Dear Readers,
The issue you are holding in your hands is a special one.
It is fully dedicated to ‘examining’ the work of Charles Darwin. Darwin had himself suggested that none of his ideas should offend the religious sensibilities of anyone. Similarly we hope that none of the views presented in this issue should offend the ‘scientific’ sensibilities of anyone. If they do, then we welcome your comments.
Our articles begin with the need of dedicating a whole issue to Darwin. It is a fact that his views have challenged the age-old beliefs about the process of creation and have the right to commandeer so many pages. Next we have tried to explain the socio-economic climate in which this theory took root. A lot more than just a simple voyage on the HMS Beagle has contributed in making this theory acceptable – The Industrial Revolution, the frustration in dealing with institutionalised religion, the favourable climate for new thought, the greed for exploiting material nature and so forth.
‘A Friendly Conversation’ tries to understand how today’s youth perceive the contribution of Darwin and how they can come to terms with it. The article ‘Evidence – Let It Speak’ takes a cold, hard look at the dark side of science which has sometimes presented facts incorrectly, sometimes has misinterpreted observations and sometimes has even stooped down to the level of forgeries and other tactics in order to claim authenticity. The article ‘Trying to make a sense of it all’ critically examines some of the irregularities which challenge Darwin’s thought.
We plan to dedicate one more issue to address this topic in further detail.
As always, your feedback is most welcome!
(Syamananda Dasa)