Chapter 8 – Hybridism

What is Darwin presenting in chapter 8? https://debatingchristianity.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=224716#p224716 In chapter 8, Darwin addresses the fourth problem of his theory – sterility of cross breeding of species. The main question he is trying to address is why is there generally sterility when crossing species. Natural selection cannot explain this since, by definition, sterility is not inheritable. …

Chapter 7 – Instinct

What is the point of chapter 7? https://debatingchristianity.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=222384#p222384 In chapter 7, Darwin goes into a discussion about instinct and how it changes. He specifically narrows the topic of instinct change to members of the same “class”. And also he does not talk about how instincts arise in the first place. “I must premise, that I …

Chapter 6 – Difficulties on Theory

What is Darwin presenting in chapter 6? https://debatingchristianity.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=221581#p221581 In chapter 6, Darwin presents two problems to his theory and tries to address them. The first problem is why do we not see a continuous gradation between all life, especially in the fossil record? “But, as by this theory innumerable transitional forms must have existed, why …

Chapter 5 – Law of Variation

What is the point of chapter 5? https://debatingchristianity.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=220760#p220760 This chapter discusses some of the (nonrandom) causes of variations. “I have hitherto sometimes spoken as if the variations so common and multiform in organic beings under domestication, and in a lesser degree in those in a state of nature had been due to chance. This, of …

Chapter 4 – Natural Selection

What is Darwin’s point in chapter 4? https://debatingchristianity.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=219381#p219381 In the longest chapter of the book, chapter 4, Darwin introduces the concept of Natural Selection. “This preservation of favourable variations and the rejection of injurious variations, I call Natural Selection.” “Natural selection can act only by the preservation and accumulation of infinitesimally small inherited modifications, each …

Chapter 3 – Struggle for Existence

What is Darwin’s point in chapter 3? How well does it support his theory? https://debatingchristianity.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=217209#p217209 His point, which is key to his theory, is that there is a competition among life and that those with advantages will over time dominate others. “Owing to this struggle for life, any variation, however slight and from whatever cause …

Chapter 2 – Variation Under Nature

What is Darwin’s point in chapter 2? How well does this support his theory of natural selection? https://debatingchristianity.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=214532#p214532 Darwin’s point is that from the species level on down, there is evidence of variation among plants and animals. This points to descent with modification in nature. “These differences blend into each other in an insensible series; …

Chapter 9 – Childhood, abuse and the escape from religion

Is it a form of child abuse to label children as possessors of beliefs when they are too young to have thought about it? Should the Bible be a part of public education? McCulloch’s question: Is the indoctrination of children into religious beliefs morally justified? https://debatingchristianity.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=123475#p123475 twobitsmedia wrote: otseng wrote: Should the Bible be a …