Evolutionist slams Kiwi 'idiot'

A Christchurch-born evangelist has been branded an "idiot" on United States television by prominent atheist Richard Dawkins.

Dawkins, who has been dubbed Darwin's rottweiler, made the claim about Christian evangelist Ray Comfort during a recent interview with CNN.

Comfort, whose Living Waters Christian ministry is based in California, argues that the universe and life is the result of an intelligent creator.

In the interview, Dawkins said: "There is no refutation of Darwinian evolution in existence. If a refutation ever were to come about, it would come from a serious scientist, and not an idiot.

"Hunches aren't interesting, hunches aren't valuable. What's important is scientific evidence. It doesn't matter what Mr whatever his name is, Comfort ... what his opinion is. It doesn't matter what my opinion is. What matters is evidence. And the evidence ... is in favour of evolution."

Comfort's ministry has distributed thousands of copies of Darwin's theories on leading university campuses with a special introduction in which Comfort says he provides evidence for intelligent design.

Responding to Dawkins' criticism, Comfort issued a statement: "If the views expressed in my introduction of On the Origin of Species are `idiotic,' why would Mr Dawkins tell students to rip them out of the book, as he did recently?

"Surely he should encourage them to read the introduction to see how foolhardy it is, and that would strengthen students' faith in the theory of evolution," the statement said.