Darwinism a cult? (Peter Hitchens)

The following challenge to the British Broadcasting Corporation appeared on the Peter Hitchens feature page of the International Express (UK), on 5 January 2000:

“Darwin’s bizarre cult

The BBC teased religious leaders by asking them if they believed in the literal truth of the great Bible stories. I would like to ask BBC chiefs and the rest of our secular establishment if they believe in the literal truth of evolution. Evolution is an unproven theory. If what its fundamentalist supporters believe is true, fishes decided to grow lungs and legs and walk up the beach. The idea is so comically daft that only one thing explains its survival—that lonely, frightened people wanted to expel God from the Universe because they found the idea that He exists profoundly uncomfortable.”

Note: British columnist Peter Hitchens is the brother of Christopher Hitchens, who was famous for his very public stance in opposing faith in God. Peter, like his brother, was once an atheist, but partially as a result of seeing the fruit of atheism in Soviet Russia, he is now a Christian.