H.G. Wells, the author of over 100 books and the founder of the genre of science fiction, was a contemporary of Darwin. He was raised in a Christian home but after studying evolution in university, including studying under “Darwin’s bulldog,” Sir Thomas Huxley, he was convinced of evolution, and eventually became an atheist. He’s now known as “Darwin’s apostle” and, for much of his adult life, firmly believed SCIENCE was the answer to society’s problem.
Wells took evolution to its logical conclusion by advocating eugenics. Eugenics is the killing or forced sterilization of people to improve the human population. He wanted to “control the laws of evolution so that mankind could become their master rather than their victim.” Among many of the groups he believed should be killed or sterilized, he included, in HIS words: “those swarms of blacks, and brown, and dirty-white, and yellow people” saying they “will have to go.”
Wells books and ideas had a huge influence on the elite and scientists of his day and the idea that eugenics would save mankind persisted for decades. But towards the end of his life, Wells realized science and eugenics couldn’t solve what’s wrong with our world and Wells died believing we were doomed for extinction—even science couldn’t save us.
Wells had rejected God’s Word which gives us humanity’s true problem and solution. We are sinners because the first man, Adam, broke God’s command. His physical actions brought sin and death into creation. But Jesus stepped into history and paid the penalty for our sin by dying on the Cross. He then rose from the grave and offers new and eternal life to all who will trust in Him.
Wells rightly saw there is a problem in this world. But because he started with evolution he thought it could be solved with science and scientists advancing evolution. But ultimately these ideas failed him and he knew it! Science CAN’T ultimately save us. The only answer to the wrong we see in this world is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I’m David Rives. Truly, the heavens declare the glory of God.