Biology Quote by Dan Simmons
““I remembered Grandam telling me about an early Old Earth scientist, one Charles Darwin, who had come up with one of the early theories of evolution or gravitation or somesuch, and how—although raised a devout Christian even before the reward of the cruciform—he had become an atheist while studying a terrestrial wasp that paralyzed some large species of spider, planted its embryo, and let the spider recover and go about its business until it was time for the hatched wasp larvae to burrow its way out of the living spider’s abdomen.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Hyperion, Dan Simmons, 1989
A scientist’s observation of a parasitic wasp’s life cycle led him to abandon religious belief, illustrating how empirical evidence can challenge faith.
In simple terms: Scientific discovery can undermine personal faith.
Key Takeaway
Question data when evidence conflicts with belief.
Themes
science
faith
evolution
belief
conflict
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
curious
Type
philosophical
inspirational
controversial
When to use this quote
- academic research
- personal crisis
- ethical debates
- education
- public policy
Key Concepts
parasitism
empiricism
cognitive dissonance
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you reconcile conflicting evidence with core beliefs?
- When should faith yield to science?
A Different Perspective
Personal belief systems may resist change despite compelling data.
![“[Charles] Darwin, for example, is the one who made us face the fact that the primary way we tell the Christ story doesn't work anymore.” quote by John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1a9/john-shelby-spong-1488_christ_charles-darwin-for-example-is-the-one-wh_194036.jpg)
