“At one point, science said that man came from apes. It was not so? Walker asked Chuck Allen, senior pastor of Sugar Hill Church, during Sunday’s event.
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“Every time I read or hear that, I think to myself, ‘You just didn’t read the same Bible as me,’” Allen responded.
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Walker continued: “Well, here’s the interesting thing though. If that’s true, why are there still apes? Think about it.”
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“You know, now you’re getting too smart for us, Herschel,” Allen replied.
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As The Washington Post’s “Dear Science” columnists discussed at length in 2016, humans did not evolve from chimpanzees or any other great apes living today. Rather, humans and chimpanzees share a common ancestor that lived about 10 million years ago. They are now on different evolutionary paths.
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During Sunday’s event, Walker also appeared to question in vitro fertilization and other forms of assisted reproductive technology.
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“And then the conception of a baby,” Walker said. “Let me tell you that science can’t do that. They’re still trying to do it, but they can’t, because there has to be a God.”
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Walker’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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The remarks are the latest surprising comments from Walker. In January, the Daily Beast reported on an August 2020 podcast appearance in which Walker touted a “mist” that he claimed would “kill any covid in his body.”
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Walker, 60, is a former running back for the University of Georgia and the National Football League and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He has drawn support from Trump and some other high-profile Republicans despite facing accusations of domestic violence and questions about his business history and his residence.
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Walker’s ex-wife, Cindy Grossman, claimed in divorce papers that her ex-husband physically abused her and threatened to kill her, forcing her to obtain a protective order against him. She told ABC News in 2008 that Walker had held a gun to her head before threatening to kill her.
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Walker told Axios in December that he is “responsible” for his actions toward Grossman, but declined to discuss details.
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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported last year that Walker’s ex-girlfriend told police in 2012 that when she tried to break up with him, he threatened to “blow her head off” and then kill himself. Another woman alleged that Walker threatened and harassed her in 2002. No charges were filed in either case, and Walker denies the allegations.
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Rachel Feltman and Sarah Kaplan contributed to this report.
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