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Retorts

Creationist Teacher

While the professors of evolution leap to defend their theory, Renton Maclachlan stands alone. Well, he has my support.

I am Head of Science in a secondary school. And though I hasten to point out that my views are not the views of my Department, I am very uncomfortable with evolution as a fact. It seems to me that there are only two types of people who really believe it is a fact: those who cannot accept the possibility of God, and those who have never had a chance to learn creation as a credible alternative.

There are not too many "facts" around in this whole debate, but a lot of blind faith -- on both sides. If one believes in God, the creation theory does fit the facts -- just as the evolution theory does for its proponents. I question the objectivity of the latter (just as they question the Christian). I have heard it said by an evolutionist (certainly with irony) that " evolution must be true -- otherwise we'd have to believe in God".

I am a science teacher, and have recently studied the philosophy and history of science at Master's level. I find no problem, scientifically, in reconciling the evidence (fossil, dating, geology, adaptation) with the creation theory. What is unscientific is the partiality of some players (on both sides).

Maclachlan is right to ask the questions he does, and he deserves more than the scornful answers he has attracted so far. Warwick Don is astray. "The assumption of evolution" is nothing like the observed fact of "Earth's sphericity", as he asserts! "The status of evolution" only remains "intact" because of the unanimity of its adherents. I would make similar comments to Bernard Howard, although at least he acknowledges there are things he doesn't know. I do not accept his insecticide facts, necessarily, as evidence of evolution, and could debate this further, given space and time.

This debate is far from closed, despite Messrs Don's and Howard's, Ms Hyde's, and others' attempts to close it down, and I urge real scientists to keep their minds and eyes open.

Ken Francis, Hamilton