Evolution

[Cyberman]

"...Darwinians agreed. Nothing was more essential for them than to decide whether evolution is a natural phenomenon or something controlled by God. The conviction that the diversity of the natural world was the result of natural processes and not the work of God was the idea that brought all the so-called Darwinians together in spite of their disagreements on other of Darwin’s theories." -Ernst Mayr, Professor of Zoology at Harvard University

Ooh, a quotemine! StimboLovesAQuotemine! Mayr also said

There is indeed one belief that all true original Darwinians held in common, and that was their rejection of creationism, their rejection of special creation. This was the flag around which they assembled and under which they marched. When Hull claimed that "the Darwinians did not totally agree with each other, even over essentials", he overlooked one essential on which all these Darwinians agreed. Nothing was more essential for them than to decide whether evolution is a natural phenomena or something controlled by God. The conviction that the diversity of the natural world was the result of natural processes and not the work of God was the idea that brought all the so-called Darwinians together in spite of their disagreements on other of Darwin's theories.

Mayr has also said

We live in an age that places great value on molecular biology. Let me emphasize the equal importance of evolutionary biology. The very survival of man on this globe may depend on a correct understanding of the evolutionary forces and their application to man. The meaning of race, the impact of mutation, whether spontaneous or radiation-induced, of hybridization, of competition - all these evolutionary phenomena are of the utmost importance for the human species. Fortunately the large number of biologists who continue to cultivate the evolutionary vineyard is an indication of how many biologists realize this; we must acquire an understanding of the operation of the various factors of evolution not only for the sake of understanding our universe, but indeed very directly for the sake of the future on man.

and

The theory of evolution is quite rightly called the greatest unifying theory in biology.

(Source: Gaither's Dictionary of Scientific Quotations, pp 712)