A Letter to Dover, PA School President

Recently the Dover, PA schools voted to include a watered down version of Creationsim as part of their science curriculum. I wrote the following response, and encourage you to do the same. Please send your emails to Allan Bonsell, abonse@dover.k12.pa.us

Here is the letter. Feel free to copy as you wish.

Dear Allan Bonsell,

Bad precedent. If the United States is going to maintain any type of world posture in technology and science the Dover Area School District should immediately reverse its decision to include "Intelligent Design" (watered-down Creationism) in its biology curriculum.

We need to make scientific decisions on facts, not beliefs. We need to rely on evidence, not fables. If we as a society find it necessary to obfuscate scientific inquiry and results with hocus-pocus myths our children and our nation will suffer. We are the only nation that insists on pooh-poohing scientific findings. We are the only nation that accepts the words of TV criminal evangelists over scholarly discourse. This will have startling long-term consequences. Of course, none of you care about what happens to this country in 20, 50, 100 years because you believe you'll be sunning in the clouds after the apocalypse. I've heard it now for 30 years and it hasn't happened yet. What if you are wrong!

Agreed, the theory of evolution has gaps, but these are gaps represent challenges to be filled more than holes that indicate its flaws. It is a theory, a solid scientific distillation of analysis of physical evidence. This is what we should teach... make decisions based upon carefully assessed evidence, not what YOU belive. If the Bible was a peer-reviewed work it would never have been published!

The Dover Area School Board members should be ashamed of themselves for jeopardizing the education of the students in their care. It is a dangerous precedent. Today the many people of faith are threatened by declining ranks and pedophiles in their hierarchy. They see planes smashed into buildings in the name of God... and Jesus does not magically appear to stop them. They support killing in other lands, while at the same time demanding the 10 commandments be displayed in public places. They are threatened by facts and their own hypocrisy.

Let's make a deal. Don't bring your religion into my classrooms and I promise not to think in your church.


Sincerely,

Kevin M. F**** Ph.D.