Bureau is responding to imaginary demons

SCMP Education Mailbag - (Feb 21,2009)

Proponents of creationism like to claim it as an alternative to Darwin's theory of evolution.

But it is no such thing. In fact, there is no conflict at all between these two ideas, because they occupy different 'magisteria' (to borrow the terminology of Stephen Jay Gould).

Darwinian evolution and science are a matter of evidence and deduction: verifiable postulates often labelled as 'theories'.

Creationism (and its sibling 'intelligent design'), like all faith-based stories is a matter of belief. Creationism is entirely untestable and unverifiable.

This is the whole point of religious faith - it is based on one's ability to believe despite a lack of evidence.

Science, on the other hand, requires evidence. Hence, the assertion (for example) that 'the Lord works in mysterious ways' can justify anything from George W. Bush to pestilence and plague but does not explain any of these things.

It is therefore disappointing to find the Education Bureau responding to imaginary demons, orchestrating a conflict between science and religion ('Scientists urge excluding God from biology', ducation Post, February 7) and mandating that alternative explanations to evolution could be discussed.

Of course, such ideas should be discussed but as part of a class on ethics or religion.

Moreover, I hope the principals of the two local schools were misquoted in saying that they either did not approve of evolution or that creationism offered a counterbalancing theory.

Neither of these views is commensurate with a proper understanding of science.

MICHAEL SMALL,

Mid-levels