Two brothers go out walking on Easter Sunday and discuss what they know about physics, neuroscience and evolution in the light of their belief in God. Their discussion also revolves around an imaginary dialogue between Charles Darwin and Etty Hillesum.
The latter is a young Jewish woman who held enlightened views about her belief in God. She did not survive the gas chambers of Auschwitz. Charles Darwin lost his belief in God that he had as a child and young adult. He is a watershed figure who profoundly changed Christian life. That change had a long gestation covering several centuries and was instigated by a great many people.
We now know that biological evolution is self-regulatory and has unhinged man’s concept of God’s creation. The resulting reappraisal is still ongoing, for which there are many reasons, some of which are dealt with in this short story.
Science will not make man all-knowing, so a belief in a greater power remains. Newer and contemporary metaphors of that unknown greater power are needed that are more attuned to the knowledge we have and to which we can entrust our uncertainty.
Schrödinger’s cat tiptoes into their thoughts.
