1915年在一份美国报章第一次发表的作者不详的文章,作者提出达尔文老年在病榻时再度信奉基督教,却被达尔文的子孙及历史学家否认。他的女儿表示,达尔文未再信奉基督教。
这个故事来源是The Lady Hope Story…
Lady Hope claimed to have visited Darwin on an autumn afternoon. She noted that Darwin had been bedridden for several months before his death, and at the time of her visit she found him sitting up in bed. Lady Hope indicated that Darwin was at the time reading the Bible, which she claimed he was always studying. When asked what he was reading he replied, “Hebrews . . . the Royal Book.” Darwin also supposedly commented, “I was a young man with unformed ideas.”
Lady Hope further claimed that before her departure she was asked by Darwin to return and speak to his servants in his summerhouse. When asked about the subject on which she should speak, Darwin was said to have replied “Christ Jesus!”
Lady Hope表示在达尔文晚年的时候临终前曾经卧床数月之久,当Lady Hope去探望他时,达尔文在读圣经。另外达尔文邀请Lady Hope再度回去并且跟他的仆人谈话,她问达尔文应该谈论什么话题?达尔文回答:“耶稣基督”!
所以,从Lady Hope的描述中,就算达尔文晚年卧床的时候曾经读圣经,或是请她谈论耶稣基督,也并不能证明达尔文晚年信主。
事实上,1809年11月17日达尔文在圣嘉德圣公会教堂受了洗礼,并从小跟着家人去教堂作礼拜。他长大后曾经在剑桥大学神学院就读,并接受训练预备成为牧职。但后来达尔文的信仰开始动摇。
达尔文生于1809年卒于1882年,在他1879年给友人John Fordyce 的信件中,他是这么说的:
即使在我最激烈的波动中,我从来就不是无神论者或否认神的存在。我想一般说来(或是当我年纪越来越大的时候),“不可知论者”会是对我的心态最准确的描述。
In my most extreme fluctuations I have never been an atheist in the sense of denying the existence of a God.— I think that generally (& more and more so as I grow older) but not always, that an agnostic would be the most correct description of my state of mind. To John Fordyce 7 May 1879
所以,结论是:并不可考!
约翰福音21:21 -22“彼得看见他、就问耶稣说、主阿、这人将来如何。耶稣对他说、我若要他等到我来的时候、与你何干;你跟从我吧。”
我们很喜欢讨论:这人是否信主?那人是否得救?
但是耶稣说:“…与你何干?你跟从我吧!”
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