W h at a stran ge n am e for a scienti¯ c h y p oth esis! T h e
F ren ch m o lecu lar b iologist J acq u es M o n o d w as th e ¯ rst
to rem in d C rick th a t A d o g m a is so m eth in g w h ich a
tru e b eliever can n ot d ou b t" [2]. T h is is p rob ab ly n ot
w h at C rick h ad in m in d w h en h e coin ed th e p h rase. O n
m a n y o cca sio n s, C rick h a s sta ted th a t, a s a n o n -b eliev er
of religion , h e con sid ered d og m a s sim p ly as b old h y -
p o th eses w ith o u t p ro o f. S in ce its in cep tio n , th e C en tra l
D o gm a h a s b een rep eated ly ch allen ged a n d criticized .
B efo re ex a m in in g th e serio u sn ess o f th ese ch a llen g es, let
u s ex a m in e ¯ rst th e circu m sta n ces u n d er w h ich C rick