The writer of the letter of 2/20/2014 provided an outstanding example of the widespread lack of
understanding of the processes of evolution and science, prevalent especially among the religious. The
child mentioned is to be commended for thinking, but his mother is tremendously uninformed and most
likely will fill his head with the inflexible dogma of a fundamental theist. At 7 years, he is much too
young to integrate the complexities necessary to understand evolution thoroughly. However, and most
frightening, he is not too young to have his mind religiously stultified, perhaps forever limiting his
worldview, as well as even his willingness to understand evolution and the scientific process. Perhaps
he will escape, maybe even to learn the nature of theory which obviously has mother never has. One can
only hope.
What truly grates on me is the irrational inconsistency of the dedicated religionists. They, as well as
essentially all of us, are happy to utilize the incredible information that has resulted from
observation, hypothesis testing and analysis by scientists. Especially important are the results in
medicine, as well as in other areas of study which improve our lives. Religionists seem blinded and
unable to accept the results of the same methods of science when used to study the history of our
planet! This is because the results abrogate the scrambled writings of semi-literate, warring, tribal,
bronze-age peasants (who did not know where the sun went at darkness) formulated into their holy books.
Be consistent; if you reject one, reject the other.
Scientists would immediately consider alternatives to evolution should new evidence be forthcoming. For
now, evolutionary theory has attained factual status from nearly 200 years of evidentiary support and
the failure of attempts to negate it. It is the best explanation of reality: the diversity of lifeforms
on Earth, including us, are descended through about three and one-half billion years of change since the
first self-replicating forms arose, seemingly spontaneously from the conditions on the young planet.
We all need encouragement so that with all our "getting" we get some understanding. Our
representative democracy requires informed citizens to understand and address our many, interconnected
problems. Any effective solutions to the problems of overpopulation, climate change, habitat
destruction, pollution, resource depletion, antibiotic resistance, et al. will arise from labors of
scientists. They won’t be found by studying bronze-age folklore or offering intercessory prayers.
Lloyd A. Jones
Weston