Final answer:
Darwin's ideas were considered dangerous because they opposed the literal interpretations of creation, presented a hostile natural environment, and described human lineage as descending from more primitive ancestors.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ideas introduced by Charles Darwin were considered dangerous heresy because they challenged the prevailing worldviews of the time related to creation and the natural order. Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection proposed that species change over time due to random adaptations, contradicting the belief that all species were created by a divine being and remained unchanged. This posed a significant threat to the scriptural narratives of creation, indicating a natural world devoid of divine planning and inherently hostile in its dealings with living organisms.
Furthermore, Darwin's suggestion that humans evolved from ape-like ancestors clashed with the exceptional status afforded to humans by religious doctrine. The concepts of natural selection and the survival of the fittest also contributed to the existing tensions within the social fabric of the industrial age. Some proponents of industrialization exploited Darwin's ideas to justify social inequalities, leading to the emergence of concepts such as Social Darwinism.