Evening star., 1939-09-04
English Scientist
Enyisions Evolution
JAS Religious Theme
EuctuoI Bosis Of Old
Forms Of Worship Have
Been Destroyed, He Says
by THOMAS r. HENRY,
star stan Correspondent.

BY THOMAS r. HENRY,
star stan Correspondent.
DUNDEE, Scotland tBy Airmail) -
Evolution IS the backbone Of . re-
ligion Of human progress was urged
here by Sir Richard Gregory, dean
Of English scientists.
Science, he declared, has destroyed
the factual basis Of the old religions,
leaving man free to believe as he
will about the unknown but plac-
ing upon him for the first time the
responsibility of making the best of
the known.
Even half century - :. Sir Rich
ard said, the world was stirred by
bitter controversies in a vain at
tempt to reconcile science and the
Bible, to prove that all the new
findings Of science after all harmo-
nixed with the text of q book which
was never intended to be scientific.
All these debates now seem futile,
he said.
No intelligent Inquiry.
TN the sacred writings Of the
Hebrews" he said. there are few
illusions to q rational understand
ing Of the universe or to precise
observations such as we find in the
literature Of other primitive peo-
pies. All things are interpreted as
. test Of the power of the Al
mighty. There is wonder at the
power and exaltation rather than
intelligent inquiry.
"The Greeks first made the dis
tinction Of nature as q subject of
study. apart from religious faith,
and considered science as q way
to discover natural laws by intel
ligent application of the intellect.
They were the first to use the word
nature"
christianity is one form Of ex-
preston OF q religious impulse uni
versal In human life, primitive and
advanced. 1t has three elements
In common with all other religions
tradition. ritual and q code OF
ethics. Tradition considers the ma
ture Of the deity or deities. Ritual
considers the mode Of approaching
them in the form of worship and
like ethics, is derived from ira
dition. These elements of worship
become the essence of belief and q
part Of human thought and artist
ry. That such an evolution OF
ideas has occurred is a fact of his
tory.
Earth Regarded as Center.
"In all primitive religions the
earth is regarded as the center ol
the universe and the deities are
considered the regulators Of all nat.
ural forces, the actions Of which
might be modified by suitable offer
ings or sacrifices.
when Copernicus has shown thai
the earth was only a minor plane,
of family Of planets revolving
around the sun the foundations ol
religious belief which made it the
hub of the visible universe were
destroyed. An entirely new theologi-
cal structure had to be raised. Then
Newton showed that the planet.
obeyed a natural law, so it was nc
longer reasonable to consider them
as signs and warnings to the human
race. Thus were substituted laws
for q concept in which all events
were a reflection of the moods of .
benign or angry deity. Then Darwin
placed man himself in a new relation
to the rest of living things.
Now, instead Of looking back Al
an imaginary golden age, evolution
teaches us that the progressive de.
velopment of mans physical struc.
ture can be accompanied by tn,
! creation of ethical and spiritua
attributes unknown in the sub.
human species. 1t teaches us tha
man is the master of his own fate
the maker of his own destiny OF
earth, whatever his beliefs may b
as to life afterward.
Work for Higher Things.
But whether he looks at perfec
ton as having been passed lon,
ago or as a promise of the future
the fact that the species Of man i
ever striving toward something othe
than it is is of particular signifi
canoe. There is reason to hop
when discomfort with life as 1t i
spurs us to work for higher things.
The Whereabouts OF some O
the scientific collections made b,
Charles Darwin during the famou
voyage of the Beagle are now un
known, it was reported by a specia
committee on the upkeep of Oar
wins former home, Down House
These articles were listed by Darwin
as either having been sent or take1
home by him. The committee nov
is attempting to form list of thes,
and to ascertain their whereabouts
| An effort also is being made t,
collect biographies OF the fathe
OF evolution and all contemporar,
literature bearing upon his work.