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Darwin called his magnus opus the "Origin of Species."

Actually, he called it On The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life Just a semantic note.

The beginnings of life is the origin of species.

No, the beginnings of life is the beginnings of life. The origin of the species is where that 'life' diverged and could be considered a different 'species' than before.

Now, if you're saying that evolutionary theory does not scientifically address the leap from non-life to life, then you're right. But that such a leap took place is part of standard evolutionary doctrine.

No, it is not. Evolution is a specific theory that addresses a specific scope of subjects. The ultimate origins of life is not within that scope, though I'm beginning to suspect that what is really happening is that many creationists are falsely accusing evolution of being an attempt to create a completely naturalistic explanation for life on earth, and thus inventing all kinds of things that it needs to address in order to hold up to the false standards that they have given it.

The subtitle of Darwin's book was "The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Survival." That's one of the kinds of population Darwin focused on, and Hitler followed him rather faithfully.

Anyone who thinks that a biological process makes for good social policy is an idiot, and the idiocy in carrying out such a plan has no bearing on the validity of the biological theory. Also, you have just invoked Godwin.

It's too bad that modern readers of Darwin are almost always treated to carefully abridged versions of his Origin of Species in class...if they ever see it all.

Oh, I'd really like to hear about this one. An 'abridged' version? Do tell what is in the unabridged -- perhaps it is the 'proof' that Darwin invented his theory to support a racist philosophy as gore3000 has often insisted (without any real evidence).