To the Editor:

The recent editorial Profound Ignorance, etc. by Chris Ter Kuile disparaging a Christian school for describing the theory of evolution as a false belief caught my attention.

While I strongly disagree with the tone of the article, as well as its title, I do agree that it is certainly not in any young persons interest to deny him or her an unbiased approach to learning, and in this respect the editorial had merit. By trivializing and denying scientific principles the school in question not only limits the learning environment it seeks to promote, but also risks diminishing the positive power of the Christian message.

The controversy as to Intelligent Design versus Evolution is a spurious and unproductive one for parties on either side of the issue as the evolutionary process as described by Darwin and Wallace in the late nineteenth century is intelligent design. By what authority is God precluded from using natural selection as the vehicle of His creation?

Gods role in the universe is a matter of faith, not science.

Now to those who vigorously cheered Chris Ter Kuiles letter I would like to pose some additional questions: Are you equally indignant when text books in public schools portray global warming as settled science and an imminent threat to humanity when the theory is only unsubstantiated speculation driven by a political agenda?

Are you aggrieved and disdainful of those public schools that include Al Gores documentary as required viewing, and that the movie depict polar bears drowning due to melting sea ice when in fact the photogenic furry creatures are capable of swimming more than fifty miles in a single day? Polar bears climb on floating ice not for the purpose of keeping dry but to obtain a better position from which to launch attacks on baby seals.

When students are taught in public school that America is a racist country do you insist it be pointed out that America fought a bloody civil war to end slavery and passed the Civil Rights Act to end discrimination?

When America is accused of military aggression do you remind such detractors that our country is and has been the greatest force for peace that the world has ever known? And do you remind them that were it not for the many sacrifices of our brave young men and women in the past we would not have the freedoms we all enjoy and take for granted today?

Shouldnt each and every subject being taught to impressionable young people in all our schools, whether public or private, be scrutinized for fair, accurate and unbiased content, not just biology and anthropology?

I leave it to you to decide, and look forward to your further reports.

Jim Cooper