The Problem of Nichiren's Ignorance of Basic Biology

Nichiren didn't have the slightest understanding of basic biology. He believed that disease was caused by gods' displeasure and bad karma. Nichiren talks about how no animal will eat a dead lion's carcass (wrong - they do, and with relish) and that it is only "worms" coming from within the lion's own body that can eat it:

The Buddha tells us that only the worms born from the body of the lion itself feed on the lion. How true are those words! - Nichiren, The Selection of the Time, http://www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/wnd-1/Content/66

Wrong as can be, and Nichiren's agreeing! I maintain that Nichiren had never seen a lion in his life. He knew nothing about lions, yet he saw fit to make sweeping pronouncements about lions - and held these up as authoritative!

When even the 1st grade child today understands more about life than Nichiren did, why should we trust Nichiren to instruct us on matters of life and death?

And expanding from biology to basic science, Nichiren believed that earthquakes, comets, eclipses, and even strong winds (!) were signs of gods' anger as well. So were political disagreements! Name it, and Nichiren would identify it as a sign of gods' displeasure. We know better. Only the most ignorant, closed-minded, biased, and insane zealots now identify tsunamis, earthquakes, storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and lightning strikes as divine punishment for human "sin". And we all sneer at them. Why? Because we know better.

And, on a macro scale, why should any of us think that the answers to all life's questions lie with ancient people who didn't even know enough to not poo in their own drinking water?