Teacher’s Creation Battle: Controversy Evolving

Capistrano Valley High School biology teacher John Peloza would have us believe that the theory of evolution is merely the latest “politically correct” dogma and not a viable scientific principle. But when Charles Darwin published his “Origin of Species” in 1859, it was after 20 years of studying the findings of his Beagle voyage.

Since that day, the fossil record has expanded a thousandfold; entirely new fields have arisen within the biological sciences, such as genetics; reliable methods have been discovered for dating rocks and organic materials. In all that time, evolution has had a million chances to be proven false, and no one has succeeded. All the new discoveries relating to the origins of life have only bolstered the case for evolution, not weakened it.

We know this through the scientific method, the manner in which we look at the world around us and arrive, through trial and error, at the most reasonable explanation for what we see. Creationism starts with the conclusion, i.e., a creator, and works backward, picking and choosing the evidence it needs to “prove” its point. Evolution, as well as all other scientific theories, haven’t had that luxury, and that is what separates scientific pursuits from creationism, and that is why evolution is the only theory that should be taught in a science classroom.

If Peloza is not capable of doing so, then perhaps he is better suited to be a Bible study teacher somewhere other than a public high school biology class.

Peloza has not been slandered, or harassed. The school district has simply told him to do his job in a professional manner. His lawsuit is, at best, petulant and, at worst, childish.

PAUL McELLIGOTT, Fullerton