Thank you Professor Crowley for responding so eloquently to Mr. Riley’s no doubt heart-felt anti-evolutionary letter to the editor.
As a humanist, I respect the fact that some people base their opinions and beliefs on ‘faith,” religious, or spiritual beliefs, but this should not include facts or events that can be proven scientifically.
No matter how much you believe in a ‘higher power,’ the facts that have determined the evolution of the planet and all it supports, are verifiable by scientific methods. Unlike faith, this is backed up with knowledge, proof, and historical evidence.
There is enough literature (and I don’t mean the Bible or its equivalent in other religions) and scientific data out there for all to see, question and partake of, if only one’s mind is open to the variety, beauty and magnitude of our natural world. It may be difficult for some to get their heads around the progression from simple life forms to the complexities of ourselves and all living things, but evolution is a fact, which can be traced back in time.
This topic can get very emotional for many, so it is best when someone with Professor Crowley’s credentials can explain and show that science explains how we got to today.
Faith is fine for those who need and want it, but it is not an explanation for how the world came to be.
Elleonora Jilek