Readers Respond -- Evolution wins over a couple readers

It is tiresome to see the same hoary arguments brought up time and

again by creationists in the opinion pages of the Pilot (Community

Commentary -- “Pilot columnist too accepting of evolution,” Feb. 26). For

example, the claim that there are no transitional fossils: There are

many, for example, whale fossils with legs; see o7

www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-transitional.htmlf7 .

Or the assertion that evolution is “just a theory” -- like

gravitation. If school board members (other than Wendy Leece) want to

clear their heads after this Chinese torture of misinformation and

prepare for the forthcoming study session on creationism, they could read

“Finding Darwin’s God” by Kenneth R. Miller, a devout Christian,

professor of biology at Brown University, author of high school biology

texts and leading critic of “intelligent design” arguments.

It would be very interesting to see the intelligent design proponents

deal with Brown’s review of the fossil record of the evolution of the

modern elephant through dozens of “experimental designs” over millions of

years (pages 92 to 103 of his book).

PAUL C. EKLOF

Costa Mesa

Rick Rainey should not support the idea that the human race was

created by “God” unless of course “God,” as we know him, was an alien who

came here in a “genetic” experiment or mission (Community Commentary --

“Pilot columnist too accepting of evolution,” Feb. 26). Evolution, in his

view, is voodoo, unsubstantiated and a conspiracy against his religion.

The idea of supporting trustee Wendy Leece’s intolerable and

intolerant concept of creationism as she espouses it that she wants to

impose upon our school system is nothing more than Christian radical

fundamentalism, and is unconstitutional as professed by our founding

fathers under the doctrine of separation of church and state.

I am not sorry to say I support the Constitution of the United States,

as written by our founding fathers, nor am I ashamed by the intent of the

document, but I am repulsed by Leece’s hidden agenda, and anybody who

supports her to pervert the very laws that made this country great.

The Taliban in Afghanistan was intolerant to any opinions about

religion and culture that did not mirror its own narrow view of what was

“religiously true and correct.” The radical fundamentalist Christian

movement that is being manifested by Leece and throughout the education

system in the United States is tearing at the very fabric of pluralism

and tolerance as intended by our founding fathers. Their goal, the goal

of the religious right, inadvertently, is to subvert and destroy

everything that made this country great.

I am totally repulsed by intolerance from any religion, and to require

Christian prayer in the school system is akin to burning books that don’t

agree with the “party line.” Anybody who supports Leece should read the

Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights. I do not need

to make the case against religious fanaticism in our country, the authors

of the Constitution, our founding fathers, already did.

PAUL JAMES BALDWIN

Newport Beach