[ A reply to a Tennessee op/ed writer re the legislation protecting Creationism discussion in classrooms.]

Mr. Cummings, I believe we've had this exchange before. I had hoped that you might have revised your errors in incorrectly presenting the case that biological evolution is equivalent to atheism---but you have not. There is not a single atheistic sentiment in Darwin's "Origin of Species", in fact, he even closes the book artfully with several rather spiritual comments. Why don't you get over yourself. Evolution can be metaphysical or materialistic. There are many scientists who subscribe fully to the ideas in contemporary evolutionary science and still have strong theistic convictions.

The problem you have is that their convictions are undoubtedly not identical to Christian fundmentalists who base their entire understanding of creation upon Genesis. Suppose I believe in God yet also in evolution as a manifestation of God's original creative impulse? Imagine further that I don't defer to the Bible as a sacred canon nor do I believe that the Bible is the inerrant direct utterance of God? See? There's your patently sectarian problem in a nutshell. You really want everyone who studies biology on your watch to be cookie-cutter Christian soldiers---and that just ain't kosher constitutionally. Stop lying to people by way of implying that it's either evolution and atheism or Genesis and theism.

Don't you see what a slippery slope you're on? If you manage to actually implement your goals, then others may come along with a third view of creation based upon the suras of the Quran. Would you like that? What if the courts mandated that now we must teach Quran Science, including ideas about a disk-shaped earth, formed in 6 stages, along with 7 separate heavens and angels flying all through them and man being ceated from a clot of blood? Imagine all those devout Muslims in Tennessee demanding equal time? Maybe they'd all just have to share the time in 5th. period science class or, worse, teach the controversy! You'd blow a head gasket then! Quit while you're ahead. Keep stealth religion out of science class!