Museum director Dr Johann Blasius v Darwin (Darwin's main opposition came from scientists)

CMI ^ | Carl Wieland

[GodGunsGuts]

A comment from a scientist of Darwin’s day reminds us that it was predominantly the scientists, rather than the theologians, who at first opposed Darwinism...

[GodGunsGuts]

Ping!

[gracesdad]

Scientists frequently are the first to scoff at a new and “radical” idea. Nothing unusual about that.

[RegulatorCountry]

Vested interests always defend their turf. It’s human nature, and hasn’t changed one iota in written history.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Cedric]

“The success of Darwinism was accomplished by a decline in scientific integrity.”

Dr. W.R. Thompson
World Renowned Entomologist

[ElayneJ]

to read later

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

Well, if he disagreed with evolution, then he was obviously not a scientist!

/circular logic

[stormer]

Another example of quote mining by creationists. You've misrepresented the context of the quote. Thompson is referring to the scientific mindset of the mid 19th century, which was rigorously empirical. This is why Darwin left open the door for, and described, instances of falsifiability that would contradict his positions. Thompson himself, in the introduction to an edition of Origins describes this. The “decline in scientific integrity” is a consequence of Darwin's elegant and, in retrospect, obvious conclusions; his position is so well defined, one does not need to be a scientist to understand and embrace it.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Many scientists in the 19th century believed in special creation of species.

The rest already assumed evolution of species.

[FormerRep]

Of course they were critical since it was in opposition to their humanistic beliefs that trumped scientific research.

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/darwinism/

“Lyell, Herschel, Whewell, Sedgwick and many of Darwin’s contemporaries certainly would not find this a cheering prospect, since they were unrepentant essentialists about species.[10]”

10. There is a very important, and under explored, tension here at least in Lyell and Herschel, both of whom seem to be in many other respects orthodox followers of Scottish empiricism.

[Cedric]

How ‘bout some 20th century quote mining:

“One of the great Evolutionists of the 20th Century, Sir Arthur Keith said, “Evolution is unproved and unprovable. We believe it because the only alternative is special creation, and that is unthinkable.”

[Jaime2099]

“Evolution is unproved and unprovable. We believe it because the only alternative is special creation, and that is unthinkable.”

I can't believe they actually admitted it. I knew that already, but for them to admit it, astounding. What a complete and total joke of an intellectual.