Dawkins has a new book:
Richard Dawkins, the author of controversial bestseller The God Delusion, says that people who reject the theory of evolution are as misguided as those who deny the Holocaust.
In his new book, The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution, the world-renowned evolutionary biologist states that evolution is “beyond reasonable doubt, beyond serious doubt, beyond sane, informed, intelligent doubt… [and] no reputable scientist disputes it.”
He compares creationists, or ‘intelligent design’ proponents to the Holocaust deniers.
“Imagine that, as a teacher of European history, you are continually faced with belligerent demands to “teach the controversy”, and to give “equal time” to the “alternative theory” that the Holocaust never happened but was invented by a bunch of Zionist fabricators,” writes Dr Dawkins.
Richard seems to be bent on trumping prior inanities with yet new Dawkinisms – as evidence of committed glaikery one presumes.
First of all, the fatuous creationist-Holocaust denial comparison: creationists, be they right or wrong, are not about to use their belief as justification for wiping out a race of people. In contrast, for Hitler’s Nazis, Darwinism was an inspiration for their eugenics program, racism and Fascism; even through Dawkins rejects this variety of social Darwinism, it follows easily and logically from Darwin’s theories and Dawkins has little reason to reject it other than English fastidiousness.
Secondly, there are many reputable scientists that are Christians and would dispute the Godless variety of evolution that is the subject of Dawkins’ proselytising.
Thirdly, even though Dawkins works hard to obscure it, the battle that he is engaged in has never been between science and Christianity but between a view of reality that includes God and one that doesn’t. Science itself has nothing to say about the validity of either view and neither – as a scientist – does Dawkins even though he does like to play the theologian-manqué much of the time.
Anglican Samizdat 
“Hitler’s Nazis, Darwinism was an inspiration for their eugenics program, racism and Fascism; even through Dawkins rejects this variety of social Darwinism, it follows easily and logically from Darwin’s theories and Dawkins has little reason to reject it other than English fastidiousness.”
um…HItler followed a certain doctrine. Evolution by Natural Selection is not a doctrine.
They aren’t Christian… in the sense that they dont believe in the talking snake or adam and eve. Evolution is corrosive to those beliefs..
About your last point, you just need to read more of his books. YOu obviously dont understand how Dawkins can reject the idea of an abrahamic God, based on science…
Comment by Bhagat Singh — September 23, 2009 @ 4:40 pm
Is has been said that “social Darwinism” is the very essence of Darwinism/evolutionism, and Dawkins’s “rejection” of it is just disingenuous. The man’s a fake, a snake oil merchant, a disgrace.
Comment by John Thomas — September 24, 2009 @ 8:09 am
Even if Hitler used evolution as an excuse for the Holocaust, that doesn’t invalidate evolution. It just shows Hitler as being a facist. Do the atrocities of the inquisition, the witch burnings and the crusades automatically invalidate Christianity? I’m sure you’d disagree, so you’ve invalidated your own argument.
John Thomas:
Many things have been said, but by who? Was their statement backed up by evidence and passed through the trial of fire that is peer review? If not, then we can reject that statement. That’s the scientific process. Mistakes are caught by peers and must be corrected. Lies are caught by peers and thrown out. That’s why it’s so reliable.
Dawkins is neither a fake (a fake what?) nor a snake oil merchant (he’s not selling anything). A disgrace? Well, that’s a matter of personal opinion and can neither be proven nor disproven by any logical process.
Comment by Alen Wooler — September 28, 2009 @ 4:32 am