Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution does not contradict God’s plan but only reinforces the idea of a divine plan, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, said on Monday while visiting the Sirius Scientific and Technological University.
The Patriarch argued that for him – as well as for Darwin, who was “a very religious man” – the theory of evolution has never been a factor in anti-religious arguments, and that it should instead be understood as a tool that is built into the universe which humankind can learn to use.
“God created an amazing Universe, he gave us the ability to develop. Sometimes they said that evolution is against God’s plan – it is not against God’s plan, but it testifies to an incredible divine plan, when a person, by his own efforts, relying on external factors, can develop in the way that happened as a result of evolution,” Kirill said.
His comments come as some members of the clergy and several Russian politicians have recently described Darwin’s theory as “unscientific” and “misleading.” Earlier this month, Muslim Khuchiev – the assistant to Russia’s prime minister and the former PM of Chechnya – suggested that Darwin’s teachings be scrubbed from school textbooks in the country.
“Everyone knows that this is a false theory, it goes against religion. This is the first step, I believe, in the spiritual corruption of children. We can simply remove it. It is not true, it is contrary to religious education and all religions have recognized this,” he argued, calling on Education Minister Sergey Kravtsov to ban the theory from schools.
Several representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church have also supported the proposal, with the chairman of the Patriarchal Commission on Family Issues, Fyodor Lukyanov, claiming that Darwin’s theory is “inherently immoral” since it “assumes the orphanhood of the human race, the absence of a Creator for such a complex and beautiful creation as our Universe.”
Others, however, have spoken out against the ban. Moscow Patriarchate spokesman Vladimir Legoida has argued that evolution and creationism do not necessarily have to be in conflict with each other and that both approaches should be taught to children.