"
I am sorry to have to inform you that I do not believe in the Bible as a divine revelation, & therefore not in Jesus Christ as the son of God.
Yours faithfully | Ch. Darwin"
Naturally, any good seeker of solutions to great puzzles, any detective, would be remiss if religion were not equally explored, critically analyzed and commented upon within a lifetime thereby opening the arena for all sorts of "interpretations" of personal views over time.
It is one of the reasons why I remain so unambiguous in proactively asserting that I am an atheist as often as religious discussion arises and then move on to all of the other affiliations and moral and ethical standards I also espouse.
The beautiful thing about science is that uncertainty is a valuable feature, not a critical flaw.
This is why I cherish the wonder of mysteries and thrive in the journey of exploration wherever it leads.
In my view, the sugar coated hubris and mind-numbing pretense of religious faiths without evidence based in mythology, fuzzy headed mysticism, hushed reverent tones, supernatural superstition, rote, ritual and lore filled with assorted God(s)es(es) with peculiar cravings and enemies that nearly always match those of the respective mortal believers are all dreary and mundane compared to a full immersion in the brilliance of the thermonuclear jewel that is the universe in plain view.
I think that Darwin was a great human being with all of the same flaws, loves, joys and despairs we have in our own lives.
He shouldn't be deified or vilified, but his life should certainly be honored and his concepts diligently studied because even with those basic traits he still courageously managed to use his human brain, in an age of thoughtless indoctrination, to explore this jewel and present his findings directly against the power of religious coercion to those who were taught not to listen.
Darwin Day February 12, 2010
For those interested, here is a wonderful interview with the actor Paul Bettany who plays Charles Darwin in "Creation" (2009):
UK Interview
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