Yesterday February 12 was the 200th birthday of two famous men that each have made a significant mark in history. Both Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were born on February 12, 1809.
Although both have left significant marks in history, their legacies regarding human life differ greatly.
Darwin is famous for his theory that all of human life emerged through natural selection. His theory of evolution was birthed following a voyage aboard the HMS Beagle that ironically was to be his chance at seeing the tropics before entering ministry. His legacy regarding human life stems from the theory that humanity evolved through a godless process called natural selection.
Lincoln is famous for leading the United States through its most perilous times, specifically when our nation was at war with itself. Lincoln’s value of human life and his belief that people are created in the image of their creator led to the end of slavery. Lincoln’s emancipation proclamation put an end to legal human trafficking and was based on the fulfillment that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Isn’t it interesting that Darwin’s theory and view of humanity would have been a valid argument for justifying and continuing the trading of humans as a piece of property? Lincoln’s beliefs and his biblical perspective of humanity provideds for freedom and protection of human life.
Two distinct legacies! What are your thoughts? What does this mean for our mission to develop people to follow Jesus and Make Disciples? Are you a disciple of Darwin or a disciple of Lincoln? Can you follow both worldviews?
