Letter: Skepticism OK in debate over evolution

Tony Canoura
St. Augustine
Published Monday, December 10, 2007

Editor: While religion should not be taught in the classroom, especially in a science curriculum, I don't not see why proponents of evolution get all in a huff when a healthy dose of skepticism is directed at certain evolutionary ideas. Science and skepticism are not diametrically opposed. There are various scientifically valid reasons why the jury is still out on evolution as being more than just "change over time."

The biological principle of biogenesis states life can only proceed from life. Darwin once surmised that it was possible life spontaneously arose from inanimate materials in a "warm little pond" in our distant past, but this has not been borne out of the laboratory yet, or observed in nature. Until that happens, a little skepticism is warranted.

The lack of transitional species in the fossil record also undermines the evolutionary assumption that the changes we see over time in species of animals are sufficient enough to explain the evolution of, for example, a wing out of an arm. Until we see evidence of that, why not a little dose of skepticism toward the idea of macro-evolution (the evolution of new species from old species)?

The laws of physics, specifically those of thermodynamics, state that systems tend to become more disorganized over time not more organized. Evolution as Darwin proposed would need some new law not yet discovered to account for the adverse effects of entropy in the evolution of complex biological systems from less complex systems.

Our public school science classes should be teaching our kids higher order thinking skills, the scientific method, and not dogma. When it comes to healthy questioning of evolutionary theory, some people seem to react like those whose religion is being attacked, rather than people who are interested in finding out the facts about our origins.

StAugustine AllAccess

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