Charles Darwin to receive posthumous official apology from Church of England

The Sunday Telegraph reports that, in the bicentennial year of Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of the revolutionary book, Origin of Species, the Church of England is to issue an official apology to Charles Darwin for its initial rejection of his scientific theories.

The statement, on a church website dedicated to Darwin’s theories, 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.

I’m not really sure why they feel the need to say this, but it’s nice all the same.

The most famous conflict between the church and advocates of Darwin’s theories was the Oxford Union Debate in 1860. most memorable for an exchange between Thomas Henry Huxley and Samuel Wilberforce, the Bishop of Oxford.  Wilberforce asked Huxley whether it was through his grandfather or his grandmother that he claimed his descent from a monkey.  Huxley responded that he would not be ashamed to have a monkey for his ancestor, but he would be ashamed to be connected with a man who used his great gifts to obscure the truth.

Church of England to launch website promoting Darwinism

Saturday’s Times reports that the Church of England is to produce a website promoting the evolutionary ideas of Charles Darwin.

Some Anglican clerics opposed Darwin’s ideas when they were first introduced, but the view of the Church of England has long been that religion and evolution are compatible.  The brainchild of the Rev. Dr Malcolm Brown, the website is to be launched on Monday.

The church is concerned at the resurgence of creationism.

Russell Brand tames down act for Americans at the VMAs, gets asked back

Russell Brand did well at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in Los Angeles last Monday.  He’s very pleased with the result, and apparently so are the sponsors.

MTV told me that they want me to do it again. Afterwards they were really thrilled. There was a 20 per cent increase in viewers from last year’s show and wow, isn’t life exciting.

Brand had to tone his act down a bit for the live show, which went out to an audience of 8.4 million people.

I had John McCain gags pulled. And they asked me to tone down the gags about Sarah Palin. I wanted to say she was forcing her teenage daughter to have a baby because she is so anti-abortion.

But also, as a Republican she is pro-execution so she is going to give her the electric chair for being a little slut.

They weren’t keen on that one.