'Origin of Species' campaign enrages atheists

An angry backlash from atheists has prompted best-selling author Ray Comfort to stop answering questions about a special edition of Charles Darwin's "Origin of the Species" he plans to give away on university campuses this fall.

"From now on I will refuse to answer questions about the book or its contents," Comfort said, "because there is such a deep-rooted anger in the atheist world about this publication.

"They desperately want to stop us," he said, "and I don't want to give away any further details regarding the campaign."

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Comfort – host of "The Way of the Master" television show with actor Kirk Cameron and head of Bellflower, Calif.-based Living Waters ministry – is preparing a campaign Nov. 19 with Cameron to mark the 150th anniversary of "Origin of Species." They plan to distribute 120,000 copies of a special edition of Darwin's seminal book on 100 of the top university campuses across the nation.

They will be assisted by a few thousand volunteers, said Comfort, who wrote a 50-page introduction in which he says he provided evidence for intelligent design, the theory that the universe and life is the result of an intelligent creator.

Comfort, author of the newly released book "Nothing Created Everything," says atheists have discussed their strategy to combat his "Origin of Species" edition on Richarddawkins.net, the website of popular atheism advocate Richard Dawkins. Comfort dedicated "Nothing Created Everything" to the British biologist.

One post on a forum on Dawkins' website says of the "Origin" campaign: "If this outrages you, then you're not alone. There's something we can do though. We can amass as many of these books as possible, remove the 50 page intro, and then donate perfectly good copies of Origin of Species to schools, libraries, and Goodwill. We can actually make this into something positive."

The atheists are encouraging college students on campuses where the distributions are taking place to get as many copies of the book as they can.

"This is a shameful thing that Kirk Cameron and [Ray Comfort] are doing by altering another person's book in order to push their agenda," the post says. "But we can help to restore the book to how it was intended and keep young minds from being brainwashed by misinformation."

Comfort argues the book has not been altered at all.

"The 304-page publication will be Charles Darwin's every word – not one jot nor tittle will be removed," he said.

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Comfort asks, "Besides, if they think my arguments have no merit, why are they so upset? They should actually enjoy the fact that I'm spreading more of my idiotic claims that intelligent students will see right through – that way my stupidity will be that much more apparent."

Comfort pointed out there have here been more than 140 individual publications of "Origin of Species," and many had introductions.

Comfort's introduction contains information from "Nothing Created Everything," which asserts "many scientists actually believe the scientific impossibility that nothing created everything."

He quotes a number of scientists making that assertion, including Dawkins.

"That is making them fume, because it shows that their theory is not at all intelligent," Comfort said.

Other atheist forums are calling for book burnings.

"I'm not into burning books, but this one deserves to be," wrote one contributor. "Anyone up for a large bonfire?"

Another warned "efforts at UC Berkeley will be met with unilateral resistance."

The comments sections at Comfort's Youtube.com pages, which are getting hundreds of thousands of views, are filled with hatred, Comfort says.

One atheist wrote, "Seriously, I hate Ray Comfort now. I mean really hate him. He might try and sound polite, and sound like he's just trying to reason with you and that he really cares about you. In reality, he's just trying to make himself feel that he's right. He's also very disrespectful (in a respectful manner) … I hate Ray Comfort."