 Cope was raised as a Quaker , and was taught that the Bible was literal truth . Although he never confronted his family about their religious views , Osborn writes that Cope was at least aware of the conflict between his scientific career and his religion . Osborn writes : " If Edward harbored intellectual doubts about the <unk> of the Bible ... he did not express them in his letters to his family but there can be little question ... that he shared the intellectual unrest of the period . " Lanham writes that Cope 's religious fervor ( which seems to have subsided after his father 's death ) was embarrassing to even his devout Quaker associates . Biographer Jane Davidson believes that Osborn overstated Cope 's internal religious conflicts . She ascribes Cope 's deference to his father 's beliefs as an act of respect or a measure to retain his father 's financial support . Frazer 's reminiscences about his friend suggest Cope often told people what they wanted to hear , rather than his true views . 
