Page 57 - The Religion of Darwinism

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The Pope continued to describe the relation between this organization
and naturalism:
For, from what we have above most clearly shown, that which is
their ultimate purpose forces itself into view – namely, the utter
overthrow of that whole religious and political order of the world
which the Christian teaching has produced, and the substitution of
a new state of things in accordance with their ideas, of which the
foundations and laws shall be drawn from mere naturalism. 48
The Masons who adopted naturalism had their greatest
representative in Erasmus Darwin, who was
one of the masters of the Canongate
Kilwinning Masonic lodge in Edinburgh,
Scotland. 49 Additionally, he seems to have
been involved to some degree with the Jacobin
clubs in France, or with the Illuminati, which
was connected with certain Masonic lodges in
France and whose primary duty was to
oppose religion. 50 Erasmus educated his son
Robert Darwin (the father of Charles) to be like
himself and made him a member of Masonic
lodges. 51 Therefore, Charles Darwin inherited
Robert Darwin
Masonry from his father and grandfather.
The main lines of Darwin's theory were, in reality, determined by
his grandfather, whose naturalist works were designed as a guide for
him. Erasmus Darwin developed the basic logic that was to give form
to Darwinism and expounded it in books titled The Temple of Nature
and Zoonomia. It was a renewal of the ancient pagan belief that
nature has creative power. In 1784 a society was founded to assist in
the dissemination of these ideas – The Philosophical Society – which,
decades later, would become one of the largest and most passionate
supporters of Charles Darwin's ideas. 52 Darwin's own theory of
evolution, however, was first proposed in the Galapagos Islands.

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A A CLOSER LOOK AT THE RELIGION OF DARWINISM
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