Science and the Bible/ by Bolton Davidheiser ■ ASA GRAY AND THEISTIC EVOLUTION C h a r l e s D a r w in had three out standing disciples among the men hairy quadruped with arboreal hab: its, furnished with a tail and pointed ears.’ ” e
of science—Thomas Henry Huxley in England, Ernst Haeckel in Germany, and Asa Gray in America. Asa Gray differed from the others in that he professed to be an orthodox Christian. Darwin realized the value of Gray’s religious profession in that it tended to make the theory of evolution seem less objectionable to those who op posed it on religious grounds. This influence extends to the present day, as Ramm1 cites Gray as an example of one who was an evangelical Chris tian and saw no incompatibility be tween his Christian faith and theistic evolution. Because of the significance at tached to Professor Gray’s views, it is desirable to inquire just how ortho dox he really was. He said of himself, “ I dare say I am much more ortho dox than Mr. Darwin; also that he is about as far from being an atheist as I am.” 2 It seems strange that an evan gelical Christian should compare himself with Darwin, who wrote of himself that while he was still a young man he “ had come, by this time to see that the Old Testament . . . was no more to be trusted than the sacred books of the Hindus, or the beliefs of the barbarian,” 5 and he continued, “ Thus disbelief crept over me at a very slow rate, but was at last complete. The rate was so slow that I felt no distress, and have never since doubted even for a single sec ond that my conclusion was correct. I can indeed hardly see how anyone ought to wish Christianity to be true. . . .” 4 Although Professor Gray never read these words, which Dar win put into the autobiography which- he wrote for his children, he knew something of Darwin’s re ligious views, and to the charge that Darwin was an infidel he replied, “ Can’t say till you tell me what you mean by infidel — and perhaps not then.” 5 This does not sound like the language of an evangelical Christian who knows the way of salvation. Because of Gray’s professed Ortho doxy Darwin somewhat feared what his reaction would be to The Descent of Man, which discussed human evo lution. However, Gray responded with a paraphrase of the words of King Agrippa to Paul when Paul de clared the gospel to him. Agrippa said, “ Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” Gray said, “ Almost thou persuadest me to have been ‘a
Gray asserted “ in season and out” ' that Darwin had reintroduced tele ology into natural history. This means that he claimed that Darwin had made a case for purpose or design in the biological world, in contrast to the concept of a world developed through unguided chance. But Dar win did not agree with Gray about this, and the other prominent disci ples of Darwin were strongly opposed to Gray’s teleological views. These opponents won, and Gray “ could not forget his sharp defeat on the design argument.” 8 The same biographer also says, “ Gray knew he was making a joke when he said that Darwin had reintroduced teleology into natural history.” 8 Professor Gray gave his approval to the higher criticism of the Bible, and aspersions cast upon the author ity of Scripture by the theory of evo lution never bothered him. He seems to have anticipated neo-orthodoxy by saying that the Bible contains truth instead of being truth. One of Darwin’s biographers says of Professor Gray, “ In America Asa Gray, the great botanist, was a con vert Lto evolutionJ from the begin ning and a most helpful disciple, and his aid was peculiarly welcome to Darwin, because Gray's eager ortho doxy was useful in conciliating many whose prejudices would naturally have been averse.” 10 Young people today are accepting evolutionary views because men who have a reputation as conservative Christian men of science are leading them in t’’ -•t direction; The young people defend themselves by saying to parents and friends that it is all right because these men are evangeli cal Christians and they say it is all right, so it must be all right. Some of these men really do say so, while others, who would deny that they say this, nevertheless say things which lead the young people to believe that they are saying it. 1. Ramm , Bernard. The Christian View of Science and Scripture. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 195i. Page 265. 2. Dupree, A. Hunter. Asa Gray. Harvard Univer sity Press. 1959. Page 35 9. 3. Barlow , Nora. Editor.. The Autobiography of Charles Darwin. Collins. 1956. Page S'). 7. Ibid. Page 87. 5. Dupree. Loc. cit. Page 559. 6. Ibid. Page 35 6 . 7. Ibid. Page 558. 8. Ibid. Page 559. 9. Ibid. Page 582. 10. Bradford , Gamaliel. Darwin. Houghton Mif flin Co. 1926. Page 121. THE KING'S BUSINESS
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