Widening the debate on how it all began

Re “Make room for Marduk,” Opinion, Sept. 13

I teach Bible as Literature at a public high school, a class where we studied the Enuma Elish, the Babylonian creation myth about Marduk and Tiamat. Although I agree with Tom Lutz that these myths have no place in the science classroom, they absolutely do belong in classes that include literature and philosophy.

Proponents of the intelligent design argument and their opponents both claim to have the best interests of students at heart, yet I have never seen any evidence that either side has bothered to ask students what they think. I have. As a teacher of literature and philosophy, I am interested in getting my students (who are intelligent enough to see political pandering on both sides of the issue) to view the opposing arguments critically and come up with their own reasoned decisions. I wish that proponents of intelligent design and their opponents would give the same regard to these students, who deserve to be part of the debate.

TIM HOUSE

Quartz Hill High School

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Lutz might have his tongue in his cheek while suggesting we give equal time to all creation myths, but I think he’s hit on what we should be doing. There is intrinsic value in our myths, and if our children studied them earnestly, they would see elements common to all myths and cultures. They would learn that the Babylonians had many creation myths and that the most famous one was not about Marduk but about a garden, the first garden: the Judeo-Christian biblical creation myth has its roots in Babylonian myth.

A Joseph Campbell approach to the idea of intelligent design would be a serious way to include it in the school curriculum, even if that’s not exactly what the ID network has in mind.

DENISE CLARY-WILSON

Culver City