http://www.floridatoday.com/!NEWSROOM/opedstory0116WEVOLVELETS.htm
Jan 14, 6:43 PM
Debating human origins
FLORIDA TODAY Readers
No scientific reason to exclude theories
The recent FLORIDA TODAY editorial concerning the teaching of
intelligent design in the public schools missed the mark.
In categorizing intelligent design as one of the "faith-based
theories" that, if taught, would violate the Constitution, it
ignores the fact that the proponents of design since its inception
have been scientists of diverse religious backgrounds.
Their views were not religious but scientific and their work has
followed a pattern of attempting to seek the hypothesis that would
best explain all the available data.
The nature of this data was also misunderstood in an editorial
that began by anointing the theory of evolution as a "scientific
gold standard."
Evolutionary theory might have been the best hypothesis for the
state of scientific knowledge in the mid-19th century, but it has
been wholly inadequate to account for a pair of scientific
discoveries of the second half of the 20th.
These are the discovery of the extraordinary complexity in
structure and operation of the living cell and the encyclopedic
nature of the information resident in DNA required for even the
simplest forms of life.
It is the rigid teaching of evolution that has become
indoctrination and is not consistent with science education in a
free society.
Bruce Baker
Titusville
Case for evolution subject to interpretation
Monday's editorial on the teaching of evolution in public schools
threw around grand statements about complicated issues to support
one interpretation of the evidence, but concealed the underlying
biases.
The same biological evidence that is used by some to argue for
evolution is seen by others as supporting intelligent design.
Neither interpretation is subject to scientific testing.
Among the points that can be seen pointing to a creator:
When you bleed, about 20 complex proteins are necessary, in a
specific order, to clot blood. Any error in that process and you
could bleed or clot to death.
Believing random chance beat the astronomical odds to create the
clotting mechanism, the astronomical odds to create its support
system, and the astronomical odds to accurately reproduce it each
generation requires a religious faith exceeding St. Paul's.
Al Folensbee
Port St. John
Many scientists rethink backing of Darwin
Monday's editorial "The gold standard" on teaching human origins
in public schools failed to mention that many scientists have
spearheaded scientific challenges to evolution. That's why school
boards are allowing the teaching of other ideas.
"Intelligent design" is a movement by scientists who have examined
biological structures and have come to the conclusion that life is
a product of design. Structures like bacterial flagellum, blood
clotting systems and cilium are some examples. These structures
look and act like machines.
Just as it takes intelligence to design and produce a car, it
logically follows that it takes intelligence, on a far greater
scale, to design and produce complex biological organisms.
Another problem for evolution is that billions of years, natural
selection, and random mutations can't explain how life originated.
If evolution can't explain the origin of life, then all the
fossils, including the Toumai skull pictured with the editorial,
are useless props for a theory with no foundation.
As an elementary school teacher at Cocoa Beach Christian School, I
encourage logical thinking. Evolution breaks down terribly under
careful scrutiny.
Many other educators are coming to the same conclusion.
Kevin McLaughin
Cocoa Beach
Complex beings point to intelligent designer
In the "Star Wars" movies, robots C3PO and R2D2 can communicate,
move and reason to some degree, but still depend on others to
maintain them.
When they die, they would just be thrown on a scrapmetal junkpile.
That was good science fiction with intelligent, creative
designers.
But what if there was a "robot" that could think like Albert
Einstein, throw a ball like Roger Clemens, write like Mark Twain,
draw like Leonardo DaVinci, see, hear, taste and communicate with
similar "robots" -- even find its own sources of fuel for energy?
To top it off, when it dies it turns back into dust and dirt. No
pollution problems.
That "robot," of course, must be the product of random chance
evolution.
Jim Martorelli
Palm Bay
Improbable that biology happened without help
FLORIDA TODAY's Monday editorial on evolution, "The gold
standard," ignored salient facts.
Evolution is a theory, not a scientific law. Like string theory in
astrophysics, it continues to undergo examination to verify or
disprove assumptions. The same can be said of the intelligent
design theory that the editorial said should not be taught in
public schools.
Few would dispute microevolution, whereby bacteria and viruses,
because of their huge numbers, can mutate into more adaptable
forms.
But macroevolution, the theory that all life-forms evolved over
billions of years from these simpler forms through the process of
mutation and natural selection, requires a great leap of faith.
Most mutations are not beneficial. Consider mutated skin cells
that turn cancerous from the sun's ultraviolet rays. For a fish to
evolve into a dog, even in a few million years, stretches
credulity.
Remarkably, the raw materials and environmental conditions just
happened to be present on Earth so biological life forms could
exist.
It seems obvious that help was required from an intelligent
designer to make it happen.
J.D. Collner
Cocoa
---
http://lastliberal.org
"...Our passion at the Institute for Creation Research is to see
science return to its rightful God-glorifying position, and see
creation recognized as a strength by the body of Christ; supporting
Scripture, answering questions, satisfying doubts and removing road
blocks to the Gospel. The Institute for Creation research Graduate
School exists to train students in scientific research and teaching
skills, preparing effective warriors for the faith. We are delighted
that you are considering honing your skills in creation thinking, and
trust that God will lead you..." -- John D. Morris, Ph.D., President
Institute for Creation Research (How many lies, untruths and
deliberate minsinformational quips can you find in the above
passage?)
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