Written by Bo Winegard.
Darwinism was not the first serious blow to the Christian God, but it was the coup de grâce.
I have a tortured relationship with Christianity. On the one hand, I see it as a beautiful tradition, full of poignant stories, powerful symbols and wise ethical principles. On the other hand, I see it as a superstitious relic, burdened with bizarre beliefs and indefensible metaphysics. Yet, despite rejecting some of its dogmas, I do not share the optimism of the New Atheists that the decline of religion would produce a more rational world. Indeed, I generally revere Christianity and hope it flourishes.
Nevertheless, whatever the complications and subtleties of my attitude, which are numerous and constantly changing, the most straightforward fact about my relationship to Christianity is that I do not, and indeed cannot, believe in its God.1 There are many reasons for my doubt, but the simplest and most stubborn is Darwin's idea of evolution by natural selection. It was this that killed my faith, and it remains, in my mind, the most obvious and insurmountable obstacle to true Christian belief.