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WEST LAFAYETTE – Christian activists went to Purdue University’s main campus to hand out about 2,000 copies of Charles Darwin’s “Origin of Species” with a 50-page introduction intended to debunk his theory of evolution.
The giveaway Thursday was part of a nationwide effort by California-based Christian minister Ray Comfort and actor Kirk Cameron to distribute more than 100,000 copies of the book on university campuses.
Their Living Waters ministry organized the event.
Pastor Jared Brothers of Stringtown Church of God in Covington, about 30 miles southwest of West Lafayette, was among those distributing the anti-Darwin book to students.
“I don’t believe in evolution. I am all about a personal relationship with God. The main thing is to get some literature into people’s hands and to get God’s word out. That’s the goal,” Brothers said.
While he and other volunteers didn’t meet much opposition at Purdue, the edition marking the 150th anniversary of Darwin’s book is creating controversy elsewhere.
Comfort’s introduction questions Darwin’s scientific findings and contends that Darwin was racist and Adolf Hitler took the theory of evolution to its “logical conclusions.”
The National Center for Science Education has started a campaign that calls the introduction “bad science, bad history and bad theology.”
Purdue senior Mike Brownstein was among students accepting the free book.
“Comfort is wrong. And I don’t think they are accomplishing what they set out to do. All these people are getting a free ‘Origin of Species.’ If they read the book they’ll see through (the introduction),” Brownstein said.
Freshman Tyler Schluttenhofer happily took copies for himself and a friend.
“I think it is good to create debate to make people question what they believe,” he said. “I believe what is in the Bible when it comes to evolution.”
As a protest, Purdue’s Society of Non-Theists passed out pro-Darwin fish stickers emblazoned with “I Support Science.”
