I, for one, am tired of the politically correct presentism that seems to have been adopted by large segments of society that should know better. By “presentism” I mean the practice of viewing historical facts in light of current social customs, mores, and knowledge and then proceeding to draw simplistic conclusions.
The classic example is the oft-heard criticism of the Church for its response to Gallileo. A serious inquiry into this case will reveal that the facts, issues, and personalities are much more complex than is generally thought.
What possible good will be accomplished by apologizing to a man who has been dead all these years for something done by people who have long since been laid to rest? If in the future Darwin’s theory is successfully attacked as the result of new discoveries, will the Church of England rescind its apology with the observation, “Hey, we were right the first time.”
Darwin was a scientist. Applying the scientific method is exceedingly difficult and public rejection of a theory is far from unusual. Scientists have thick skins. I really don’t think Mr. Darwin, even if alive, would be jockeying for an apology.
