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J.R. Miller on Darwinism, racism, and human zoos

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Human Zoos J. R. Miller offers some thoughts on the recent book, Spectacle, and the documentary, Human Zoos:

The recent book, Spectacle: The Astonishing Life of Ota Benga, by Pamela Newkirk shows how Darwin’s theory of universal common descent led to the dominant scientific view that blacks were lower on the scale of evolution and a missing link between ape and humanity. In 1906, Benga was put on display in the monkey house of the Bronx Zoo as a symbol of scientific progress toward proving human origins.

In addition to the book, the recent documentary, Human Zoos, illustrates the life of Benga and how these same leading scientists were instrumental in the founding of the eugenics movement which was determined to perfect the human race by eliminating the racially inferior and physically weak. J. R. Miller, “Human Zoos and Darwin’s Search for the Missing Link” at More than Cake

Here’s a bit more on Human Zoos: America’s Forgotten History of Scientific Racism

See also: Was Neanderthal man fully human? The role racism played in assessing the evidence

Comments
The Hottentot Venus (an African woman) was displayed in freak shows long before Darwin presented his theory. Racism long pre-dates Darwin. All Darwin did was give racists a false premise on which to justify their racism. Sadly, humans will jump at anything that they can use to justify their otherwise insupportable beliefs and actions.R J Sawyer
October 8, 2018
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Is it true that Miller, like Moreland, is a theologian and Christian apologist? On the Origin of Species was published in 1859. Has Miller commented on the treatment of the native peoples of Africa, the Americas, Australia and New Zealand by European explorers and colonists in the 300 years before that by men who considered themselves to be good Christians?Seversky
October 7, 2018
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