Jerry Coyne

[[File:JerryCoyne.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Jerry Coyne in 2014.]]{{evolution}}{{hatnote|Not to be confused with [[George Coyne]].}}
{{cquote|Jerry Coyne has successfully transitioned from respected senior scientist to angry, bitter crank finding common cause with the worst right-wing academic grifters. It’s sad to see.|||P. Z. Myers<ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2023/06/22/jerry-coynes-bogus-fears-of-ideological-subversion/ Jerry Coyne’s bogus fears of “ideological subversion”]</ref>}}
'''Jerry Coyne''' is a Professor Emeritus of [[biology]] at the University of Chicago who specialised in speciation (how species separate) and [[ecology|ecological]] and [[evolution]]ary genetics before retirement in 2015.<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2015/09/30/i-retire-today/ I retire today], Sep 30, 2015</ref> He is also increasingly prominent as a public skeptic, writer, [[racialist]]  and [[atheist]].

Coyne claims the invention of the neologism "[[sophisticated theology]]".<ref>http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2012/09/25/a-sokal-style-hoax-by-an-anti-religious-philosopher-2/#comment-289429</ref>

==Summary of beliefs==

Jerry Coyne is a [[New Atheism|New Atheist]] who claims [[religion]] and [[science]] are incompatible, in the same way [[astronomy]] and [[astrology]], or [[medicine]] and [[homeopathy]] are incompatible. He thinks [[NOMA]] is unreasonable, and believes trying to reconcile religion ([[Christianity|Christian]], [[Islam]]ic, or other) with science is futile.<ref>Jerry Coyne.  [http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2010/12/28/u-of-c-doc-touts-noma/ U of C doc touts NOMA]. ''Why Evolution Is True''. 2010 December 28.</ref> It is a recurring topic on his <strike>blog</strike> site, and he since has co-authored a paper in philosophy no less,<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2015/08/25/im-a-philosopher-i-haz-a-paper-with-maarten-boudry-on-religious-belief/ I’m a philosopher! I haz a paper with Maarten Boudry on religious belief], Coyne, 2015</ref> and written a book on the subject, "Faith Vs. Fact" (2015).<ref>[http://jerrycoyne.uchicago.edu/Faith-vs-Fact.html Faith Vs. Fact site]</ref> Coyne fears the [[Templeton Foundation]] money has a corrupting influence on science.<ref>Jerry Coyne. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2011/apr/06/prize-mug-martin-rees-templeton Martin Rees and the Templeton travesty]. ''The Guardian''. 2011 April 6.</ref> He argues that religion fails the test of scientific scrutiny and that religious dogma harms science.<ref>PZ Myers. [http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2009/01/23/coyne-on-the-compatibility-of/ Coyne on the compatibility of science and religion]. ''Pharyngula''. ScienceBlogs. 2009 January 23.</ref> In his writings on religion, Coyne has challenged [[theology]], questioning its place as an academic field.<ref>Jerry Coyne.  [http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2012/10/15/scientists-debate-philosophers-and-theologians-at-cern-but-why/ Scientists debate philosophers and theologians at CERN—but why?] ''Why Evolution Is True''. 2012 October 15.</ref><ref>Jerry Coyne.  [http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2011/07/04/why-am-i-doing-this/ Why am I reading theology?] ''Why Evolution Is True''. 2011 July 4.</ref><!--Coyne suspects theologians are deliberately obscure and baffling and quotes an example to illustrate (though there is a suggestion that he cannot understand theologians). {{fact}}--> Coyne believes that [[Unguided evolution|evolution is completely unguided.]]<ref>Alex Tsakiris. [http://www.skeptiko.com/161-outspoken-atheist-jerry-coyne/ Outspoken Atheist Dr. Jerry Coyne Sees No Connection Between Consciousness Research and Evolutionary Biology]. ''Skeptico''. 2012 February 14.</ref>

Coyne is an incompatibilist, who believes that [[free will]] is illusory and that the notion is incompatible with [[determinism]].{{Citation needed}}

=== Coyne's political incoherence ===

Coyne claims to be on "the Left", but on his blog he strongly aligns with those funded by Republicans, as in the case of Bari Weiss<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2022/01/11/goodbye-bari-weiss/# Goodbye Bari Weiss] Jerry Coyne (January 11, 2022) ''Why Evolution is True'' </ref> who is funded by "GOP sugar daddy" [[Clarence Thomas#Corruption — So What!|Harlan Crow]]<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl59Nye54ZQ Bari Weiss Got $500k From GOP Sugar Daddy Harlan Crow To Start 'Anti-Woke' Nonprofit] (July 2023) ''The Majority Report w/Sam Seder</ref><ref>https://whyevolutionistrue.com/?s=nellie+bowles&orderby=relevance&order=DESC&post_type=post Search on "Nellie Bowles" (girlfriend of Bari Weiss) (Searched September 5, 2023)</ref>.

====Woke obsession====

Coyne is strongly critical of what he calls the [[regressive left]] or extreme liberalism, to the point of being obsessed with "woke" which he has used in the title of over sixty of his blog posts since 2020.<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.com/?s=woke&orderby=relevance&order=DESC&post_type=post Search on the word 'woke' on Coyne's blog] (searched September 5, 2023) ''Why Evolution is True''</ref> He is also obsessed with "cancel culture."<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.com/category/cancel-culture/ search on "cancel culture" (searched on September 5, 2023) ''Why Evolution is True''</ref>

Coyne's political incoherence is especially clear in his criticism of Trump supporters:

{{cquote|Any working class person who voted for Trump probably wasn’t thinking, for Trump is also rich, favors the rich (as does his party), and his pandering to the working class was largely an appeal to prejudice and nativism. But it was still an alternative to the status quo. We, the Left, need to offer something tangible to the poor, both black and white, and not just demonize Republicans or sneer at working-class whites, people who are generally seen by RLs as racist and sexist—and therefore unworthy of consideration.|||Jerry Coyne<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2016/11/19/nick-cohen-pins-some-blame-on-liberals-for-trumps-election-on-the-regressive-left/ Nick Cohen pins some blame on liberals for Trump’s election on the Regressive Left]</ref>}}

Coyne is apparently incapable of making the connection between Trump and Thiel, in spite of the fact that Thiel is famous for his support for Trump.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/14/technology/republican-trump-peter-thiel.html The Right’s Would-Be Kingmaker] Ryan Mac and Lisa Lerer (February 14, 2022) ''The New York Times''</ref>

It would seem that Coyne's constant promotion of right-wingers is contrary to Coyne's own political interests as someone on "the Left," so why does he do it? One possible reason is because Coyne doesn't bother to put any effort into researching the political world about which he is so opinionated and doesn't remember anything he does learn about that world. For example, although Peter Thiel was mentioned on Coyne's blog on August 27, 2022,<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2022/08/27/saturday-hili-dialogue-397/ Saturday Hili dialogue] Jerry Coyne (August 27, 2022) ''Why Evolution is True''</ref> on October 21, 2022, when Coyne announced he would be a speaker at the Stanford conference on academic freedom (Thiel was the keynote speaker), Coyne claimed he had never heard of Peter Thiel.<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2022/10/21/academic-freedom-meeting-at-stanford/ Academic Freedom Meeting at Stanford] Jerry Coyne (October 21, 2022) ''Why Evolution is True''</ref>

[[File:coyne_thiel.png|thumb|center|550px|I've never heard the name before today...]]

Although Coyne is a well-known atheist, he did not criticize Thiel's keynote speech, which was bad enough for Steven Pinker to call it "data-light and impressionistic".<ref>[https://twitter.com/sapinker/status/1599532852831739904?lang=en Steven Pinker (December 4, 2022) ''Twitter''</ref> In the speech, Thiel claimed the current political climate is "Armageddon" versus "Anti-Christ" and supported his view by citing the Bible (First Thessalonians five, chapter 3).<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVi8JwM86Oo Peter Thiel and his rambling monologue - audio only] recorded by N. G. McClernan (November 4, 2022) ''Stanford Conference on Academic Freedom Keynote Address: Peter Thiel''</ref> Although Coyne complains regularly about religious views on his blog<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.com/?s=religion&orderby=relevance&order=DESC&post_type=post Search on "religion" (September 5, 2023) ''Why Evolution is True''</ref> for some reason, Peter Thiel, Republican Party stalwart, gets a pass.

===Pinker's mouthpiece===

Jerry Coyne is a devoted admirer of [[Steven Pinker]]: ''"Since Pinker is wickedly smart, eloquent, and apparently remembers everything he’s ever read, lunch with him is not just a culinary experience, but a bout of cerebral ping-pong"''<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2020/01/17/lunch-with-pinkah-and-a-preview-of-his-next-book/ Lunch with Pinkah, and a preview of his next book] Jerry Coyne (January 17, 2020) ''Why Evolution is True'' </ref> and has, on several occasions, acted as Pinker's mouthpiece, conveying Pinker's views through his own blog.<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2019/09/26/pinker-complains-to-harvard-administrators-about-universitys-new-free-speech-policy/ Pinker writes to Harvard administrators about University’s new free-speech policy] Jerry Coyne (September 26, 2019) ''Why Evolution is True''</ref><ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2021/03/15/pinker-on-the-worser-angels-of-our-nature/# Pinker on the Worser Angels of our Nature] Jerry Coyne (March 15, 2021) ''Why Evolution is True''</ref> Coyne solicited Pinker's response to a critique of Pinker's ''Better Angels'' and then posted it on his blog.<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2019/01/29/a-response-from-steve-pinker-to-salons-hit-piece-on-enlightenment-now/# A response from Steve Pinker to Salon’s hit piece on “Enlightenment Now”] Jerry Coyne (January 29, 2019) ''Why Evolution is True''</ref> The "hit piece" pointed out, accurately, that Pinker had misrepresented the words of others. In his response Pinker said: ''"The rest of Torres’s complaint consists of showing that some of the quotations I weave into the text come from people who don’t agree with me. OK, but so what?"''

In his article about Pinker "The World's Most Annoying Man," Nathan J. Robinson said that Coyne believes the reason people dislike Pinker is because he's famous. Coyne took to his blog to agree with Robinson:
{{quotebox|<blockquote>The Chronicle suggested that “by proclaiming the gospel of progress,” Pinker “has made a lot of enemies.” (It cited a cartoon printed in Current Affairs as an example of the “hate” Pinker gets.) Pinker’s friend Jerry Coyne thinks people dislike Pinker because he is famous.<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2019/03/13/why-is-pinker-demonized/ Why is Pinker demonized?]</ref></blockquote>Well, yes, I do think that some people dislike Pinker because he is famous, for they’re always mentioning his fame and his books (and often, like P.Z. Myers, their own lack thereof).<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2019/05/31/a-digusting-hit-piece-on-pinker-in-current-affairs/# A disgusting hit piece on Pinker in Current Affairs] Jerry Coyne (May 31, 2019) ''Why Evolution is True''</ref>}}

Coyne also enjoys posting photos of Pinker's cowboy boots.<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2020/02/21/pinkers-new-boots/ Steve Pinker’s new boots] Jerry Coyne (February 21, 2020) ''Why Evolution is True''</ref><ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2022/11/05/hili-dialogue-and-academic-freedom-conference/ Hili dialogue (and Academic Freedom Conference)] Jerry Coyne (November 5, 2022) ''Why Evolution is True''</ref> In March 2025, Coyne informed his blog visitors that Pinker had a pair of cowboy boots custom-made in Austin by Lee Miller<ref>[https://archive.ph/U5kuu Dawkins and Pinker discuss evolution] (March  13, 2025) Jerry Coyne ''Why Evolution is True'' (retrieved March 16, 2025)</ref>

===Coyne vs. Myers===

Coyne's slide into far-right hereditarianism can be tracked through his relationship with biologist and progressive [[P. Z. Myers]]. 

When Coyne first began his ''"Why Evolution is True"'' blog in February 2009, Myers cheered him on from his own blog ''"Pharyngula"''.<ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2009/02/06/jerry-coyne-has-a-blog/ Jerry Coyne has a blog] P. Z. Myers (February 6, 2009) ''Pharyngula''</ref> In 2009 Coyne actually mocked evolutionary psychology.<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2009/04/18/evolutionary-psychology-the-adaptive-significance-of-semen-flavor/ Evolutionary psychology: the adaptive significance of semen flavor] Jerry Coyne (April 18, 2009) ''Why Evolution is True''</ref> In 2011, Myers shared Coyne's rebuttal of the "evolution of rape" argument.<ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2011/01/17/the-evolution-of-rape/ The evolution of rape?] P. Z. Myers (January 17, 2011) ''Pharyngula''</ref>

Coyne and Myers had a running joke of [[cat]]s versus [[cephalopod]]s.<ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2012/02/29/unnatural-shenanigans/ Unnatural shenanigans] P. Z. Myers (February 29, 2012) ''Pharyngula''</ref> Myers recommended Coyne's blog.<ref>https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2012/09/19/kent-hovind-writes/ Kent Hovind writes] P. Z. Myers (November 19, 2012) ''Pharyngula''</ref> In November 2012, Myers can be seen having a friendly disagreement with Coyne and Michael Shermer.<ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2013/04/25/i-have-to-disagree-with-jerry-coyne/ In which I join Michael Shermer in disagreeing with Jerry Coyne, and Coyne in disagreeing with Shermer] P. Z. Myers (November 8, 2012) ''Pharyngula''</ref> Coyne and Myers often made common cause in opposition to religion.<ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2013/01/03/science-journalists-accept-logical-fallacy-therefore-journalism-is-compatible-with-stupidity/ Science journalists accept logical fallacy, therefore journalism is compatible with stupidity] P. Z. Myers (January 3, 2012) ''Pharyngula''</ref><ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2013/03/11/might-christianity-be-both-true-and-terrible/ Might Christianity be both true and terrible?] P. Z. Myers (March 11, 2013) ''Pharyngula''</ref>

Myers' disagreement with Coyne over evolutionary psychology appears on Pharyngula July 15, 2013. Myers says: ''"I have disturbed and distressed Jerry Coyne, because I have dissed the entire field of evolutionary psychology."''<ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2013/07/15/when-in-doubt-just-question-the-motives-of-evolutionary-psychology-critics/ </ref> <ref>https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2013/09/01/jerry-coyne-gets-everything-wrong-again/ ] P. Z. Myers (September 1, 2013) ''Pharyngula''</ref>''I wish I knew what it was about the appeal of evolutionary psychology that makes otherwise intelligent people promote outright silliness in its defense, but here comes Jerry Coyne again in a poorly thought-out piece.''

In January 2014 Myers wrote a piece "Jerry Coyne is trying to defend evolutionary psychology again."<ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2014/12/02/jerry-coyne-is-trying-to-defend-evolutionary-psychology-again/ "Jerry Coyne is trying to defend evolutionary psychology again] P. Z. Myers (December 2, 2014) ''Pharyngula''</ref>

In March 2015 Myers allowed "Ben Allen of the Plektix blog" to post on Pharyngula ''"Why is Jerry Coyne blocking scientific discussion?"'' although Myers had reservations about the piece.<ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2015/03/31/why-is-jerry-coyne-blocking-scientific-discussion/ Why is Jerry Coyne blocking scientific discussion?] Ben Allen (March 31, 2015) ''Why Evolution is True''</ref> Allen noted that Coyne ''"has taken to blocking commenters who disagree with him, even over substantive scientific issues."''

In December, 2016, Coyne referred to Myers as a "blinkered ideologue" in defense of the extreme adaptationism of evolutionary psychology.<ref>https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2016/12/18/natural-selection-is-not-the-only-mechanism-of-evolution/ Natural Selection is not the Only Mechanism of Evolution] P. Z. Myers (December 18, 2016) ''Pharyngua''</ref> 

And it was all downhill from there.

In January 2018 Myers said Coyne was part of the "racist circle-jerk."<ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2018/01/21/dig-into-the-racist-circle-jerk/ Dig into the Racist Circle-Jerk] P. Z. Myers (January 21, 2018) ''Pharyngula''</ref> 

In October 2020, Myers wrote: ''"This “cancel culture” nonsense has gone on far too long — it’s nothing but an imaginary assault on the power and privilege of conservatives. It’s a label, nothing more, that idiots hang on any attempt to criticize them. You’re canceling me! How dare you! <swoon>. It’s all really tiresome. Unsurprisingly, Jerry Coyne falls for the BS. He races to defend the notion of racists in the online rag the Genetic Literacy Project that Darwin might be next to be canceled."''<ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2020/10/20/scientists-crying-about-cancellation-again/ Scientists crying about cancellation, again] P. Z. Myers (October 20, 2020) '' Pharyngula''</ref>

In 2021, Myers says: ''"My first thought was to wonder how far gone Coyne has become — I haven’t been interested in reading his blog in ages because he was already incredibly regressive, and his active commentariat mainly seems to be rat-droppings from the slymepit.''<ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2021/04/14/whos-afraid-of-the-big-bad-woke-mob-not-me/ Who's afraid of the big bad Woke Mob? Not Me] P. Z. Myers (April 14, 2021) ''Pharyngula''</ref> In 2022 Myers noted that Coyne hated the McLemore article on E. O. Wilson,<ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2022/01/21/no-saints/ No saints! ] P. Z. Myers (January 21, 2022) ''Pharyngula''</ref> noted Coyne's support for gender essentialism,<ref> [https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2022/08/30/women-who-dont-want-babies-are-denying-biology/ Women who don’t want babies are DENYING BIOLOGY!] P. Z. Myers (August 30, 2022) ''Pharyngula''</ref> and responded to Coyne's attack against him, made during Coyne's presentation at the Stanford Academic Freedom conference.<ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2022/11/06/cranks-congregate-to-demonstrate-that-theyre-cranks/ Cranks congregate to demonstrate that they’re cranks] P. Z. Myers (November 6, 2022) ''Pharyngula''</ref> 

In 2023 Myers said ''"If anyone wants to find the Slymepit gang today, they’re usually hanging out on Jerry Coyne’s blog."''<ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2023/04/21/i-was-wondering-what-that-stench-was/ I was wondering what that stench was] P. Z. Myers (April 21, 2023) ''Pharyngula''</ref> In May of that year, Myers wrote: ''"I guess I should mention the terrible Wall Street Journal op-ed by Coyne & Krylov."''<ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2023/05/21/oh-yuckthat-was-an-awful-paper-by-krylov-and-her-cronies/ Yuck that was an awful paper by Krylov and her cronies] P. Z. Myers (May 21, 2023)</ref> In June, Myers wrote: ''"Years of ignoring Jerry Coyne, a record ruined by the fact that I felt obligated to find out what he’s complaining about in order to address that recent bad article…and what do I find? His usual half-assed whining about people different from him."''<ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2023/06/22/fear-of-the-cat-people/ Fear of the Cat People] P. Z. Myers (June 22, 2023) ''Pharyngula''</ref> and on the same day: ''"Jerry Coyne has successfully transitioned from respected senior scientist to angry, bitter crank finding common cause with the worst right-wing academic grifters. It’s sad to see."''<ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2023/06/22/jerry-coynes-bogus-fears-of-ideological-subversion/ Jerry Coyne’s bogus fears of “ideological subversion”] P. Z. Myers (June 22, 2023) ''Pharyngula''</ref> A few days later: ''"Fresh off that paper about how the liberals are destroying “merit” and science, Jerry Coyne fearlessly rides his hobby horse onto the pages of the Skeptical Inquirer, where he complains about a a grave threat to biology."''<ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2023/06/24/moral-panics-and-the-bigoted-subversion-of-biology/ Moral panics and bigoted subversion of biology] P. Z. Myers (June 24, 2023) ''Pharyngula''</ref> Several days after that:

{{quotebox|Do they seriously think Coyne & Maroja’s BS is not ideological, and is entirely objective and empirical? Its conservative bias is naked and flapping in the wind, but apparently conservatism and prejudice and blind defenses of the status quo are not a subjective presentation of an ideology.<ref>[https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2023/06/29/tell-me-what-is-ideological/ Tell me, what is “ideological”?] P. Z. Myers (June 29, 2023) ''Pharyngula''</ref>}}

== Writings ==
Coyne is the author of standard text ''Speciation''<ref>[http://www.sinauer.com/detail.php?id=0890 Speciation] (publisher page)</ref> (with {{wpl|H. Allen Orr||,}} 2004) and science popularization ''Why Evolution Is True'' (2009). The latter has spawned a regularly-updated website (he dislikes the term "blog") of the same name, which contains much top-quality skepticism and [[atheism]] (and tangling with other bloggers, theist and atheist) to go with the stuff on evolution. In 2015. Coyne published ''Faith VS. Fact: Why Science and Religion Are Incompatible'', in which he argues that any attempt to reconcile religion and science is doomed.

Coyne writes daily on his WordPress blog ''Why Evolution Is True'', named after his first book for a general audience. He covers a wide range of recurring topics, and cats. Greg Mayer, Matthew Cobb and Grania Spingies support him regularly.

==Debates and disputes==
===Coyne vs. Haught (On science and religion)===
Coyne took on [[theology|theologian]] John Haught in an October 12, 2011 public debate<ref>[http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/my-debate-with-john-haught-in-kentucky/ My debate with John Haught in Kentucky] ''Why Evolution Is True'', 2011-10-13)</ref> at the Gaines Center, University of Kentucky over whether science and religion were compatible. After Coyne decisively won the debate, Haught tried to suppress the video of the event. 

{{cquote|I am deeply angry about this stand, and can see only one reason for what Haught has done: cowardice. He lost the debate; his ideas were exposed for the mindless theological fluff that they were; and I used his words against him, showing that even “sophisticated” theology, when examined under the microscope of reason, is just a bunch of made-up stuff, tales told by idiots, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. |||<ref>[http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2011/11/01/theologian-john-haught-refuses-to-release-video-of-our-debate/ Theologian John Haught refuses to release video of our debate] (''Why Evolution Is True'', 2011-11-01)</ref>}}

After approximately the entire skepticsphere flooded UKY (and the Gaines Center's funders) with complaints, Haught begrudgingly agreed<ref>[http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2011/11/02/under-pressure-from-blogosphere-haught-explains-and-relents/ Under pressure from blogosphere, Haught explains and relents] (''Why Evolution Is True'', 2011-11-02)</ref> to the release of the video<ref>Science and Religion: Are They Compatible? October 12, 2011 with Jerry Coyne and John Haught [http://vimeo.com/31505142 Debate], [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGy6BIofwzQ Q&A]</ref> and ensuing Q&A (having already destroyed his reputation<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Haught#Public_debate</ref>). It's worth the hour's viewing. Never debate a theist without a signed release in advance.

===Coyne vs. Thornhill and Palmer (on evolutionary psychology and rape)===
:''See [[Rape#Evolutionary just-so stories|Rape and evolutionary psychology]]''
Coyne became part of a larger debate surrounding Randy Thornhill and Craig Palmer, the [[biology|biologist]]-[[anthropology|anthropologist]] duo who authored ''A Natural History of Rape''. Coyne gave the book a scathing review in the [[scientific journal|journal]] ''[[Nature]]'' and argued against them on a radio debate hosted by [[NPR]]. Although Coyne supports the idea of evolutionary analyses of psychology and behavior, he is a critic of much current [[evolutionary psychology]].<ref>[http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2011/01/16/evolutionary-psychology-for-the-masses/ Evolutionary Psychology for the Masses], Jerry Coyne, Why Evolution Is True</ref> [[PZ Myers]] has criticized Coyne for what evo-psychology he ''does'' support.<ref>[http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2014/12/02/jerry-coyne-is-trying-to-defend-evolutionary-psychology-again/ Jerry Coyne is trying to defend evolutionary psychology again]</ref>

===Coyne vs. Pigliucci (on new atheism, the nature of science, and free will)===

Coyne and [[Massimo Pigliucci]] have disagreements on a number of issues that have led to some blogospheric debating (and navel-gazing), such as the legacy of [[Christopher Hitchens]] and "new atheism."<ref>[http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2011/12/27/in-defense-of-hitch/ In Defense of Hitch], Why Evolution Is True</ref><ref>[http://rationallyspeaking.blogspot.com/2011/12/jerry-coyne-loses-his-cool-dawkins-his.html Jerry Coyne Loses His Cool, Dawkins His Style], Massimo Pigliucci, Rationally Speaking</ref> However, their most recent dust-up has been over the issue of [[free will]]. Coyne has argued on the basis of scientific findings (the laws of [[physics]], [[genetics]], and neuro-imaging) that free will is an illusion.<ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/story/2012-01-01/free-will-science-religion/52317624/1 Why You Don't Really Have Free Will], Jerry Coyne, ''USA Today''</ref> Pigliucci responded that Coyne's arguments were flawed in two ways: (a) presupposing certain debatable positions such as causal closure, denial of [[emergence|emergent]] phenomena, and physical determinism, and (b) misinterpreting Benjamin Libet's neuroscience experiments.<ref>[http://rationallyspeaking.blogspot.com/2012/01/jerry-coyne-on-free-will.html Jerry Coyne on Free Will], Massimo Pigliucci</ref> Coyne replied by re-iterating his original position.<ref>[http://rationallyspeaking.blogspot.com/2012/01/jerry-coyne-on-free-will.html Am I Unsophisticated About Free Will?], Jerry Coyne</ref> Pigliucci added that his issue with Coyne's claims is that they are philosophical or metaphysical rather than scientific, as he claims. Pigliucci contended that Coyne was advancing an eliminativist argument that he had failed to justify.<ref>[http://rationallyspeaking.blogspot.com/2012/01/on-free-will-response-to-readers.html On Free Will: Response to Readers], Massimo Pigliucci</ref> Considering that these criticisms are being leveled by someone who thinks that free will is an incoherent concept,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20250212203806/http://rationallyspeaking.blogspot.com/2009/11/incoherence-of-free-will.html The Incoherence of Free Will], Massimo Pigliucci</ref> Coyne might benefit from brushing up a bit on the arguments for and against free will.

===Coyne vs. Pigliucci (on the extended evolutionary synthesis)===

Coyne has been very critical towards the idea of an [[extended evolutionary synthesis]] proposed by [[Massimo Pigliucci]] and others.<ref name="ExtendedEvo">[http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2009/02/16/are-we-ready-for-an-extended-evolutionary-synthesis/ Are we ready for an “extended evolutionary synthesis”?], Coyne (2009)</ref> Pigliucci has responded.<ref>[http://rationallyspeaking.blogspot.co.uk/2009/02/jerry-coyne-and-extended-evolutionary.html Jerry Coyne and the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis], reply by Pigliucci (2009)</ref>

===Coyne vs. haters===
Coyne feels labeling people as "haters" is a way that sloppy thinkers avoid addressing the reasons people criticise something.  [[Antitheism|Antitheists]] are written off as people who hate religion. Opponents of [[Islam]] are [[Islamophobia|called haters]], as are critics of [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholicism]] — and the same goes for others who criticise anything. [[Terrorism|Terrorists]] are described as haters without analysing the reasons for terrorism.<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2016/06/29/a-new-catchphrase-for-the-regressive-left-and-other-simple-thinkers/ A new catchphrase for the Regressive Left—and other simple thinkers] The reactionary right are also of course problematic.</ref>

===Coyne vs. Templeton===
Coyne dislikes the [[Templeton Foundation]]. He thinks there is too much money and not enough [[Science]].<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2016/04/08/templeton-wastes-11-million-in-attempt-to-corrupt-evolutionary-biology/ Templeton wastes $11 million in attempt to change evolutionary biology]</ref><ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2016/06/28/more-ill-gotten-gains-templeton-gives-1-million-to-biologos/ More ill-gotten gains: Templeton gives $1 million to BioLogos]</ref> Basically, Coyne feels vast sums of Templeton money are used to bribe journalists and scientists to think in warm fuzzy ways about religion and spirituality and also to write warm fuzzy material about religion.<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2010/02/27/the-templeton-bribe/ The Templeton Bribe]</ref>

===Coyne vs. psychiatry===
Coyne became convinced, after reading a book review in the New York Times, that the medical field of [[psychiatry]] is a scam.<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2011/06/25/is-medical-psychatry-a-scam/ Is Medical Psychiatry A Scam?]</ref> His prime target is [[Antidepressant|antidepressants]], which he believes are ineffective. He also argues that psychiatrists frequently portray them as effective, and pretends to know their mechanism of action. He does not address other drugs with similar low efficacy (statins), other drugs with an unknown mechanism of action (acetaminophen), or other psychiatric drugs with demonstrably high efficacy (antipsychotics). Coyne attributes this scam partly to "the desire of pharmaceutical companies to milk the public out of as many dollars as possible" (see [[Big Pharma]]). However, he doesn't explain why other countries, many of which lack pharmaceutical industries and for-profit medicine, also continue to practice psychiatry in roughly the same way.

===Coyne vs leftist college students===
Coyne memorably wrote several long posts defending [[Bret Weinstein]] as Evergreen University's controversial Day of Absence unfolded. Some of his posts linked to Benjamin A. Boyce, a Youtuber who said he was a student with inside information about what was really happening at Evergreen because he was a student there. It later emerged he was a reactionary propagandist and a reactionary whose most recent tweet as of this writing attacks "the Privilege Game."<ref>[https://twitter.com/BenjaminABoyce/status/1222917054321192961] [https://i.postimg.cc/Y0442H2J/Benjamin-Boyce-the-Privilege-Game.png] Benjamin A. Boyce's most recent random tweet on "The Privilege Game."</ref>

Rabidly anti-woke, Coyne linked to Boyce's video in 2017, signal-boosting him before he blew up online.<ref>https://web.archive.org/save/https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2017/06/20/more-on-the-evergreen-state-situation/  Why Evolution is True: "More on the Evergreen State situation."</ref> Boyce would later go on to change his major from "Early Childhood Development" to journalism, and film a long documentary series that white nationalists keep linking to as propaganda titled "the Truth about Evergreen University." Attending Evergreen doesn't mean Boyce wasn't a white nationalist in the fold, and statistically speaking there had to be a few at a university of a couple of thousand students. (Boyce happens to be white and a middle aged 40-year old who obsessed over students briefly protesting Bret Weinstein for ten minutes in a video before leaving him alone to march past his classroom.)

===Coyne vs deplatforming===
Coyne has repeatedly criticized students for the practice of deplatforming, and a non-exhaustive list of examples includes [[Richard Dawkins]],<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2017/07/21/richard-dawkins-deplatformed-at-a-book-talk-berkeley-for-abusive-speech-about-islam-on-twitter/ Richard Dawkins]</ref> [[Dave Rubin]],<ref>https://web.archive.org/save/https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2017/03/01/dave-rubin-speech-at-usc-postponed-indefinitely-over-safety-concerns/ Why Evolution is True</ref> and for when students helped revoke an honorary degree for [[Ayaan Hirsi Ali]]<ref>[https://web.archive.org/save/https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2014/04/18/was-ayaan-hirsi-ali-censored/ Why Evolution is True  </ref> or [[Richard Spencer]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/save/https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2017/01/21/welcome-to-the-trump-era-no-safe-spaces-for-those-you-oppose/ punching white supremacist Richard Spencer]</ref> He also condemned a progressive for shaming Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Trump's then-White House {{strikethrough|propagandist}} press secretary) while she was eating at a restaurant.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/save/https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2018/06/24/leftists-gleeful-after-sarah-huckabee-sanders-was-asked-to-leave-a-virginia-restaurant-because-she-works-for-trump/ Sarah Huckabee Sanders]</ref>

===Coyne vs the Intellectual Dark Web's critics===
{{see also|Intellectual Dark Web}}
Coyne constantly supports grifters from the Intellectual {{strikethrough|Grift}} Dark Web, but not their critics who he usually calls "the authoritarian left."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/save/https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2018/05/08/bari-weiss-in-the-nyt-the-intellectual-dark-web/]</ref> He routinely signal boosts reactionaries, and insists he is a liberal Democrat even though he almost always attacks left. To the initiated, he is best thought of as an [https://www.reddit.com/r/ENLIGHTENEDCENTRISM/ "Enlightened Centrist,"] or  a [https://www.reddit.com/r/daverubin/comments/em0ztw/an_introduction_to_dave_rubin/ Dave Rubin style "classical liberal."] Without Trump, he would probably be a pro-science Republican, except there's a bigger audience to be had from saying you're a Democrat even though you keep attacking the left. If you say you're a conservative, you limit your audience to conservatives. He still insists he is a Democrat even though he even attacked the left for criticizing ''The Bell Curve''and his friend [[Sam Harris]].<ref> [https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2018/03/11/middlebury-college-student-paper-apologizes-for-running-photo-of-charles-murray/ Why Evolution is True] </ref> He has appeared on the Rubin Report, and defended Dave Rubin from controversy.<ref> https://web.archive.org/save/https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2017/01/16/mr-rubin-im-ready-for-my-close-up/ Why Evolution is True </ref>

===Coyne vs the Squad===
Coyne still insists he is a liberal, though he loathes "{{wpl|The Squad (United States_Congress)|the Squad}}," from [[Ilhan Omar]]<ref>https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2019/02/12/the-hypocrisy-of-ilhan-omar-and-mendacity-of-her-supporters/</ref> to [[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]],<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2019/02/25/a-thinking-liberal-spanks-the-democrats/ "authoritarian leftist" AOC]</ref> to Ayanna Pressley,<ref>https://web.archive.org/save/https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2019/07/22/a-call-for-ideological-uniformity/ Why Evolution is True: Ayanna Pressley</ref> to Rashida Tlaib.<ref>[[https://web.archive.org/save/https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2019/08/19/rashida-tlaib-afflicted-with-bds-fever-urges-viewers-to-boycott-bill-mahers-show/]] Rashida Tlaib.</ref> It's funny how for so many years he said he was in favor of reforming Islam, but then showed such hatred of prominent progressive Muslim politicians like Ilhan Omar. He appears to have unmasked himself.

===Coyne vs millennials===

He really hates millennials in general and routinely rants against them. (How dare they use "OK Boomer!").<ref> [https://web.archive.org/save/https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2019/11/18/words-and-phrases-i-hate-5/ Why Evolution is True ]</ref> He has easily acquired his share of "old man yells at the cloud" moments (but don't you dare call the retiree a conservative or he'll ban you from his blog).

===Regressive left's antisemitism and Israeli moral superiority over Palestinians===	
For example, in his view, regressive leftists are best represented by those from the left who support Palestinian rights, or considered Islamophobia to be a racism, or calling out people for stereotyping and generalizing identity groups, or ''Wonder Woman'' (Gal Gadot) for hypocrisy.<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/israeli-gal-gadot-as-wonder-woman-poses-a-dilemma-for-regressives-feminism-vs-israeli-genocide/ Israeli Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman poses a dilemma for regressives: feminism vs. Israeli “genocide”?]</ref> Just recently his site posted an article decrying "regressive leftists" take on Gal Gadot "activism".<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2018/02/22/the-left-eats-its-own-the-demonization-of-gal-gadot/ The left eats its own: The demonization of Gal Gadot]</ref> 

In the context of these events, he posted that the Israeli Army "''has'' killed Palestinian children in military operations", but he knows that this was just collateral damage, a fluke, the IDF does not kill Palestinian kids deliberately — only the "ignorant" could say such a thing.<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2018/02/22/the-left-eats-its-own-the-demonization-of-gal-gadot/ The left eats its own: The demonization of Gal Gadot]</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2014/jul/16/gaza-israeli-strike-kills-four-children-beach-video Israeli strike kills four children playing on the beach]</ref> On the other hand, those well-informed and knowledgeable, like he is, know for a fact that the opposite is true: it's Palestinian children who kill and/or attempt to kill, because, you see, these little monsters so often do get imprisoned by Israel for terrorist acts.<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2018/02/22/the-left-eats-its-own-the-demonization-of-gal-gadot/ The left eats its own: The demonization of Gal Gadot]</ref>	
In this light, he's defending Gal Gadot from "regressive left" criticism in the following words: "Gadot had no part in this; her crime was solely to be Jewish, to be Israeli, and to be in the IDF."<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2018/02/22/the-left-eats-its-own-the-demonization-of-gal-gadot/ The left eats its own: The demonization of Gal Gadot]</ref>	
He then compiled a list of examples where Palestinian kids killed Israelis, or Palestinians killing Israeli kids, while the general Palestinian population "relished acts and celebrated murderers".<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2018/02/22/the-left-eats-its-own-the-demonization-of-gal-gadot/ The left eats its own: The demonization of Gal Gadot]</ref> 
The post is followed by numerous comments, almost in unison agreement with Coyne, but when one poster strayed<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2018/02/22/the-left-eats-its-own-the-demonization-of-gal-gadot/#comment-1580681 Two readers engaged in discussion on violence and moral <strike>superiority</strike> equivalence, before Coyen jumped in to reply to one of them]</ref> from the pro-Israel, anti-Palestinian, pro-Coyen path he — Coyne — decide to plunge himself into debate. On the matter of ethnicities, religions, and nations' propensity for violence and child murder, some commenter who was not actually against Coyne's claims in the article ''per se'' simply wanted to point out that he was against blood libel, generalization, and stereotyping, and that he, Jewish himself, won't "stay silent while anybody claims that a particular ethnicity, religion or culture, have a greater propensity for child killing (or any other atrocity) than others", and more clearly that "an individual’s membership of a “race”, ethnicity, culture, nationality, does not give them an inherently greater propensity to commit atrocities",<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2018/02/22/the-left-eats-its-own-the-demonization-of-gal-gadot/#comment-1581020 In comment discussion Coyen expresses his beliefs that North Koreans are more violent than Swedes]</ref> to which Coyne respond that all that is exactly how things are, and why Palestinian Muslims eagerly want to kill Israeli Jews, through developing "murderous instincts" in their children as a result of their culture. There is no doubt on moral superiority of Israeli Jews over Palestinian Muslims in Coyne's mind.<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2018/02/22/the-left-eats-its-own-the-demonization-of-gal-gadot/#comment-1581255 When Coyne discovered Palestinian children's "murderous instincts through miracle of science & philosophy"]</ref>

===Coyne vs Bill Nye===
Coyne is not at all fond of [[Bill Nye]] and has several blog posts criticizing him over the years. He feels that Nye deliberately spends most of him time as a "buffoon who will engage in any shenanigans that keep him in the public eye and help him retain the fame he desires-fame accrued as 'The Science Guy'."<ref>https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2017/04/24/this-is-science-bill-nye/</ref> However Coyne admits that he never watched Nye's show ''The Science Guy'' and concedes that he might have been outstanding in teaching science to kids back in the day, before his "comeback" which Coyne has ''not'' been a fan of, to say the least.<ref>https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2019/06/11/bill-nye-screws-up-when-tackling-a-question-about-free-will/</ref> Coyne also criticized Nye for [[Bill Nye debates Ken Ham|debating]] with [[Ken Ham]].<ref>https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2015/04/11/bill-nye-explains-evolution-badly-using-emoji/</ref>

===Coyne vs transgender women===

In 2024 Coyne was an honorary board member of the [[Freedom from Religion Foundation]] (FFRF). He had a long relationship with FFRF, receiving its ''Emperor Has No Clothes Award'' in 2011.<ref>[https://archive.ph/G9krX Jerry Coyne: Odd Couple Science and Religion Can’t Cohabit] (October 2011) Jerry Coyne ''Freethought Now!'' (Retrieved February 7 2025)</ref> 

In December 2024, in response to an essay by Kat Grant, ''"What is a woman?,"''<ref>[https://archive.ph/vREoz What is a woman?](November 7, 2024) Kat Grant ''Freethought Now!'' (retrieved February 7, 2025)</ref> Coyne submitted an essay to FFRF entitled ''Biology is not Bigotry''<ref name=coynetrans>[https://archive.ph/psT4I#selection-1297.0-1306.0 Biology is not bigotry] (December 26, 2024) Jerry Coyne ''Freedom From Religion Foundation'' (Retrieved February 7, 2025)</ref> in which Coyne started off by comparing transgender women to people who have anorexia and people who believe they are horses. After receiving criticism from the atheist community,<ref>[https://archive.ph/8R0Cw This is embarrassing and sad. The Freedom From Religion Foundation posted an anti-trans screed from “honorary board member” Jerry Coyne ] (December 27, 2024) Hemant Mehta ''Bluesky'' (Retrieved February 7, 2025) </ref> FFRF removed the essay and published its mea culpa which included:

{{quotebox|Despite our best efforts to champion reason and equality, we recognize mistakes can happen, and this incident is a reminder of the importance of constant reflection and growth. Publishing this post was an error of judgment, and we have decided to remove it as it does not reflect our values or principles. We regret any distress caused by this post and are committed to ensuring it doesn’t happen again.

Moving forward, we are reviewing our content guidelines and internal processes to ensure our public messaging consistently reflects our values. We are committed to learning from this experience.

We stand firmly with the LGBTQIA-plus community and their allies in advocating for equality, dignity and the freedom to live without fear of religiously motivated discrimination. Our mission to keep religion out of government is inextricably linked to preserving and advancing these fundamental rights.

Together, we will continue to champion a society where all people — no matter their sexual orientation, gender identity, beliefs or nonbeliefs — are treated equally under the law.<ref>[https://archive.ph/nxHoE Freedom From Religion Foundation supports LGBTQIA-plus rights] (December 27, 2024) ''Freedom From Religion Foundaton'' (Retrieved February 7, 2025)</ref>}}

The Coyne essay was then published on December 30 on the Substack of anti-trans activist Colin Wright<ref>[https://archive.ph/MwTbU Biology is not bigotry](December 30, 2024) ''Reality's Last Stand'' (Retrieved February 7 2025)</ref>, a staff member of the far-right [[Manhattan Institute]].<ref>[https://archive.ph/mtWJn Colin Wright] ''Manhattan Institute'' (Retrieved February 7, 2025)</ref>

Coyne announced on his blog that he was resigning from the board of the FFRF, sharing his resignation letter in a post. The letter concludes:

{{quotebox|But I cannot be part of an organization whose mission creep has led it to actually remove my words from the internet—words that I cannot see as harmful to any rational person.  I am not out to hurt LGBTQIA+ people, and I hope you know that. But you have implied otherwise, and that is both shameful for you and hurtful for me.<ref>[https://archive.ph/awaBu I resign from the Freedom from Religion Foundation] (December 29, 2024) Jerry Coyne ''Why Evolution is True'' (Retrieved February 7, 2025) </ref>}} 

The claim that Coyne's words were removed "from the internet" was false, as the very next day Coyne's words were published by an anti-trans activist. And Coyne has his own blog, and so there was never any danger, as Coyne well knew, that his anti-trans message would not be available on the Internet.

Coyne claims he was "not out to hurt LGBTQIA+ people" but his essay began by suggesting that transgender women are delusional, and then in the middle suggesting that transgender women are inclined to be sex offenders, based on a study he found on an anti-trans website:<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20241201100540/https://fairplayforwomen.com/transgender-prisoners/ Half of all transgender prisoners are sex offenders or dangerous category A inmates] (November 9, 2017) ''Fair Play for Women'' (Retrieved February 7, 2025)</ref>

{{quotebox|Transgender, then, appear to be twice as likely as natal males and at least 14 times as likely as natal females to be sex offenders. While these data are imperfect because they’re based only on those who are caught, or on some who declare their female gender only after conviction, they suggest that transgender women are far more sexually predatory than biological women and somewhat more predatory than biological men. There are suggestions of similar trends in Scotland, New Zealand, and Australia.<ref name="coynetrans />}}

Coyne then concluded his essay with:

{{quotebox|Finally, speaking as a member of the FFRF’s honorary board, I worry that the organization’s incursion into gender activism takes it far outside its historically twofold mission: educating the public about nontheism and keeping religion out of government and social policies.<ref name="coynetrans />}}

[[File:Barbarawaxer.png|thumb|right|365px|"It’s always nice when the trash takes itself out."<ref>[https://archive.ph/hESRJ Best Update (12/29): 'Jerry Coyne, Steven Pinker, and Richard Dawkins have all resigned from the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s “Honorary Board.”] (January 3, 2025) Barbara Waxer ''Bluesky'' (Retrieved February 7, 2025)</ref>]]

This seems to indicate that Coyne's real problem with having his essay removed from the FFRF website was not due to having his words removed from the Internet, but rather that he would no longer be seen as speaking on behalf of a well-established organization, while smearing transgender women as delusional and dangerous.

====Support for Coyne====

The organization [[Center for Inquiry]] approved of Coyne's essay, publishing it on its ''Free Inquiry'' website and stating: "''We believe Coyne’s essay presents a well-reasoned, scientifically based analysis of some transgender controversies, and we are pleased to present it to our readers so they can make their own judgment of its merits.''"<ref>[https://archive.ph/8AcnX Biology Is Not Bigotry] (January 2, 2025) Jerry A. Coyne ''Free Inquiry'' (Retrieved February 7, 2025)</ref>

On the same day, ''Free Inquiry'' published Ronald A. Lindsay's supportive essay in which he writes: ''No, what Barker and Gaylor apparently vehemently oppose—to the extent of censoring an essay and issuing an apology—is a science-based argument that sex is binary and cannot be changed at will. Furthermore, the harm they identify as caused by the essay is the “distress” felt by those reading it.''<ref>[https://archive.ph/AtU6x The Regrettable Dogmatism of FFRF] (January 2, 2025) Ronald A. Lindsay ''Free Inquiry'' (Retrieved February 7, 2025)</ref> Lindsay was apparently unconcerned by the fact that Coyne presented trans women as delusional and dangerous while reminding readers he was "speaking as a member of FFRF's honorary board."

[[Richard Dawkins]] and [[Steven Pinker]] resigned from the honorary board of the FFRF in solidarity with Coyne.<ref>[https://archive.ph/NCNKz A third one leaves the fold: Richard Dawkins resigns from the Freedom from Religion Foundation] (December 29, 2024) Jerry Coyne ''Why Evolution is True'' (Retrieved February 7, 2025)</ref>

====Support for FFRF====

Transgender allies in the atheist community approved of FFRF's action. On his Substack ''The Friendly Atheist'', [[Hemant Mehta]] wrote:

{{quotebox|(Coyne) insisted sex is binary, that trans women are more likely to be sexual predators (using misleading statistics), argued that trans women shouldn’t be allowed to counsel women who have been physically abused, rejected even the possibility of trans women playing women’s sports at any age, and said trans women shouldn’t be placed in women’s prisons (even though the alternative is disastrous).
Along the way, he just ignored the countless ways the trans community is under attack, largely by people making similar arguments.
None of this was shocking to those of us who have watched him go from a defender of science to an amplifier of right-wing propaganda.
<ref>[https://archive.ph/p5OEc Three prominent atheists resigned from FFRF's Honorary Board. Good riddance.] (December 30, 2024) Hemant Mehta ''The Friendly Atheist'' (Retrieved February 7, 2025)</ref>}}

P. Z. Myers wrote:

{{quotebox|I look forward to Coyne’s resignation from the SSE (Society for the Study of Evolution), as well. Or maybe he’s waiting and hoping for a purge of all those woke scientists from the Society? He might get his wish, given the ascendancy of the ideology he favors in our government.

Breaking news: Richard Dawkins has also resigned from the FFRF! And there was much rejoicing!<ref>[https://archive.ph/JrLkn I reaffirm my support for the Freedom From Religion Foundation] (December 29, 2024) P. Z. Myers ''Pharyngula'' (Retrieved February 7 2025)</ref>}}

====New board====
After Coyne, Dawkins and Pinker resigned, FFRF then dissolved its honorary board, and Coyne wrote a blog post which included a tweet from his anti-trans ally Colin Wright, stating ''"When your organization has abandoned its core principled{{sic}}, maintaining a Board of principled intellectuals becomes a liability."''<ref>[https://archive.ph/dKgzr More fallout from the Big KerFFRFle: Freedom from Religion Foundation dissolves its entire Honorary Board (and other news)] (January 7, 2025) Jerry Coyne ''Why Evolution is True'' (Retrieved February 7, 2025)</ref> The old board included Coyne, Pinker, Dawkins, Jeremiah Camara, [[Sean Carroll]],  {{wpl|Rebecca Goldstein||,}} Ernie Harburg (son of {{wpl|Yip Harburg||),}} {{wpl|Jennifer Michael Hecht||,}} {{wpl|Susan Jacoby||,}} {{wpl|Robin Morgan||,}} {{wpl|Michael Newdow||,}} {{wpl|Katha Pollitt||,}} [[Ron Reagan]], {{wpl|Robert Sapolsky||,}} {{wpl|Edward Sorel||,}} {{wpl|Geoffrey R. Stone||,}} and {{wpl|Julia Sweeney||.}}<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20240826221740/https://ffrf.org/about/staff-and-board/honorary-board/honorary-board/ Honorary Board ] ''Freedom From Religion Foundation'' (Archive date August 26, 2024) (Retrieved February 7, 2025)</ref>

FFRF announced a new honorary board soon after it dissolved its old board. Other than the absence of Coyne, Dawkins and Pinker, the board had hardly changed at all. Rebecca Goldstein, Pinker's wife, remained, declining to join her husband in solidarity with Coyne. The only other change to the board was the addition of Cheryl Kolbe.<ref>[https://archive.ph/Z1oH0 Honorary Board] ''Freedom From Religion Foundation'' (Retrieved February 7, 2025)</ref>

===Coyne vs RationalWiki===

Coyne is not a huge fan of [[RationalWiki]]. He says that while this site appears to be mostly rational, it is also tainted with "[[authoritarian]] leftism" and has "swung too far in the opposite direction" while trying to counter [[Conservapedia]].<ref>https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2016/02/13/rationalwiki-guts-a-readers-attempt-to-correct-its-article-on-female-genital-mutilation/</ref>

== Bibliography ==

*Coyne, Jerry A.; H. Allen Orr (2004-06-30). '''''Speciation'''''. Sinauer Associates Inc., Sunderland, Mass. {{Isbn|9780878930890}}.
*Coyne, Jerry A. (2009-01-22). '''''Why Evolution is True'''''. Viking, New York (USA); Oxford University Press, Oxford (UK). {{Isbn|9780199230846}}.
*Coyne, Jerry A. (2015-05-19). '''''Faith vs. Fact: Why Science and Religion are Incompatible'''''. Viking (USA); Penguin (UK). {{Isbn|9780670026531}}.

== External links ==

* ''[http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/ Why Evolution Is True]'' (personal website)
* [http://pondside.uchicago.edu/ecol-evol/people/coyne.html Jerry Coyne, Ph.D.] (University of Chicago faculty page)
* [http://jerrycoyne.uchicago.edu/Faith-vs-Fact.html Faith vs. Fact: Why Science and Religion Are Incompatible] by Jerry A. Coyne, Viking (2015) {{Isbn|0670026530}}.

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

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