Darwin theorized that animals changed slowly over time, but most scientists and the public of his day did not believe his theory truth for one main reason. Religion was delegitimized when Darwin presented his theory on the evolution of species. Individuals and organizations did not believe in this theory, but thought it was a sin not to believe in creationism. Even educators rejected this theory, and some still do today. Even Charles Darwin's own wife did not support him. Other scientists and naturalists like Alfred Russel Wallace supported Darwin, but controversy outweighed support. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection delegitimizes the foundations of all religion; that the divine creates the world as we know it, and not an adaptation to its environment. Darwin did not acquire his knowledge from God, he let his research speak for itself. His theory also states that the world is much older than the Bible says. It also destroys the belief that Adam and Eve were the first humans created by God. If humans had descended from apes, there would never have been Eve's deadly sin. It took the Church a while before it decided to do anything about its problem with the theory. Long after Darwin's publications became public, he was convicted of heresy by the Holy Church and placed under house arrest until his death. Emma Wedgewood was to marry Charles Darwin in 1839. Darwin knew and fully understood that his and Emma's beliefs did not align. up. No matter what, he would always be honest with her about his research. She appreciated his honesty but still worried about his faith when it came to his work. According to Scientific American journalist Christoph Marty, "Emma's worst fear was that Charles would lose his salvation because of his religious unbelief, which threatened to separate them in death." Emma was constantly trying to convince her husband to read and enjoy the Bible, but she couldn't. She knew he had lost his faith, but she didn't give up trying to heal him. Darwin's publication, The Origin of Species, was very popular upon its release. The public couldn't wait to get their hands on it. Once the theory became established in society, people began to oppose it, especially educators. A trial conducted in 1925 determined whether the theory would be taught in schools. The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) describes the lawsuit as follows: "Basically, the lawsuit sought to challenge a recently passed law in the state of Tennessee against the teaching of evolution or any other theory denying the biblical account of creation of man.” The verdict was that both should be taught in schools. Today, some states still do not approve academic instruction in schools. They don't think a "theory" should be taught as fact. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Overall, religion is the main controversy surrounding Charles Darwin's theory. Evolution by natural selection. His theory effectively threatened the foundations of entire religions. He was indicted by the Church for his views on how humans were born. People who grew up believing in a Creator also rejected Darwin's theory. This also included Emma despite her love.