Creationism is rather the belief that God created the world exactly in the way described in Genesis chapter one (strangely, always ignoring the completely different account in chapter two), with all species exactly as they are today, and that therefore evolution cannot have happened, despite all the evidence.

THE REV J. D. WRIGHT
Brighton

Sir, Regarding the insistence of scientists that evidence-based teaching be the main thrust of education on how current life-forms came to be, let us not forget that certain assumptions are made which are beyond our ability to prove.

If we assume the Big Bang theory and evolution are correct (there is evidence to support them though they are currently only scientific best guess), there are still many questions. Can we be confident nothing has affected the rate of expansion of the universe or the change of this rate? Is there evidence to show nothing affects the size of remains over millions of years that we might question the size of dinosaurs? What makes a species come up with strategies to solve the problems of its environment so quickly? There is surely enough uncertainty in questions such as these (look at how estimates vary on the age of the universe) to suggest we ought to allow both science and religion to have their say. It is impossible to deduce with certainty even the major happenings in time unexperienced by man, merely by testing at one point in time.

ROBERT DAVIS
Edgware, Middx

Sir, Most faith schools in Britain are either Anglican or Roman Catholic and have no problem with evolution. The schools which do are either the independent evangelical schools or the city academies. Here creationism is taught, often under the cloak of “teaching the controversy” or balancing the two “faith” views of creation and evolution.

Sometimes creationism is smuggled into state schools, often through visiting speakers. That is a great concern as creationism, whether as young earth creationism or intelligent design, can only be described as scientific nonsense. To compound this, most creationist writings are dishonest in their portrayal of “evolution”, also known as “normal biology”, “geology” and “cosmology”. To teach creationism as science is to teach nonsense.

It is timely that scientists have made it clear that creationism is misguided. However, it is a great pity that the churches have so far failed to address the issue. By failing to do so, they also put church schools at risk.

THE REV M. ROBERTS
Cockerham, Lancaster

Sir, It would have been more accurate to state that some creationists believe that the world was formed in 4004BC. The Bible gives no date for the formation of the world, rather it sets out the stages of its formation over an indeterminate period. In this regard there is no conflict. The issue is whether this world is the product of a series of random events over billions of years or the work of a divine being. To my mind, the magnificent complexity of this world proclaims the glory of God.

GEOFF GILL
Kendal, Cumbria

Sir, There is a straightforward objection to those who believe that the Earth is only 8,000 years old. Not the complexity of evolution, nor that of carbon-dating, but dendrochronology. Charting the overlap of the annular rings of the living and dead bristlecone pines in the White Mountains of California takes the oldest tree back to an age of 9,000 years; the recent discovery of even older pieces of timber is likely to take this further back to nearly 10,000 years, just about the end of the last Ice Age. The principle behind dendrochronolgy is so simple and the evidence obtained from it so obvious that it should be impervious to rebuttal.

PETER STOCKEN
Doncaster

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