Evolution Quote by Theodosius Dobzhansky
““Does the evolutionary doctrine clash with religious faith? It does not. It is a blunder to mistake the Holy Scriptures for elementary textbooks of astronomy, geology, biology, and anthropology. Only if symbols are construed to mean what they are not intended to mean can there arise imaginary, insoluble conflicts. As pointed out above, the blunder leads to blasphemy: the Creator is accused of systematic deceitfulness.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Evolutionary Biology, 1973
Science and faith need not conflict; misunderstandings arise when sacred texts are read as literal scientific manuals.
In simple terms: Religion and science can coexist if interpreted correctly.
Key Takeaway
Read scriptures metaphorically, not literally.
Themes
science
religion
interpretation
conflict
education
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
analytical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- religious education
- science curricula
- public debates
- interfaith dialogues
Key Concepts
theology
epistemology
symbolism
Questions to Reflect On
- How can educators bridge gaps between scientific and religious worldviews?
- What symbols in sacred texts are often misread as literal facts?
A Different Perspective
Misinterpretation can still fuel division despite the intended harmony.
![“The fundamental religious objection to the theory of evolution is not scientific but moral. [Fundamentalists believe that] evolutionary theory must be opposed because it leads to rampant immorality, on both the personal and political scales. The basic cause of this immorality is atheism.” quote by Elizabeth S. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5a5/elizabeth-s-anderson-79971_atheism_the-fundamental-religious-objection-to-t_1735801.jpg)
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
