IN THEORY:

The U.S. National Academy of Sciences recently issued a report arguing that evolution, not creationism, should be taught in public schools. The report’s authors argued that teaching creationism alongside evolution confuses students as to what constitutes science. Do you think creationism — or the theory of “intelligent design,” which argues that biological creatures are so complex they couldn’t have come about through natural processes — should be taught in public schools along with evolution so students can make up their own minds as to which explanation to accept?

When I first read of the author’s statements, I thought it would be laughable were it not so tragic that gullible young people would be taught the things they were saying. For instance the authors make the claim that science has absolutely proven evolution to be factual. That claim is absurd. There has never been a scientific experiment that transformed a monkey into a man, nor an experiment showing that “nothing” could explode and become “something!” The authors ignore the growing number of scientists worldwide who are rejecting the theory of evolution and moving toward intelligent design, if not outright creationism. They are also dismissing the works of noted scientists and organizations, such as The Creation Research Society and The Institute for Creation Research. One reason our education system is failing is its insistence on using schools to advance a social and political agenda that outlaws God, religion or morality. I say, put out the evidence for both sides and let the students decide. God has never had any reason to fear scientists who ignore any facts that disagree with their preconceived position. If their position is as provable as they claim, they should not fear the evidence for the other side.

Pastor Dwight Tomlinson

Liberty Baptist Church

Newport Beach

In the past, some mainstream churches have acknowledged that most of the Bible stories started as simple allegories or forms of folklore; but now the evangelicals and fundamentalists insist that the Bible must be taken literally.

Creationists claim that biological creatures are so complex that they could not have come about through natural processes. They used the eye as an example of something too complex to have happened through evolution and the survival of the fittest. But when Richard Dawkins and other scientists explained how the human eye evolved through steps such as those we know have happened in early creatures, the Creationists dropped their example in favor of many vague complexities, since specific references could be individually rebutted by scientific reasoning.

While science does not have all the answers, it is self-correcting and continually becoming more accurate and less subject to error. Meanwhile, supposed facts based on folklore are still nothing but folklore and certainly should not be promoted as an alternative to true science.

Jerry Parks

Member

Humanist Assn. of Orange County

Science classes should be about science and scientific method. Creation stories worldwide, including the Book of “Genesis,” should be taught in literature, anthropology and humanities classes.

Religious instruction can be provided by parents at home and any preferred religious organization.

“It is unconstitutional to teach Intelligent Design as an alternative to evolution in a public science classroom.”

This is the most recent federal court ruling, made by Judge John E. Jones in the 2005 Dover, Pennsylvania school board case. He added that such lawsuits are “an utter waste of monetary and personal resources.”

The Religious Right persists in trying to devise ways to have their version of Christianity taught in the public schools.

I hope that reports like these from the National Academy of Sciences help to educate the public, and preclude efforts to regard evolution and scriptural accounts of creation as the same, which does neither one justice.

Rev. Dr. Deborah Barrett

Zen Center of Orange County

Costa Mesa