If we’ve got to have public intellectuals, then we could do a lot worse than Richard Dawkins. Here (via Butterflies and Wheels) he’s interviewed by the Beeb:
Do you get tired of being asked about the debate between science and religion – do you think it is time to move on?
We can’t move on as long as more than 50% of American voters believe the entire universe began later than the Middle Stone Age, and Tony Blair encourages such teachings in English schools on grounds of “diversity in education”.
I agree with him that Tony Blair’s enthusiasm for faith-based schools is unfortunate, but it’s interesting – and entirely typical – that his major concern as far as religious fundamentalism goes is with Christian fundamentalism in the US. I wonder if, post 9/11, he might consider that there’s an elephant in the room which he’s just not seeing.
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