This newly-released documentary revisited and explored the true story of Darwin and presenting his humanist, anti-Christian views with dignity and respect, but in the process also revealing the flaws, confusion and falsehoods of his theories in a considered and almost understated way.
The audience was comprised of people of all ages, representing a wide spectrum of churches with many Youth Groups present. Those holding Christian views were challenged as the contention between the Biblical view of creation with the evolutionary view was explored, and those of other faiths or none were prompted to review the commonly-held view that theory of evolution has been accepted as fact.
"The Voyage that Shook the World", released this year to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth, proved to be intellectually both stimulating and challenging, with several people saying they would like to see it again to take it in fully. Some thought that the case for the Christian view was not made strongly enough, though this view fails to take into account that the film's whole object was to remain dispassionate and objective, and to recognize the quality and integrity of Darwin's achievement as a scientist, while at the same time being clear about his shortcomings. The film-makers used scientists who accepted evolution extensively, to present who Darwin was, and what he had achieved. In addition, Darwin's own words are used in this very skilfully crafted documentary.
At the beginning we see Darwin as a young and constantly curious boy who was deeply influenced by his humanist grandparents, Erasmus Darwin in the work Zoonomia did much to nurture his grandson's theory of evolution. As a boy, Darwin also liked to make up stories. As a young man, he got the great opportunity to sail around the world. Everywhere he went, he tried to look at the world through the prism of slow geological development. He recognized that his position was contrary to the traditional interpretation of the Bible, Genesis and to God, and though initially he had considered entering the church, he came to see clearly that one could not hold to his position and to the Christian faith.
The film shows that Darwin's acceptance of geological uniformitarianism was refuted by some of the things he actually encountered on his trip. In Chile, he experienced an earthquake and an island off the coast rose 10 feet, but because this cataclysmic change did not fit his worldview, he had to discount it. The scientists who discuss Darwin point out that no one holds to strict uniformitarianism today.
On a more personal and human level, the film showed how the development of Darwin's theory of common descent through survival of the fittest was profoundly influenced by the death of three of his children, his uncomfortable meeting with natives in South America, and some of the evils he saw in nature. Again, today the facts belie some of the foundations of his theory.
Perhaps Darwin's most notable achievement historically, was that he succeeded in popularizing a crude, simple notion to explain creation, which stood in direct opposition to the Biblical account. The film also showed, through interviews with several scientists, that his ideas are by no means universally accepted today in the scientific world, and indeed, one scientist expressed surprise that so little had been added by way of development or corroboration of his position.
One movie critic sums up the documentary as follows:
"This is a beautifully produced program, from the dramatic recreations to the interviews to the current and contemporary reflections. This is one of the best-produced documentaries ever made. Because of its fairness and clarity, it will likely air on many major networks, and if people watch it with an open mind, it may turn their hearts and minds away from the confusion that is Darwinism toward asking the right questions that can lead them to the truth."
At the end, there was a brief review of some of the main insights in the film, and the audience was challenged to think again, and ask themselves if evolution could really be aligned with the Biblical position, and secondly, whether the present day world represented eons of slow development by chance mutations, or a once-perfect creation, flawed by sin, and yet capable of restoration, through salvation offered by Jesus Christ.