There are very few conflicts in the human soul that spark controversy when discussing the topics of faith and science. For centuries, people have been rooted in their faith and religion fixed upon their ideological belief system. Consistent across the majority of religions was that this world and all things existing in this world were created by a higher being; a supreme entity. Faith is required to believe in this higher power since no one can physically see it, hear it, smell it or touch it. The theory of evolution claims that this world was created by natural occurrences and that all life forms, including humans, evolved from earlier species. Humans and all living organisms are continually evolving, mutating and transforming. There is no stagnation of life within evolution. The challenges people faced in the 19th century and still face today is discerning the validity of both evolution and personal religion. If faith is required to believe in either, why do people continue to discredit each with such ferocity?
Charles Darwin is arguably the most prolific figure in history to convey the theory of evolution. Darwin initially studied medicine at Edinburgh University but later transferred to Cambridge (both located in the United Kingdom) where he was encouraged to study his passion for nature and natural science. In 1859, Darwin published an extremely controversial book titled, On the Origins of Species by Means of Natural Selection. He presented the scientific theory that populations have evolved over time by means of natural selection; animals (or plants) best suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on the characteristics which helped them survive to their offspring. Even humans evolved over time and may have originally been a product of apes. His theory caused outrage among people, particularly Christians who