Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins took to Twitter on Thursday to proclaim that, though he makes it a habit not to hate ideological opponents, there's an exception when it comes to young earth creationists who believe that God made the world thousands of years ago in a very short period of time.
"I said I’d never despise individuals, just their views," Dawkins wrote on Twitter. "But there are limits, and YE Creationists who refuse to look at evidence pass mine."
The responses to this proclamation were diverse, with some questioning why Dawkins would harbor hatred for those who merely share a differing view.
I said I’d never despise individuals, just their views. But there are limits, and YE Creationists who refuse to look at evidence pass mine.
— Richard Dawkins (@RichardDawkins) May 14, 2015"Eehh I don't think that's a reason to despise someone," wrote a Twitter user with the handle @InYourFaceNewYorker. "Be frustrated by them, maybe, as with my orthodox Jewish aunt."
And @MBar1973 added, "Some would say — sorry to surprise — that evolution is not 100 percent provable either & therefore matter of opinion #MissingLinks."
Others, though, called young earth creationists "pitiable, close-minded Bible simpletons" and "unlucky people seized by bad ideas." You can read the ongoing debate here.
Dawkins also tweeted more specifically on Wednesday about his evolutionary views, once again linking humans to monkeys.
Richard Dawkins, founder of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science,promotes his new book at the Seymour Centre on December 4, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. (Don Arnold/Getty Images)
"Modern monkeys are our cousins. We're not descended from them. But we're descended from ancestors which you could properly call monkeys," Dawkins wrote. "We are African apes and we are descended (as are chimpanzees) from extinct African apes."
The biologist is no stranger to sparking controversy, as he has made negative comments about Islam, has decried Christians' "warped tolerance," and has defended abortion as being the "right decision" to deal with unborn children with Down Syndrome, among other claims.
(H/T: Christian Post)
