Darwin's evolution is theory yet to be proved

Evolutionists ignorantly claim that creationism is not "good science" because it is hard to prove scientifically.

Evolution has been around for a long time with nothing to show for it but a box of bones that no one will allow any independent scientist to research. So far, there is nothing to suggest evolution is taking place today. No species on Earth has shown the type of mutation or process of selection that Darwin talks about. Evolution remains, scientifically speaking, a theory that has yet to be proved.

Creationism and evolution both have yet to be proven.

Charles W. Santiago Jr.
Wahiawa

Bible based on facts known to be true

If science is based on fact, then why are we teaching theories that cannot be proven to be true in classrooms? Darwin's theories on evolution have never been proven. That's why they're not called Darwin's Facts.

Human science is a relatively new concept to man. Religion is much older and more accurate in it's historical references. That is a fact, not a theory, something science has to agree with. When a hypothesis can be substantiated by facts, then a conclusion can be drawn.

First there was nothing, then a "Big Bang" occurred, and heaven and Earth were created. In both creationism and evolution we were created out of the bowels of the Earth. We were given a jolt of life.

When you look at the writings of Genesis and the theories on evolution, there are marked similarities. The difference is that the Bible is based on historical facts that have been proven to be true. Darwin's theories are not facts; they are still theories and one must remember that. So should we teach facts or theories in our classrooms?

Craig Watanabe

[Quotables] "What better place than Hawaii to start a dialogue between East and West?" Joyce Tsunoda, University of Hawaii senior vice-president, on the university's willingness to host a symposium on childhood health and development. "Part of our problem is, all of our experts on steam engines were killed in this accident." Neil Hassinger, Medina County, Ohio, sheriff, commenting on the possible reasons an antique steam engine exploded at a county fair, killing four and injuring dozens.

Teach creationism as mythology

Regarding creationism and evolution being taught as equally probable theories in schools: Denise Matsumoto's argument is that, "They're both theories. They both have scientific data that go with them."

When are we going to teach the children that man has not gone to the moon (watch the Fox TV "scientific documentary"), that millions of people are abducted by extraterrestrial aliens every year, or that some people know what will happen to individuals in the future and they will tell you if you pay them?

All these "theories" (claimed fact) have "scientific data that go with them," and so does the Flat Earth Society, and people who believe the sun revolves around the Earth. The only problem is that the data for these "theories" doesn't stand up to ordinary scientific experimental procedures used to determine which "theories" have the preponderance of highly reliable evidence backing them.

I am shocked and frightened to see the Board of Education kowtow to such absurd claims. There is no censorship issue. Let them teach creationism. But teach it in religious studies or mythology classes where it rightly belongs. There is no scientific data supporting creationism that holds up under careful -- or even not so careful -- scrutiny.

Mahalo for listening. I've got to go see a psychic about some lottery numbers.

George Pace
Mountain View, Hawaii

Board wants to create new school distraction

I want to thank Denise Matsumoto and the rest of our elected Board of Education for its decision to support the teaching of religion in science class. This is just the thing to get our schools back on track.

I mean, why worry about teacher shortages when you can create an entirely new distraction for the schools? Why worry about our students' low test scores on science exams when you can further confuse them with the wishful thinking that is creationism? Why worry about Kansas' disastrous attempt just last year to do what the board is now proposing, when there is the opportunity to make Hawaii the laughingstock of the nation?

Why do anything meaningful to improve education when you can tear it apart with controversy? I'm sure proud of our board.

Nathan Gibbs
Manoa

Adaption isn't the same as evolution

The chairwoman of the Board of Education's Regular Education Committee, Denise Matsumoto, stated: "So many times in our textbooks and our science classes, adaptation gets replaced with the word evolution. Adaptation is a change within a species to adapt to their survival rather than evolution, which is changing from one species to another species such as ape to man."

In my view, the small eohippus didn't become the full size horse of today or the wolf become a dachshund just through adaptation. There is evolution within species, and I, a devoted Christian, fully support that. Evolution between species I do not support, but it is widely believed. However, I've never heard the staunchest advocate of evolution assert that man evolved from the ape. From a common ancestor (the original "Missing Link"), yes, but no one believes man evolved from ape, or the other way around.

Robert W. Donigan

Memo to the Board of Education

When a majority of the Kansas State Board of Education initiated the inclusion of creationism into its science class curriculum, the voters tossed them out of office posthaste and the newly elected board reinstated science in science classes.

This abrupt election turn-around happened in the heart of our nation's Bible Belt. Since the minority percentage of Christian, fundamentalist, biblical literalists is considerably smaller here in Hawaii, it would seem that this issue makes tenuous the tenure of our present BOE incumbents.

Don Bremer
Keaau, Hawaii

Kansas' creationists caused catastrophe

Before the BOE in your state takes action, I hope they consider the broader implications. We have been through a similar catastrophe in Kansas.

The fallout from the whole episode was severe humiliation for Kansans. Students attending Kansas colleges and universities were hesitant to tell anyone where they were studying for fear of ridicule.

Worse, there was an economic impact, since it became harder to entice desirable companies to headquarter in Kansas, which, because of the selfish, religiously based actions of a few, was now branded as backward and scientifically illiterate.

Fortunately, in the next Kansas BOE election, the social conservatives who had connived to get creationist-tainted standards passed lost their majority on the board. The new BOE threw out those standards and instated world-class science standards written by educators, scientists and curriculum experts.

It is unconstitutional to teach religion in public school science classes, and so-called "creation science" is fundamentalist Christian religion.

One Star-Bulletin letter suggested "intelligent design" be taught instead of "creation science," indicating that ID is real science. Such is not the case. ID is merely the newest Trojan horse being used to smuggle conservative Christianity into science classes.

Liz Craig
Board Member Kansas Citizens For Science

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