It has been more than two months since Brett Rowlands’ article
about Intelligent Design first appeared in your paper and the
letters keep flowing. I myself have written six, but this will
likely be the last.
Editor,
It has been more than two months since Brett Rowlands’ article about Intelligent Design first appeared in your paper and the letters keep flowing. I myself have written six, but this will likely be the last.
It is clear to me that you are not doing a very good job of screening the letters for content. I was under the mistaken impression that a letter to the editor was to express one’s opinion about a topic. Since this “debate” has been raging in your paper, I have been called a liar, been told that I don’t know what a theory is, told that I should challenge my belief systems, been called intolerant, been called with disdain a fundamentalist Christian, and basically have been told that I am living in the Dark Ages because I hold to my beliefs. Oh and by the way, I was also informed that my God had been killed, or proven wrong.
Throughout this entire process, I have stuck to a few points. First, when did it become OK to bash someone for their religious beliefs? According to the First Amendment of the Constitution, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Second, why is the scientific community so afraid of ID and similar ideas being introduced into classrooms? Public education is supported by my tax dollars too. As I have said, I have no problem with the theory of evolution being taught, but I do have a problem with it being taught as fact and tested on standardized tests.
Here’s why. The biology textbook being used at San Benito High School, page 463 states “Up from the Apes, the story of human evolution begins between five and eight million years ago in Africa. During this time, scientists propose that a population of ancestral apes diverged into two lineages. One lineage would eventually evolve into the African apes, gorillas and chimpanzees. The other would lead to modern humans. There are few fossils that date to the time period when African apes and humans diverged (how interesting).”
Is this a reasonable theory? Probably so. Is it possible? Maybe. But is it a fact proven beyond doubt that our kids should be tested on standardized tests? I don’t think so. And apparently neither do you. As I showed with some polling information in a previous letter somewhere between 78 and 85 percent of the American public does not believe that this is the origin of man. I certainly do not. Do you? So “theoretically” eight in ten sets of parents are basically living with the fact that the schools are teaching their children something they themselves do not believe to be true. To me, this isn’t morally, ethically, and I would hope not legally, correct.
My 10-year-old daughter came home about a month ago and proudly told us about the continent of Pangea that existed 300-400 million years ago. She told us how all the current continents were joined into one big continent and gradually pulled apart. I complimented her on her learning, and I salute the teacher who got this message through a group of fourth graders, but I reminded my daughter that this is only a theory. No one was alive then who is alive today. The conviction with which she told us this “fact” brings me to my last point. Tolerance.
Whatever happened to tolerance? None of my letters have personally attacked anyone in any way. I have not mentioned people’s names, except to attribute a quote to them. I have not called anyone “names” for their beliefs. The fact is there are people who believe in both sides of this or any issue for many different reasons. It’s OK to debate it, have an opinion and express it, but when you personally attack someone for their beliefs you have crossed over a line.
In my opinion, it is clear the scientific community in the letters that have been intolerant. This lack of tolerance scares me for many reasons, but the biggest on is this: People say to me, “If you don’t like what the schools are teaching your children can always go to private school.” Well now the University of California is considering not accepting classes from private school that don’t meet their “criteria.” My daughter wants to be an veterinarian and I have suggested UC Davis. Theoretically if she continues to go to public schools, she may be tested as fact on many things she doesn’t believe are true, or if sent to a private school she may be denied to UC admission because the curriculum is not what the “powers that be” would accept.
In conclusion I would like to thank all those people who have written letters on both sides, and hope that everyone will remember that a letter to the editor is to express an opinion or concern, not to attack someone. I am no a scientist, nor am I the national poster boy for ID, but I am reasonable , honest, tolerant, intelligent human being. I my 30-plus years in competitive athletics I learned one lesson very well: never stoop to the level of your opponent.
Randy Logue, Hollister
