Wednesday 15 February 2012

Giles Fraser skewers Richard Dawkins - yeah!

Which of us hasn’t groaned when the Rev Giles Fraser, former canon of St Paul’s, pops up with his Thought for the Day on Radio 4? Dr Fraser is the archetypal 21st-century vicar, as predictably Lefty as he is drearily on-trend. That “former” prefix is because, you’ll recall, he resigned after welcoming the Occupy protesters to his cathedral. And since leaving St Paul’s he has, in a form of caricature made flesh, become a Guardian leader writer. But I take it all back. Giles Fraser, you are now my hero.
So begins a great piece in The Telegraph which focusses on an interview on Radio 4 where Professor Dawkins was skewered, by (of all people) Giles Fraser! A key moment was Fraser's  testing of Dawkins' knowledge regarding Darwin's seminal book, On the Origin of Species. The conversation was as follows:
Fraser: Richard, if I said to you what is the full title of The Origin Of Species, I’m sure you could tell me that.
Dawkins: Yes I could.
Fraser: Go on then.
Dawkins: On the Origin of Species…Uh…With, oh, God, On the Origin of Species. There is a sub-title with respect to the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life.

OUCH!

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