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Evolution
and Religion Seminar
The following
extracts, one of which is from the Westminster Abbey Library,
confirm the esteem and honour granted to Darwin by the British
Parliament.
"On April 19, 1882 Darwin died of a heart attack. His last words
were, “I am not the least afraid to die.” said to his wife, Emma.
The family wanted Darwin to be buried in his home, the village of
Downe, according to his wishes. However, Parliament requested that
he be buried in Westminster Abbey, a cemetery for Britain's kings,
queens, and intellectual giants like Sir Isaac Newton and Michael
Faraday. This was an indication of how far Darwin had come towards
universal acceptance and respectability. Darwin's coffin lies next
to Issac Newton which is only fitting because Darwin has been called
"The Newton of Biology." Darwin was modest of his monumental
achievements to the very end and said of himself shortly before his
death," With such moderate abilities as I possess, it is truly
surprising that I should have influenced to a considerable extent
the belief of scientific men on some important points."
http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/bios/b2darwincharles.htm
Citation at the
Westminster Abbey Library:
The Dean of Westminster, George Granville Bradley, was away in
France when he received a telegram forwarded from the President of
the Royal Society in London saying “…it would be acceptable to a
very large number of our fellow-countrymen of all classes and
opinions that our illustrious countryman, Mr. Darwin, should be
buried in Westminster Abbey”. The Dean recalled “ I did not hesitate
as to my answer and telegraphed direct…that my assent would be
cheerfully given”. The body lay overnight in the Abbey, in the small
chapel of St Faith, and on the morning of 26 April the coffin was
escorted by the family and eminent mourners into the Abbey. The
pall-bearers included Sir Joseph Hooker, Alfred Russel Wallace,
James Russell Lowell (U.S. Ambassador), and William Spottiswoode
(President of the Royal Society). Click here for a closer look The
burial service was held in the Lantern, conducted by Canon Prothero,
with anthems sung by the choir. The chief mourners then followed the
coffin into the north aisle of the Nave where Darwin was buried next
to the eminent scientist Sir John Herschel, and a few feet away from
Sir Isaac Newton. The simple inscription on his grave reads “CHARLES
ROBERT DARWIN BORN 12 FEBRUARY 1809. DIED 19 APRIL 1882”. Although
an agnostic, Darwin was greatly respected by his contemporaries and
the Bishop of Carlisle, Harvey Goodwin, in a memorial sermon
preached in the Abbey on the Sunday following the funeral, said “I
think that the interment of the remains of Mr Darwin in Westminster
Abbey is in accordance with the judgment of the wisest of his
countrymen…It would have been unfortunate if anything had occurred
to give weight and currency to the foolish notion which some have
diligently propagated, but for which Mr Darwin was not responsible,
that there is a necessary conflict between a knowledge of Nature and
a belief in God…”. A later, widely believed, rumour of a “deathbed
conversion” to Christianity was denied by his daughter, who was
actually present at his death. A bronze memorial, with a life-sized
relief bust, was erected by his family in the north choir aisle,
near to the grave, in 1888. The sculptor was Sir J.E. Boehm. The
inscription just says simply “DARWIN”.
http://www.westminster-abbey.org/library/burial/darwin.htm
Munir Pervaiz
Saami
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