„Es ist absolut vertretbar zu sagen, wenn Sie jemanden treffen, der behauptet, nicht an die Evolution zu glauben, dass diese Person unwissend, dumm oder verrückt ist (oder niederträchtig, aber ich würde das lieber nicht in Betracht ziehen).“
Original
It is absolutely safe to say that if you meet somebody who claims not to believe in evolution, that person is ignorant, stupid or insane (or wicked, but I'd rather not consider that).
Quelle: Reviewing Blueprints: Solving the Mystery of Evolution (1989) by Maitland A. Edey and Donald C. Johanson
Quelle: Last sentence expanded upon in "Ignorance is No Crime" (2001) (see below)
Kontext: So to the book's provocation, the statement that nearly half the people in the United States don't believe in evolution. Not just any people but powerful people, people who should know better, people with too much influence over educational policy. We are not talking about Darwin's particular theory of natural selection. It is still (just) possible for a biologist to doubt its importance, and a few claim to. No, we are here talking about the fact of evolution itself, a fact that is proved utterly beyond reasonable doubt. To claim equal time for creation science in biology classes is about as sensible as to claim equal time for the flat-earth theory in astronomy classes. Or, as someone has pointed out, you might as well claim equal time in sex education classes for the stork theory. It is absolutely safe to say that if you meet somebody who claims not to believe in evolution, that person is ignorant, stupid or insane (or wicked, but I'd rather not consider that).
If that gives you offence, I'm sorry. You are probably not stupid, insane or wicked; and ignorance is no crime in a country with strong local traditions of interference in the freedom of biology educators to teach the central theorem of their subject.
Ähnliche Zitate

In einer Parlamentsdebatte mit dem dem Konservativen John Pakington MP vom 31. Mai 1866
Hansard, vol 183 http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1866/may/31/committee-adjourned-debate#S3V0183P0_18660531_HOC_32, col 1592
Original engl.: I did not mean that Conservatives are generally stupid; I meant, that stupid persons are generally Conservative. I believe that to be so obvious and undeniable a fact that I hardly think any hon. Gentleman will question it.

„Übers Niederträchtige niemand sich beklage; denn es ist das Mächtige, was man dir auch sage.“
Wanderers Gemütsruhe 1814-1815
Andere Werke

„Wir müssen uns in Betracht ziehen,
um etwas beschaulicher zu leben.“

Tischreden, [Aland] Bd. 9 S. 107
Tischreden
Wir sind nicht nur von dieser Welt, Hoffmann & Campe Verlag, Hamburg 1981, S.20