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Feature Article - Evolution and Faith

Throughout these pages I will be adding commentary to the letters and columns by other authors.  My commentary will be in [ bracketed red text ].

The tragedy, in my view, is the unwillingness of enough qualified experts to brand the creationists for the incompetents they are - in biology, hydrology, palentology, and many other areas, including blblical scholarship and exegesis. - John W. Patterson, Professor of materials science and engineering, Iowa State University

It is morally as bad not to care whether a thing is true or not, so long as it makes you feel good, as it is not to care how you got your money as long as you have got it. - Edmund Way Teale, Circle of Seasons,  1950

To discover that the Universe is some 8 to 15 billion and not 6 to 12 thousand years old improves our appreciation of its sweep and grandeur;  to entertain the notion that we are a particularly complex arrangement of atoms, and not some breath of divinity, at the very least enhances our respect for atoms; to discover, as now seems probable, that our planet is one of billions of other worlds in the Milky Way Galaxy and that our galaxy is one of billions more, majestically expands the arena of what is possible;  to find that our ancestors were also the ancestors of apes ties us to the rest of life and makes possible important - if occasionally rueful - reflections on human nature.  - Carl Sagan, The Demon Haunted World, 1996

The invisible and the nonexistent look very much alike. - Delos B. McKown; The Mythmaker's Magic, 1993

To claim equal time for creation science in biology classes is about as sensible as to claim equal time for the flat-earth theory in astronomy classes.  Or, as someone has pointed out, you might as well claim equal time in sex education classes for the stork theory. - Richard Dawkins

These pages are dedicated to the local controversy between Evolution and Scientific Creationism here in Gilroy, California. Our local high school science department is currently preparing a course proposal for a semester-long elective in evolution and evolutionary theory.  This proposed elective class has embroiled local "Young-Earth Creation Science" advocates,  who of course oppose it.  UPDATE: 23 APR 1999;  I've been told that this course is being stonewalled, and that it is likely dead for the time being.

UPDATE: 01 JUL 99: The school board has decided not to renew the contract of the Superintendant, David Alvarez. Hopefully this means that when the evolution class is re-proposed next year that it will at least get to the school board for discussion.

I've been asked several times why I'm doing this, so I finally put up a page about my motivation.  Also see my 27 APR 1999 letter.

NEW: 28 APR 1999; I'm working on a "Why You Can't Believe Creationist Claims" page. In line with that, I've got a copy of the "Matson vs Hovind" document coming up in a new HTML format. At this point it is just the first few arguments, but I'm adding them from the original source document at a rate of two per day. The idea is to provide a way to easily link into specific rebuttals from other documents.

Much of my material is garnered online, primarily from the 'talk.origins' archive page  which is an excellent resource for material, both from the evolution standpoint, and the creationist standpoint.  Check out my 'Evolution Links' page for my latest list.    Still more of my material is from various texts which are available in our local libraries (Morgan Hill and Gilroy).   Check out my suggested reading page for some recommendations.

If you consider yourself a creationist and you'd like to rebut something I've said here, please e-mail me.  I'd be happy to web your rebuttal.  While you're here however, would you mind terribly taking a crack at answering a few questions?  The answers to these questions will aid the cause of mutual understanding between us.  NOTE: Unless otherwise specified in your e-mail, all e-mail regarding this subject will be webbed on my feedback page.  If you object to having your e-mail webbed, please let me know and I will be happy to remove it.

Now, go to my timeline of the local debate and begin reading!