And manufacture quotes from personal correspondence, complete with omissions that cannot be verified.
What kind of diseased mind thinks a scientific argument can be won by quoting people out of context to make it appear they believe something they do not in fact believe?
If you think this is a valid form of argument, then a few out of context quotes from the Bible will support rape, genocide, incest, and slavery.
Think about the intellectual provery implied by quoting out of context. You don't like it when atheists do it, so why do you support doing unto others what is wrong when done to you?
You have his reply The specific quote you mention, from a letter to Sunderland dated 10th April 1979, is accurate as far as it goes.. You have his motivation at the venue which apparently prompted the letter arguing that the theory of evolution had done more harm than good to biological systematics (classification). and you have his concern at some sort of record of his quotes. Finally you have this revealing comment, But I still maintain that scepticism is the scientist's duty, however much the stance may expose us to ridicule. What is your beef? What do you suppose he is skeptical of, creationism?