Letter: Have the courage to challenge evolution

Kathryn Hendrix, Knoxville

It is paradoxical that when it comes to the theory of evolution, some supporters seem actually to be afraid of scientific inquiry. In response to those who raise serious questions about aspects of the theory, they try to make the questioners look stupid. Yet, if one asks for evidence of the theory of evolution in the development of life, examples only of variation within species are given. Although evolutionists talk about the growing number of fossils, they have yet to find fossil evidence of organisms evolving from one species to another.

We are learning that DNA holds a wealth of information from which natural selection adapts an organism to environmental needs. How did all this information get into the DNA? But that question implies intelligence in design, which proponents of evolution cannot allow. Scientific and educational organizations should be the first to study the data and theories that challenge the prevailing evolutionary explanations. The search for truth must take precedence over the defense of a cherished theory. Scientists should be free to explore and to discover where the evidence leads without fear of being denied positions in higher education and research. We need teachers who do not expect students to swallow unexamined a theory that has been force-fed as an exclusive diet, teachers who encourage students to ask questions. We need students who will demand evidence to support what they are being taught.

We all need to have the courage to challenge a popularly accepted theory where it is not supported by the evidence, and the freedom to learn about data that runs counter to that theory.

Courage… that’s what we need, courage.