Lincoln & Darwin

I heard on February 12 that Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were born on the same day 200 years ago. The amateur cultural observer cannot help wonder, then, which has proven more important. An obvious case can be made for Darwin; evolutionary theory everywhere dominates the hard and social sciences. Moreover, it has allowed materialism of all forms to claim legitimacy, and therefore to deny the Creator's claims over his creation.

For all that, my choice is still Lincoln. Without Lincoln, historical circumstances would very likely have led to the rebellion of the Southern States, but without Lincoln, it's very difficult to envision how the Union would have been preserved from its darkest hour. And as Lincoln observed in the Gettysburg Address, without the Union to embody the principles articulated in the Declaration of Independence, they would have become discredited and lost as a practical basis for governance.

In other words, Lincoln is more important than Darwin because all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.