DNA pioneers lash out at religion
By Roger Highfield
LONDON DAILY TELEGRAPH


     LONDON — The two scientists who discovered the structure of DNA in 
Cambridge 50 years ago have used the anniversary to mount an attack on 
religion.


     When they revealed DNA's double-helix structure in 1953, James Watson 
and Francis Crick helped to invent biotechnology, provided the foundation 
for understanding the diversity of life, revealed the mechanism of 
inheritance, and shed light on diseases and even the origins of antisocial 
behavior.
     From Copernicus to Darwin, scientific pioneers have tended to offend 
religious sensibilities. Most scientists, even Darwin, have tread warily and 
avoided attacking religion, but Dr. Watson and Dr. Crick are both outspoken 
atheists.
     Speaking recently, Dr. Crick, 86, said: "The god hypothesis is rather 
discredited." His distaste for religion, he said, was one of his prime 
motives in the work that led to the 1953 discovery.
     "I went into science because of these religious reasons, there's no 
doubt about that. I asked myself what were the two things that appear 
inexplicable and are used to support religious beliefs: the difference 
between living and nonliving things, and the phenomenon of consciousness."
     Dr. Crick, a Briton, says that because many of the claims made by 
religions over thousands of years have proved false, the burden should be on 
them to prove the claims they make today, rather than putting the burden on 
atheists to disprove the existence of God.
     "Archbishop Ussher claimed the world was created in 4004 B.C. Now we 
know it is 4.5 billion years old. It's astonishing to me that people 
continue to accept religious claims," said Dr. Crick. "People like myself 
get along perfectly well with no religious views."
     His co-discoverer, Dr. Watson, 74, an American, said that religious 
explanations are "myths from the past."
     "Every time you understand something, religion becomes less likely," 
said Dr. Watson. "Only with the discovery of the double helix and the 
ensuing genetic revolution have we had grounds for thinking that the powers 
held traditionally to be the exclusive property of the gods might one day be 
ours."     The antipathy to religion of the DNA pioneers is long-standing. 
In 1961, Dr. Crick resigned as a fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge, 
when it proposed to build a chapel.
     When Sir Winston Churchill wrote to him, pointing out that "none need 
enter [the chapel] unless they wish," Mr. Crick replied that, on those 
grounds, the college should build a brothel, and he enclosed a check for 10 
guineas.
     "My hope is that eventually it will be possible to build permanent 
accommodation within the college, to house a carefully chosen selection of 
young ladies in the charge of a suitable Madam who, once the institution has 
become traditional, will doubtless be provided, without offence, with dining 
rights at the High Table," Dr. Crick wrote.
     Dr. Watson, whose mother was a devout Roman Catholic and raised him and 
his sister as churchgoers, described how he gave up attending Mass at the 
start of the World War II. "I came to the conclusion that the church was 
just a bunch of fascists that supported [Spain´s General Francisco] Franco. 
I stopped going on Sunday mornings, and watched the birds with my father 
instead."
     This interest in ornithology led to a career in science — and the 
discovery of the double helix.

On Jul 25, 4:04 pm, "Graham"  wrote:
> DNA pioneers lash out at religion
> By Roger Highfield
> LONDON DAILY TELEGRAPH
>
>      LONDON — The two scientists who discovered the structure of DNA in
> Cambridge 50 years ago have used the anniversary to mount an attack on
> religion.
>
>      When they revealed DNA's double-helix structure in 1953, James Watson
> and Francis Crick helped to invent biotechnology, provided the foundation
> for understanding the diversity of life, revealed the mechanism of
> inheritance, and shed light on diseases and even the origins of antisocial
> behavior.
>      From Copernicus to Darwin, scientific pioneers have tended to offend
> religious sensibilities. Most scientists, even Darwin, have tread warily and
> avoided attacking religion, but Dr. Watson and Dr. Crick are both outspoken
> atheists.
>      Speaking recently, Dr. Crick, 86, said: "The god hypothesis is rather
> discredited." His distaste for religion, he said, was one of his prime
> motives in the work that led to the 1953 discovery.
>      "I went into science because of these religious reasons, there's no
> doubt about that. I asked myself what were the two things that appear
> inexplicable and are used to support religious beliefs: the difference
> between living and nonliving things, and the phenomenon of consciousness.>      Dr. Crick, a Briton, says that because many of the claims made by
> religions over thousands of years have proved false, the burden should be on
> them to prove the claims they make today, rather than putting the burden on
> atheists to disprove the existence of God.
>      "Archbishop Ussher claimed the world was created in 4004 B.C. Now we
> know it is 4.5 billion years old. It's astonishing to me that people
> continue to accept religious claims," said Dr. Crick. "People like myself
> get along perfectly well with no religious views."
>      His co-discoverer, Dr. Watson, 74, an American, said that religious
> explanations are "myths from the past."
>      "Every time you understand something, religion becomes less likely,"
> said Dr. Watson. "Only with the discovery of the double helix and the
> ensuing genetic revolution have we had grounds for thinking that the powers
> held traditionally to be the exclusive property of the gods might one day be
> ours."     The antipathy to religion of the DNA pioneers is long-standing.
> In 1961, Dr. Crick resigned as a fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge,
> when it proposed to build a chapel.
>      When Sir Winston Churchill wrote to him, pointing out that "none need
> enter [the chapel] unless they wish," Mr. Crick replied that, on those
> grounds, the college should build a brothel, and he enclosed a check for 10
> guineas.
>      "My hope is that eventually it will be possible to build permanent
> accommodation within the college, to house a carefully chosen selection of
> young ladies in the charge of a suitable Madam who, once the institution has
> become traditional, will doubtless be provided, without offence, with dining
> rights at the High Table," Dr. Crick wrote.
>      Dr. Watson, whose mother was a devout Roman Catholic and raised him and
> his sister as churchgoers, described how he gave up attending Mass at the
> start of the World War II. "I came to the conclusion that the church was
> just a bunch of fascists that supported [Spain´s General Francisco] Franco.
> I stopped going on Sunday mornings, and watched the birds with my father
> instead."
>      This interest in ornithology led to a career in science — and the
> discovery of the double helix.
>
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As Mr Burns would say: "Excellent!"