In a recent letter to the editor, Darrell Watkins tells us that those churches that support biological evolution are evil and immoral (?It was a tragic failure,? Your Opinion, April 29).
In condemning the 10,000 clergy involved in a recent ?evolution Sunday? I am surprised that he neglected to add Popes Pius XII and John Paul II to the list. Both popes have issued statements in support of evolution.
He goes on to state that ?Darwin?s theory is not science, but silly speculation.? I certainly cannot give a lengthy exposition of evolution in a short letter to the editor, but maybe the following will provide some response to Mr. Watkins? view:
Following the recent death of the noted Harvard professor of zoology, Stephen Jay Gould, the National Center for Science Education decided to honor his memory by issuing a statement regarding evolution. The plan was to have the statement endorsed by scientists whose first names are also ?Stephen.?
The statement in part reads: ?Evolution is a vital, well-supported, unifying principle of the biological sciences, and the scientific evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of the idea that all living things share a common ancestry. Although there are legitimate debates about the patterns and processes of evolution, there is no serious scientific doubt that evolution occurred or that natural selection is a major mechanism in its occurrence.?
How many ?Steves? signed this document? To date there have been 713 scientists with this first name endorsing it, almost all of them holding Ph.D.s. The roster includes two Nobel Laureates and eight members of the National Academy of Science.
Mr. Watkins? final statements regarding evolutionary ?complexity? indicate that he is fighting his antievolutionary war seemingly without a basic understanding of biology or evolution. Evolution does not ?suppose? an increasing complexity of life. There is no long range theological goal in evolutionary change; species adapt to unpredictable environmental changes, which may result in less, more or no change in complexity.
I am sure that Mr. Watkins thinks I am an immoral, evil person, but, shucks, I think I?ll still join up with the ?Steves.?
Robert Derenthal
Lakeport
