I am pretty skeptical of the criticism of dating methods as well, which is typically used by YECs. Regardless of the validity of such dating methods, we still have independent evidence that the Universe, Earth and life are billions of years old, and that modern humans are at least tens of thousands of years old.
That being said, the Darwinian evolutionary paradigm is a total mess, as evidenced well by AG's posts.
I'd also like to add that this goes beyond a simple scientific discussion of origins, and rather has vast social, political, economic and ethical implications. AG started this thread with a quote from Darwin, so I'd like provide another one (from Descent of Man):
“At some future period, not very distant as measured by centuries, the civilised races of man will almost certainly exterminate, and replace, the savage races throughout the world. At the same time the anthropomorphous apes, as Professor Schaaffhausen has remarked will no doubt be exterminated. The break between man and his nearest allies will then be wider, for it will intervene between man in a more civilised state, as we may hope, even than the Caucasian, and some ape as low as a baboon, instead of as now between the negro or Australian and the gorilla.”
Carl Sagan, perhaps the most popular champion of Darwinian evolution, more recently promoted the "recapitulation theory" of embryonic development which most scientists agree is totally false. Not only is this theory inherently racist, it also serves as a major catalyst of justifying early-term abortions.