Discussion Starter: Why does Darwin's theory bother the religiously minded more than Smith's?

Darwin’s theory of evolution draws many parallels to Smith’s theory of the invisible hand. Darwin’s theory is grounded in science whereas Smith is the founder of social science. Darwin writes to explain why some traits are able to survive and reproduce whereas Smith offers what will be the best economically beneficial. Darwin is in a sense arguing what the invisible hand is for the nation state. A clear distinction between Smith and Darwin is that Smith assumes a nation state and what it does. Darwin assumes a state of nature.

            Darwin’s theories drew stark contrast to that of creationism. Smith’s theory of the invisible hand for economics didn’t contradict any established teaching of the church. Smith, known as the father of capitalism, did not have any teaching he sought to change. Darwin differs greatly. Darwin’s teachings seem to contradict the text of genesis. Darwin is careful not to make this explicit in his writing but he essentially says that it was not God who created man and is responsible for changes of him, and that Man descended from Apes. This goes against the teachings of Genesis, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1 and “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the creatures that move along the ground” (Genesis 1:26). Darwin’s theory doesn’t have an explicit response to the text of the Bible claiming that man was created by God. Smith expressed his ideation of how to make the industrial revolution the most effective and how it could be better. Darwin’s ideas didn’t do this; rather, it just changed the way people thought about the world was created. One could argue Smith’s ideas of prioritizing self-interest take away from charitable giving which is expressed in the New Testament “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7). Smith would argue this is the duty of the government of the nation state.