I read with mild amusement the letter by Stacey Salvadori titled “Evolution is not proved.” Stacey bases her argument on the simple statement: “In the beginning God” and she uses evolution to make her point. She brings up a series of questions to show her “deep” understanding of evolution and refers to the biblical warning about “science falsely so-called” in 1 Timothy 6:20.
I think that the debate is really about two ways of viewing the world: (1) Believing in God or (2) Believing in the Scientific Method. One can refer to a single 2,000-year-old superannuated book called the Bible, where a vengeful God easily destroys most every human being and all other air-breathing beings on earth to “cure” sin, or to one of the thousands of books on the theory of evolution, or the theory of gravity, or the theory of ? well most everything else in the world.
One can refer back to the superannuated book repeatedly to find “answers” to any question if the writings are strained and torn to wring out the answer one has already accepted. This is very simply how “knowing” the answer in advance works and is a good example of how faith works.
In contrast one could begin with an open mind, not a preconceived answer, and simply ask why something is the way that it is. The journey begins with referring to many books, talking with people in the field of study, doing experiments, and analyzing all this information and forming your hypothesis: “I think this is the way it works.” This is how scientific thinking begins. If you do not agree with evolution, gravity, the quantum theory, or the scientific method, you are free to find a better answer.
Once the hypothesis is formed we test the hypothesis. Some questions are: Does this always happen? Is this a one time event? What happens if one thing changes? The secret of the Scientific Method is to question, question, and ask more questions.
Finally, after research you can develop your theory. Theories in quantum physics are accurate to 20 decimal places. The theory of Gravity is used to send spacecraft to beyond the solar system, or to land humans on the moon and return them safely.
When I go to the hospital I want a physician who has read more than just the Bible!
Greg Blinn
Kelseyville
