AP
London, Sep 15: An Anglican clergyman says the church owes Charles Darwin an apology for misunderstanding the naturalist's theory of evolution.
The Rev Malcolm Brown says the Church of England should say sorry for "getting our first reaction wrong" and leading others to misunderstand his ideas.
Darwin's theory that species evolve over generations through a process of natural selection was outlined in the 1859 book "On the Origin of Species."
Religious leaders of the time were largely hostile toward Darwin's ideas and argued against them. Brown was writing Monday on a church Web site launched to mark Darwin's bicentenary next year.
The Church of England says his statement reflects its position but does not constitute an official apology.