Rev Reiss was grievously misrepresented by people who seized upon the fact that, although he is a scientist he is also – gulp – a Christian. They accused him of suggesting that creationism should be taught in school as having equal value to evolution. In vain did Reiss protest that he had said nothing of the kind. The Royal Society has got rid of him because his views were open to misinterpretation and thus
While it was not his intention, this has led to damage to the society’s reputation.
So he has been pushed out not because of what he actually said but because other people misrepresented what he had said. Instead of standing up to the bullying Phil Willis, the chairman of the Commons Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee, who said
I was horrified to hear these views and I reject them totally. They are a step too far and they fly in the face of what science is about. I think if his [Professor Reiss's] views are as mentioned they may be incompatible with his position,
(how dare an MP seek to dictate what a scientist may or may not say!) the Royal Society itself pushed its heretic into the flames.
Far from Reiss damaging the reputation of the Royal Society, it has now done this to itself. Appalling.
Read it all here.
No comments:
Post a Comment