Mr. Sherer’s letter on evolution and Christianity (Nov. 29) must be responded to from theological, educational, and scientific points of view.
He claims that “one cannot profess both Christianity and evolution.” Nonsense! Millions of Christians of many denominations in the U.S.A. and around the world accept the fact that evolution has occurred and continues to occur.
Perhaps evolution is incompatible with Mr. Sherer’s personal version of Christianity, which apparently demands that one read all of scripture as prose and none of it as poetry. What a shame. He is missing out on so much.
Mr. Sherer’s views, and others with views like his, reflect a failure of our education system, whether it be public, private, or home.
Scientific illiteracy is epidemic in our country, and we will pay the price in security and lost leadership if it is not successfully addressed soon.
The common ancestry of all living things has not been controversial within the scientific community for over a century. It is confirmed by the accumulated understanding of life from the disciplines of genetics, molecular biology, cell biology, comparative anatomy, biogeography, ecology, geology and paleontology, microbiology, biochemistry, botany, and zoology.
I suggest that Mr. Sherer begin his education about evolution by reading the short, final chapter (Recapitulation and Conclusion) in Charles Darwin’s famous 1859 book, "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection", or "The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life." In fact, I seriously suggest that these few pages be added to Auburn University’s core curriculum.
Jim Bradley
Professor Emeritus
Biological Sciences
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