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David Attenborough Recieves Hate Mail From the Religious
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 7:03 pm
by Sionnach Glic
SIR David Attenborough receives hate mail over his belief in evolution, the British broadcaster and naturalist has revealed.
Sir David is preparing for more letters telling him to "burn in hell" when his latest television show, a documentary on Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, is aired in the UK on Monday.
"They tell me to burn in hell and good riddance," Sir David told Radio Times magazine.
The popular 82-year-old said people often asked him why he did not "give credit" in his programs to God for creating the natural world.
"They always mean beautiful things like hummingbirds," Sir David said.
"I always reply by saying that I think of a little child in East Africa with a worm burrowing through his eyeball.
"The worm cannot live in any other way, except by burrowing through eyeballs. I find that hard to reconcile with the notion of a divine and benevolent creator."
This year marks the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth and 150 years since his most famous work, On the Origin of Species, was published.
With many species under threat of extinction, keen conservationist Sir David was worried by the notion that the world was a gift to humans from God.
He also declared it as "terrible, terrible" that some British state schools can teach children that creationism and evolution are equal alternative view points.
"It's like saying that two and two equals four, but if you wish to believe it, it could also be five," Sir David said.
"Darwin revolutionised the way we see the world fundamentally, but his basic proposition is still not taken on board by a lot of people."
However, Sir David acknowledged "it would be a very bold scientist, and certainly not me, who believes it's the be all and end all".
Britain's Australia Day Foundation this week named Sir David Honorary Australian of the Year for his work in highlighting Australia's native plants and animals in his award-winning television documentaries.
+5 Respect Points for Sir David in my books.
Re: David Attenborough Recieves Hate Mail From the Religious
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 7:24 pm
by Captain Seafort
Rochey wrote:+5 Respect Points for Sir Attenborough in my books.
Sir David, actually.[/nitpick]
I was reading about this in the paper earlier in the week - hardly surprising given the nature of the crackpots we're talking about, but still, it produces one of the best rebuttals of an omnipotent, benevolent God I've seen.
David Attenborough wrote:I always reply by saying that I think of a little child in East Africa with a worm burrowing through his eyeball.
The worm cannot live in any other way, except by burrowing through eyeballs. I find that hard to reconcile with the notion of a divine and benevolent creator.
I'm looking forward to the programme - Richard Dawkins may be the best-known opponent of creationism these days, but IMO Attenborough will be a far more effective one. Dawkins is, after all, only a scientist. David Attenborough is a national institution. 8)
Re: David Attenborough Recieves Hate Mail From the Religious
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 7:27 pm
by Mikey
Props to Sir David for showing so much class. As to burning in hell, I would have said, "Obviously there is no hell."
Re: David Attenborough Recieves Hate Mail From the Religious
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 7:34 pm
by Aaron
Mikey wrote:Props to Sir David for showing so much class. As to burning in hell, I would have said, "Obviously there is no hell."
Like I say to my MiL "hell does not exist, cause nothing can be worse than this". Still it's amusing to watch people spin in circles trying to justify a loving god when the bible and koran are chock full of examples of him being a collosal shithead.
Re: David Attenborough Recieves Hate Mail From the Religious
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 8:08 pm
by Sionnach Glic
Sir David, actually.[/nitpick]
Ah, right. Fixed.
Re: David Attenborough Recieves Hate Mail From the Religious
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 9:01 pm
by Mikey
Is he related to Richard Attenborough?
Re: David Attenborough Recieves Hate Mail From the Religious
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 9:03 pm
by Sionnach Glic
Yup, his older brother.
Re: David Attenborough Recieves Hate Mail From the Religious
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 9:09 pm
by Mikey
'Cause I've never met Sir David, but Sir Richard (I think he was created a knight as well, right?) was super nice when I met him filming the remake of Miracle on 34th Street.
Re: David Attenborough Recieves Hate Mail From the Religious
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 9:16 pm
by Captain Seafort
Lord Attenborough, actually. He was knighted in '76, and then created a peer in '93. So says Wikipedia, anyway. Personally, I think they got their Attenboroughs mixed up.
I like the new sig Rochey. I wonder if any of the idiots it's aimed at will get the reference?
Re: David Attenborough Recieves Hate Mail From the Religious
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 9:26 pm
by Sionnach Glic
I felt it was a suitably siggable quote. It was either that, or the line about the worm. In the end I decided to go for the less dark and more humerous line.
Re: David Attenborough Recieves Hate Mail From the Religious
Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 11:35 pm
by RK_Striker_JK_5
Good for him. And excellent rebuttals, too.