To: Mensa Bulletin
Letters to the Editor
Betty Curry, Letters Editor
I first of all want to thank the Mensa Bulletin and Betty Curry for allowing this
column to be a forum where the debate between evolution and creationism is allowed.
It has been enlightening and enjoyable to read.
With respect to Eric Krein's letter (Letters, December), he set up the classic straw
man argument. He stated that the contention of creationists boiled down to "evolution
is wrong and creation is right because the writer says so" and that evolution is wrong
because it hasn't been proven right and creationism is right because it hasn't been
proven wrong. And then Mr. Krein spends several paragraphs proving that this is faulty
reasoning. Well, duh!
You have embarrassed yourself, Mr. Krein, in revealing your total and abysmal
ignorance of our position and arguments. Obviously, you have never read a single
book which scientifically disputes the theory of evolution. Most creationists would be
happy as clams if science teachers would teach both the evidence for and against
evolution and not even mention God. In instances where that has been done on the
college level, the result is that the class ends with significantly more creationists than
it began with. Probably the single best book on the scientific evidence against evolution
is "Bones of Contention" by Marvin Lubenow. In this volume is a much more thorough
collection and examination of the human fossil evidence than can be found in any book
that supports evolution.
You further claim that you would abandon evolution if there is a theory which better
fits the facts. Not that I believe you, Mr. Krein, but try Dr. Gary Parker (his doctorate is
in biology) and Dr. Henry Morris' book "What is Creation Science?" where that issue is
specifically addressed. These books should be on the shelves of every academic
institution which is not afraid of the truth.
The letter from Howard Paris (Letters, December) was far more interesting. Like
most rabid creationists, I originally believed in evolution. It seemed so logical and so
right, not because I had carefully examined the evidence, but because that is all I had
been taught. Few evolutionists have even a clue as to how profoundly that has affected
their own personal dogmatism. What Mr. Paris pointed out is that my belief in Jesus
Christ and my belief in creationism either stand or fall together. When I first believed
in Jesus Christ, I was an evolutionist and did not realize how accurate Mr. Paris was in
that observation till perhaps twenty years later. However, because I did not give that
particular issue a great deal of thought, I went for years not realizing how intertwined
these two beliefs are.
Now, Mr. Paris, as for the idea that my evangelical belief in creationism is a front
or a smoke screen for my own psychological inadequacies because of my religion
(obviously, I am paraphrasing here, and I hope not too inaccurately), that simply is not
the case. In fact, in this respect, you project, a common characteristic which I have
observed in evolutionists who write disparaging letters about creationists. You must
cling to evolution otherwise you must face the possibility that there is a God to whom
you are answerable. Without evolution, you must face the possibility that God really did
take upon Himself the form of a man and walk here among us; and that He then chose
to go to the cross.
Finally, to all you evolutionists: please don't think that the essence of debate
between evolution and creation has been distilled in this letters column and that you can
dismiss creationism on the basis of your superficial perusal of this column. There are
hundreds of books out there which tackle evolution from the standpoint of genetics,
biology, and archeology. If you purport to have an open mind and "the enlightened
position", then what could it hurt to actually examine the more detailed position of the
creationists? You certainly realize that an issue as complex as this cannot be covered
in a few hundred words.
gary@kukis.org