Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Florida reacts...

I just read several opinion pieces lumped under the title "Your views: An evolving argument" on the Florida Today website. Here are a few excerpts from the letters:
  • "The theory of evolution is a major unifying concept in science, supported by abundant and consistent evidence from numerous scientific fields. This evidence is found in broadly divergent areas, from DNA analysis to the geologic fossil record."
  • "He would have made a good Nazi with statements like, "Why allow people with no scientific knowledge to question the teaching of things of which they have no knowledge." Who better to ask those questions? Certainly not the already closed-minded scientists."
  • "Until the evolutionists can dig up a lot more bones and link them through DNA to show the generations/species are connected, and until the intelligent design folks can find and introduce us all to the intelligent designers, and until the creationists can induce God to make his presence known in a way that no one can dispute, there is no ironclad proof."
  • "Suppose intelligent design could disprove evolution. That would not automatically verify the creationist viewpoint. For example, if we could prove conclusively that babies do not come from the womb, it would not automatically prove they are brought by the stork.
    They might indeed be found under cabbage leaves."

I'm no science expert. I certainly haven't had a lot of formal education when it comes to evolution and biology...but it didn't take much to pick up a few textbooks and get the gist of it...or read a few articles. In fact, the most tired argument for denying evolution, that it hasn't been proven, can be squelched by understanding a few simple ideas: that science does not claim to ultimately prove anything and that evolution is supported by mountains of evidence and has withstood rigorous testing. So, arguing that it's not proven is...well, ignorant. Nothing has been ultimately proven.

The rest of the letters are equally as frustrating and spot-on as the excerpts. Check them out and leave some comments...they're sorely lacking intelligent input.

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