EHRLICH, Paul. Famed US biologist asserts religious instruction is child abuse & there is no scientific evidence to justify racism or sexism

Dr Paul Ehrlich (Bing Professor of Population Studies, President of the Center for Conservation Biology, Department of Biology, Stanford University, and author with his wife Anne Ehrlich [uncredited] of “The Population Bomb” in 1968) (asked “Star Spangled Banner, did you have to sing that when you were at school?”): “We did but we didn't have child abuse required in those days. We didn't have any religious instructions in the schools. But you've got to face something. For our entire history, not matter - even if you go back five million years, we have been a small group animal… (asked “Did you say religious instruction is child abuse?”) Richard Dawkins and lots of other people have said that. Of course, you teach people details about non existent supernatural monsters and then behave in reaction to what you think they are telling you, that's child abuse. You don't raise your kids that way… but you have to respect people who want to do that because we’re a small group animal. We, on average, for our entire history have associated with about 150 other people, and now after millions of years of doing that, we are a very social animal. We've got to learn to live in groups of millions and billions, which means, as you point - as everybody has sort of pointed out, you've got to give some space for other people or you are going to be in a constant war and so it's something we ought to be discussing all the time. It's really difficult for us to live in groups of millions in Australia and the United States, billions in the world, and so we have to face that. Other people are going to have different views. You've got to respect them as long as they’re not trying to tread on you in some way. You know, what difference does it make to any of us whether those kids sing the national anthem?” and Dr Paul Ehrlich on racism: “ I have some special expertise here. First of all, I was born in an incredibly racist nation and I'm still in a racist nation but not as incredibly so as it was once…. my technical training, of course, and research area is evolution and genetics and I can tell you this: that is if you’re discriminating by gender, by colour, by race, any of that stuff, you’re wasting your time and you’re being inefficient. There is not the tiniest shred of evidence that any group of people so classified has characteristics that makes them better to be executives, to be airplane pilots, to be prized fighters or anything else. There is just no evidence at all for racism or sexism and if you are practising that, you’re hurting your country. It’s that simple” (Paul Ehrlich interviewed on Australian TV Q&A, “GST, Gonski, Population and Diversity”, 2 November 2015: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/txt/s4321172.htm ).