The Church of England has decided to apologize to Darwin. Excerpt from The Telegraph:
The Church of England will concede in a statement that it was over-defensive and over-emotional in dismissing Darwin’s ideas. It will call “anti-evolutionary fervour” an “indictment” on the Church.
…
The apology, which has been written by the Rev Dr Malcolm Brown, the Church’s director of mission and public affairs, says that Christians, in their response to Darwin’s theory of natural selection, repeated the mistakes they made in doubting Galileo’s astronomy in the 17th century.
The statement will read:
Charles Darwin: 200 years from your birth, the Church of England owes you an apology for misunderstanding you and, by getting our first reaction wrong, encouraging others to misunderstand you still. We try to practise the old virtues of ‘faith seeking understanding’ and hope that makes some amends.
You can read more about it here.
| 
I guess it’s now time for the Hare Krishnas to apologize for their “overzealous” persecution of the first pirates.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
This fills me with an overwhelming feeling of logic.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Why appologize? Christianity does these things over and over and over again – what’s the point? The next scientific discovery that challenges the bible will be met with the same moronic opposition. Ask your local creationist on his opinion on the theory of relativity – why do you even care what the uneducated thinks?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Hundreds of years too late for the family. The church and religion disgusts me.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Did you notice that the statement addresses Darwin as though he’s in the same room? I wonder if they said it loud enough for him to hear over the beer volcanoes…
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Uh, in what sense do they mean they “misunderstood” Darwin? Evolution by natural selection implies that humans are not special, and were not specially created, but are absolutely equal branches on the same tree that contains all life. It was a correct understanding of that fact that upset the church.
If they are saying “we clearly see now that evolution allows for God and a special place for humanity,” then they are profoundly mistaken, and actually paying a huge disrespect to Darwin and his ideas by undermining their power.
…Of course, I’m merely playing devil’s advocate here. Darwin was a fool to deny our noodly creator.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I be thinkin’ Darwin be too deep in Davey Jones’ locker to be carin’ about anythin’ th’ blasted church be sayin’. Arr.
ITLAPD this Friday, who be skippin’ out on work with me?
Arr.
ET
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
That’s amazing. I’m not sure who Rev Dr Malcolm Brown is, but he seems a very rational person. Well done.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I think Thomas Jefferson should apologise for killing the Barbary Coast Pirate Dudes.
and that the pope should say he’s sorry for teaching the world how to torture.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
“getting our first reaction wrong”
and for getting the next 150 years of ‘considered and reasoned argument-ahem’ wrong too.
The Vatican is still refusing to say ’sorry’, but at least they don’t want Creationism to masquerade as science.
http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSLG62672220080916?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Why apologize? Christianity does these things over and over and over again?
Its not strictly true these days with at least the major European based churches. The catholic church has a lot of scientific advisors these days and while they may twist and manipulate science they arent going to state and automatically provable lie (they just present christianity in a way that appears compatible)
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
“faith seeking understanding”????!!!?????> LOL LOL LOL LMFAO
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
It’s evolution in progress: Adapt to your environment or go extinct. That’s what the church does. Why do you think all of the sudden they did not support slavery and absolutism anymore and were eager to tell us that the values of enlightenment are indeed the values of Christianity?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Yaar, two days til 19 September… at least down here in the South Seas, where we imbibe our grog and grab our wenches (or swabbies, in my case) and honour our fallen brethren by engaging in the sacred dialogue. And what a coincidence! On our noodly master’s high holy day.
Day of rest indeed. Pull a sickie, drink beer, make big pasta dinner and engage in pirate activities of a debaucherous nature.
I’ll be skippin out on work with ye, ET
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Well, at least they’re trying…
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
How glad I am that I was born in the 20th Century. If I had been born a few hundred years ealier in the “enlightened” Christian world, I would probably have been burned at the stake for my nonconforming attitude. Will we be seeing apologies to the “witches” and “heretics” that were killed by Christian fanatics?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
@15
“At least they’re trying”
But they’re trying too late and they keep unmovable on other issues such as stem cell research. I bet in a couple of hundred years they will explain that they were wrong on _this_ issue.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Right on, Clemens. Evolution does work, even for the C of E!
ET & Cap’n Crunchy Breadsticks – Thanks for pointing out the glorious confluence of Friday with ITLAPD! Naturally, the only way we can truly honor our Noodly Master is by taking the day off, quaffing copious quantities of grog and generally plundering everything in sight. I’ll be joinin ya. Yaaaar!
RAmen
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
@Flyingspaghettiapostle Well that’s the wonderful thing about christianity. They can do whatever they want as long as they apologise to their god for it afterwards. They don’t have to take any responsibility upon themselves and no action other than praying harder. While the rest of us take a logical approach and learn from our mistakes, christians have no reason to do the same. I mean their god will forgive them anyway, so why try?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
“Sorry for misunderstanding you”.
Read: “sorry for putting the ears in our ears and going ‘na nana nanana!! I can’t hear youuuu!’ and then went on to do it again and again and again and again.”
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Us witches and heretics are still waiting for an apology (not that the so-called witches being persecuted by the Church were in any way the same as modern Wicca).
I think some of the commenters above would benefit from a modicum of knowledge of church history; it’s well to be specific as to which branch of Christianity you’re criticising and know which doctrines and practices they subscribe to before lumping the whole lot in one category.
Anyway, Pastafarianism is in error; I know because I have had the secret name of His Noodliness revealed to me.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Looks like old Chuck made a monkey out of them!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Now if only all organized religions would be dissolved entirely. Wouldn’t that be something grand? I think we have enough “politicians” as it is. Cause that’s all I see them as. Political parties. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
As a witch, I would like an apology from puritans.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I like the Dalai Lama’s take on this issue. If science proves that a Buddhist belief is wrong…..Buddhism must change. I only wish such an attitude was a bit more prevalent in the conservative christian line of thinking.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I am speechless!!!!1!11!!!
Um … oh, I was able to say that. (O_o)
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
“the Church of England owes you an apology for misunderstanding you and, by getting our first reaction wrong, encouraging others to misunderstand you still.”
A strange apology. I don’t think there was a “misunderstanding” by the church. A violent reaction to science again proving the bible to be a crock is not a “misunderstanding”, it is a character flaw. What an odd, backhanded apology.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Well
An apology is better late than never. The church of england has a varied stance on some issues, but the C of E in America is in a large part becoming quite open minded in the areas of science and human sexuality. This has caused a rift within the Anglican communion to be sure, but at least it seems like they’re starting to come around. Someday the glory of our lord FSM may shine on us all.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Well now, who would have thought? The obvious next step is to say agree on the age of the earth. Then talking snakes have to go. Adam and Eve also had daughters. It’s endless.Or at least until the church finally admits it’s a scam.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
The irony of this is that I have been touched by his noodly appendage by seeing his likeness in Darwins beard.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
See, I’m rather fond of the Church of England, which is by far the best major Christian church in the UK.
I’m glad they’re not *still* putting their fingers in their ears and screaming “WE CAN’T HEAR YOU” because evolution isn’t blocked in our schools, religion isn’t taught as science and religious behavior here is very tolerant.
It’ll be a big day when the WBC admits it, though…
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
God is the one that created Adam. The supporting verse is Genesis 1:27, “God created man in his own image”.
Man was formed directly by God by means of using dust from the ground instead of transforming from ape to man. The supporting verse is: Genesis 2:7, “..the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, & breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; & man became a soul.”
Woman was formed by means of using a rib from Adam: Genesis 2:21-22, “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, & he slept: & he took one of his ribs, & closed up the flesh…And the ribs, which the Lord God had taken from made, made he a woman”.
From the biblical verses above, Darwin’s theory on evolution could not stand.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0