Charles Darwin's Religious Beliefs

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What is known about Charles Darwin's own religious beliefs?
According to David Livingstone, Charles Darwin's religious beliefs often fluctuated from agnostic to theist and atheist. Darwin grew up as an orthodox up to his youth (Lindberg and Numbers 185). However, as he grew older, his beliefs changed to a more atheist view. Darwin was interested in the idea that human survival was dependent on strength, just like animals and plants. This was when his religious beliefs began to change. Despite publishing the origin of species and creating an entirely separate thought on creation, Darwin maintained a strong neutral view on religion. His wife was a strong believer, which also added to Darwin's lack of absolute belief in atheism. Livingstone notes that with his second edition of the "Origin of Species," Darwin became more comfortable using the word 'creation' (Lindberg and Numbers 187). In his original edition, he avoided the word, and one could see why. His religious beliefs were not ascertained, and even if they were, he could not express them in a public space. However, based on Darwin's later works, it is clear his view on religion was not as strong. He was a scientist who believed in nature's creation as opposed to divinity.
What was at stake in the famous exchange between Thomas Huxley and Bishop Samuel Wilberforce.
During the Huxley-Wilberforce debate, the matter at stake was creationism. Thomas Henry Huxley was a proponent of Darwinism/evolution. He appeared at the debate, held at the Oxford Museum, alongside Joseph Hooker, a botanist. The two sought to present their position on why evolution trumps creationism. They faced off against Bishop Samuel Wilberforce. Wilberforce presented a ...