The debate over ‘intelligent design’

Re “Unintelligent designs on Darwin,” Opinion, Feb. 12

Edward Humes’ article is a perfect example of why evolutionists are beginning to lose the debate on origins. He asserted that the “real theory of evolution” does not try to explain how life originated and that it remains a “mystery.” Since when did scientists stop asserting that life arose out of inorganic matter, and using Darwinist evolution to prove it?

Does Humes realize he is railing against thoughtful scientists and educated people who have examined the evidence and found it pointing in another direction? They don’t believe in magic, nor do they assert that evolutionists do.

Straw-man argumentation, name calling and stereotyping have been the bane of both sides of the debate. It is time we evaluated the arguments on their factual merits and stop the political and philosophical jousting.

STEVEN FRAZIER

Downey

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It is bad enough that “the loudest megaphone,” as Humes put it, in the evolution issue is in the hands of talk radio. The megaphone should be in the hands of science teachers. That the espousers of “intelligent design” can intimidate educators into silence is appalling. Neither teachers, principals, school board members nor the rest of us should back off in our advocacy of the science of evolution. Silence is dangerous. Over time, undermining such basic knowledge will crumble science as the cornerstone for understanding the universe around us.

JACK FENN

Montecito Heights

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Unfortunately, the loudest megaphone on the evolutionary side belongs not to proponents of “real evolutionary theory” (such as Humes) but to scientific naturalists such as Richard Dawkins and the late Carl Sagan. Such evolutionary experts (along with such organizations as National Geographic, as well as numerous biology textbooks) have used evolution to underpin naturalistic assertions of a godless universe, thus laying a basis for the refutation of “talk-radio pretend” evolution.

Indeed, the genuine theory of evolution does not make any claims to the origin of life. But in the hands of those who begin with the premise that God does not exist, the theory has become a powerful tool.

DREW JESSEL

Simi Valley