Letter: Evolution versus religion: even Darwin had his doubts

EVEN a layman can see that Richard Dawkins' metaphor of a 'selfish' gene (personification, motive, greed) is not so different from the biblical metaphors he appears to have difficulty with ('Darwin's disciple', 2 January).

The early Hebrews knew nothing of cladistics or common ancestors and the story of Adam (meaning simply 'man') is no more absurd than the idea of power-drunk nucleotides that permeates Richard Dawkins' most celebrated book. Darwin himself never quite threw off the notion of intentionality and later in life said: 'The mind refuses to look at this universe, being what it is, without having been designed.'

Ian Flintoff

London SW6