Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Letters to the editor in the York Daily Record
The entry about the Dover school board at Pharyngula yesterday made me curious about other letters to the editor in the York Daily Record. I'm glad I looked. I've included a few worthwhile quotes from a few of them.
Evolution believers will be damned
Nothing comes from nothing
Teach ID at home
Shelve 'Pandas' under 'fiction' (which includes the line: "Another idea I have is since the books were bought with money from a church's collection plate, maybe that's how we can raise the money to pay the legal bill for the case?")
Doverites did elect them...
"Bonsell, Buckingham, et al, are part of a nationwide campaign by the so-called Christian right to, by deception, guile and, as is clear from the trial and decision, lies, force its narrow, exclusive and often bigoted brand of theo-politics into virtually every facet of American society with no regard for the Constitution, or anything else. The good people of Dover got sucked right into it. Fortunately, they got it mostly right in the last election. One more to go.
Creationism is truth
"God's people need to settle this issue. You may call creationism "religion," you may call it "science," but if you are truly a blood-bought child of God, you need to call it "truth.""
There's only one real judge
"Well, I guess that settles it. A judge in Harrisburg has determined that intelligent design is "not science." Oh well, throw away the Bibles, close the churches. Man has determined that he is his own god, accountable to no one."
Evolution is a fact
Dec 30, 2005 — Dale Knepper claims evolution is unproven (YDR, Dec. 22). He says they haven't found any new evidence for it in 30 years. Since he's wrong on both counts, I can't help but wonder what kind of "critical thinking" he's trying to promote.
Evolution's a fact, so obviously God created it. Blaming Charles Darwin is like shooting the messenger. Parts of Darwin's theory are debatable, it's true, and scientists debate them. But Darwin's basic premise - that everything, including us, evolved - has been proven beyond all reasonable doubt.
In other words, folks, get over it.
Man designs "from the top down," but God's a lot smarter than us. In God's universe "the first shall be last, and the last first," so he started with a single cell that, like Topsy, "just grew."
But it grew with a purpose. It grew for God's reasons, not ours. Genesis isn't science; we weren't ready for science back then. Most of us aren't ready for it now, and that's OK. Nowhere does the Bible say we have to know how we got here.
But it does tell us how we're to treat each other. And bad-mouthing those who try to understand God's methods isn't very Christian. Christ, in the Beatitudes, didn't bless "those who beat dead horses."
Whether we descended from apes or from dust, God gave us work to do. And arguing who our ancestors were or weren't won't help us to get it done.
JEFFREY A. BROWN
DOVER TOWNSHIP
Get rid of both theories
Another suit suggested
"Thomas More Law Center solicited the former board to become their clients, then persuaded them to continue in a series of actions that now will cost Dover taxpayers over a million dollars. I suggest that the current board institute civil action against the Thomas More Law Center for legal malpractice, to recoup not only the costs involved in Kitzmiller v. Dover but also punitive damages for the ridicule and abuse our school district has been subjected to."
Let board members pay
Evolution, Torah consistent
Pope supports intelligent design
" When father monkey told his son when handing him a copy of Darwin's theory, "Read this, it will make a man out of you," should have been the Holy Bible."Definitely worth a read.
Intermediate species missing
" Little wonder that the evolutionists get angry when challenged, but name-calling is not an argument. If they can produce evidence of intermediate species, let them do it. They haven't yet. And that's what you should be asking for, instead of accepting everything they tell you like a yokel with a string attached to your hat."
Judge a disgrace to legal system
" It is not promoting religion; it is just teaching the history that our country was founded upon. Judge John E. Jones III is a disgrace to the American judicial system, and I would like him to resign immediately before he is allowed to make another unintelligent decision."
Let kids think for themselves
" Now we have a judge who has protected a "theory" from any other theories just like Hitler protected his followers by burning books that disagreed with his philosophy." It's just not an argument until you compare your opponent to Hitler (Stalin will do in a pinch).
No ID in socialstudies classes
Parents lead in religious teaching
Dec 25, 2005 — I am writing this with Mr. Alan Bonsell and others in mind. He appears to me to be a good-looking, upstanding citizen who wants the best for students in the schools.
The challenge he and others still face is how to preserve for these students a faith in almighty God.
I have an idea, and I hope he will humbly consider it, for "What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8.
Since the government (our schools) is prohibited from promoting a religion, we must look to some part of our society to come to the rescue. Churches come to mind as institutions that are available. Sunday schools seem to exist for that purpose. Christian clubs that meet after school or at night, etc., are available in some communities.
But none of these can be as effective as parents. Parents are continually teaching their children something about faith, about reverence, about respect, and about love for God whether these parents know it or not, whether they like it or not, and for better or worse. They cannot escape this fact. Parents who never pray, parents who never or rarely go to church (or synagogue) are teaching their children a lesson far more powerful than any instruction that might be provided by the schools. And the reverse is true. What parents can do is to sit with their children in church as soon as these children begin to read. They can model an attitude of respect and reverence. They can insist their children stay put and follow (participate in) the worship.
So I say to Mr. Bonsell, please do not worry over what may seem a dead end. Change direction and look to the word of God. There are many answers there.
J. EDWARD MUHLBACH
SHREWSBURY TOWNSHIP
Left-wing court muzzles truth
ID battle a big waste of time
What happened to free speech?
Board members should pay fees
Evolution believers will be damned
Nothing comes from nothing
Teach ID at home
Shelve 'Pandas' under 'fiction' (which includes the line: "Another idea I have is since the books were bought with money from a church's collection plate, maybe that's how we can raise the money to pay the legal bill for the case?")
Doverites did elect them...
"Bonsell, Buckingham, et al, are part of a nationwide campaign by the so-called Christian right to, by deception, guile and, as is clear from the trial and decision, lies, force its narrow, exclusive and often bigoted brand of theo-politics into virtually every facet of American society with no regard for the Constitution, or anything else. The good people of Dover got sucked right into it. Fortunately, they got it mostly right in the last election. One more to go.
Creationism is truth
"God's people need to settle this issue. You may call creationism "religion," you may call it "science," but if you are truly a blood-bought child of God, you need to call it "truth.""
There's only one real judge
"Well, I guess that settles it. A judge in Harrisburg has determined that intelligent design is "not science." Oh well, throw away the Bibles, close the churches. Man has determined that he is his own god, accountable to no one."
Evolution is a fact
Dec 30, 2005 — Dale Knepper claims evolution is unproven (YDR, Dec. 22). He says they haven't found any new evidence for it in 30 years. Since he's wrong on both counts, I can't help but wonder what kind of "critical thinking" he's trying to promote.
Evolution's a fact, so obviously God created it. Blaming Charles Darwin is like shooting the messenger. Parts of Darwin's theory are debatable, it's true, and scientists debate them. But Darwin's basic premise - that everything, including us, evolved - has been proven beyond all reasonable doubt.
In other words, folks, get over it.
Man designs "from the top down," but God's a lot smarter than us. In God's universe "the first shall be last, and the last first," so he started with a single cell that, like Topsy, "just grew."
But it grew with a purpose. It grew for God's reasons, not ours. Genesis isn't science; we weren't ready for science back then. Most of us aren't ready for it now, and that's OK. Nowhere does the Bible say we have to know how we got here.
But it does tell us how we're to treat each other. And bad-mouthing those who try to understand God's methods isn't very Christian. Christ, in the Beatitudes, didn't bless "those who beat dead horses."
Whether we descended from apes or from dust, God gave us work to do. And arguing who our ancestors were or weren't won't help us to get it done.
JEFFREY A. BROWN
DOVER TOWNSHIP
Get rid of both theories
Another suit suggested
"Thomas More Law Center solicited the former board to become their clients, then persuaded them to continue in a series of actions that now will cost Dover taxpayers over a million dollars. I suggest that the current board institute civil action against the Thomas More Law Center for legal malpractice, to recoup not only the costs involved in Kitzmiller v. Dover but also punitive damages for the ridicule and abuse our school district has been subjected to."
Let board members pay
Evolution, Torah consistent
Pope supports intelligent design
" When father monkey told his son when handing him a copy of Darwin's theory, "Read this, it will make a man out of you," should have been the Holy Bible."Definitely worth a read.
Intermediate species missing
" Little wonder that the evolutionists get angry when challenged, but name-calling is not an argument. If they can produce evidence of intermediate species, let them do it. They haven't yet. And that's what you should be asking for, instead of accepting everything they tell you like a yokel with a string attached to your hat."
Judge a disgrace to legal system
" It is not promoting religion; it is just teaching the history that our country was founded upon. Judge John E. Jones III is a disgrace to the American judicial system, and I would like him to resign immediately before he is allowed to make another unintelligent decision."
Let kids think for themselves
" Now we have a judge who has protected a "theory" from any other theories just like Hitler protected his followers by burning books that disagreed with his philosophy." It's just not an argument until you compare your opponent to Hitler (Stalin will do in a pinch).
No ID in socialstudies classes
Parents lead in religious teaching
Dec 25, 2005 — I am writing this with Mr. Alan Bonsell and others in mind. He appears to me to be a good-looking, upstanding citizen who wants the best for students in the schools.
The challenge he and others still face is how to preserve for these students a faith in almighty God.
I have an idea, and I hope he will humbly consider it, for "What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6:8.
Since the government (our schools) is prohibited from promoting a religion, we must look to some part of our society to come to the rescue. Churches come to mind as institutions that are available. Sunday schools seem to exist for that purpose. Christian clubs that meet after school or at night, etc., are available in some communities.
But none of these can be as effective as parents. Parents are continually teaching their children something about faith, about reverence, about respect, and about love for God whether these parents know it or not, whether they like it or not, and for better or worse. They cannot escape this fact. Parents who never pray, parents who never or rarely go to church (or synagogue) are teaching their children a lesson far more powerful than any instruction that might be provided by the schools. And the reverse is true. What parents can do is to sit with their children in church as soon as these children begin to read. They can model an attitude of respect and reverence. They can insist their children stay put and follow (participate in) the worship.
So I say to Mr. Bonsell, please do not worry over what may seem a dead end. Change direction and look to the word of God. There are many answers there.
J. EDWARD MUHLBACH
SHREWSBURY TOWNSHIP
Left-wing court muzzles truth
ID battle a big waste of time
What happened to free speech?
Board members should pay fees
