Cleric: Church owes Darwin an apology (AP/CNN)

[eppur_se_muova]

LONDON, England (AP) -- The Church of England owes Charles Darwin an apology for its hostile 19th-century reaction to the naturalist's theory of evolution, a cleric wrote on an Anglican Web site launched Monday.

The Rev. Malcolm Brown, who heads the church's public affairs department, issued the statement to mark Darwin's bicentenary and the 150th anniversary of the seminal work "On the Origin of Species," both of which fall next year.

Brown said the Church of England should say it is sorry for misunderstanding him at the time he released his findings and, "by getting our first reaction wrong, encouraging others to misunderstand (Darwin) still."

The Church of England said Brown's statement reflected its position on Darwin but did not constitute an official apology.

The church's stance sets it apart from fundamentalist Christians, who believe evolutionary theory is incompatible with the biblical story of the Earth's creation.
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more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/09/15/uk.church.darwin.apology.ap/index.html

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. I've got to say, I thought the burial in westmister Abbey sort of counted as the apology

http://www.aboutdarwin.com/darwin/burial.html

Props to the American ambassador for being a pall bearer. Bet you wouldn't see that now.

[Ian David]

3. That's if those are really Darwin's remains.

For all we know, the church disposed of Darwin's remains and buried a jackal in his place.

[eppur_se_muova]

4. Good point. And maybe 'reconciliation' is more appropriate than 'apology'...

since it sounds like the Church never voiced an official opposition anyway.

[Ian David]

2. My Fighter / Magic-User agrees with the church's Cleric.

[unhappycamper]

5. I'm the Flying Spagetti Monster and I approved this ad.

:rofl: