I just got this note from Richard Dawkins, who is attending the Cambridge Darwin Festival.

Robert Hinde is the elder statesman of the science of Ethology and one one of the most respected figures in British biology. I just met him at the big Cambridge Darwin Festival. Robert had agreed to speak in one of the sessions on ‘Religion and Science’ but withdrew on learning that it was sponsored by the Templeton Foundation. He is now even more respected among British biologists.

We need more of this kind of action, and we need to publicize it more.

One other curious phenomenon: I searched the website for the festival for mention of the Templeton Foundation sponsorship. It’s not there! It is, apparently, noted in very small type on the printed program. Isn’t that odd that a big bucks foundation would be so shy about having their involvement advertised? Maybe it’s because it’s getting around that associating with the Templeton is a mark of shame, and the Templeton itself has noticed that people tend to turn away when their name is mentioned. Or maybe they’re just noble and self-effacing. Right.