I realize it’s kind of dull to debunk letters to the editor, but here’s another one on evolution:

Some questions posed to advocates of evolution

I am writing in response to two letters. First, Scott Graber (letter, Feb. 20) seemed to be saying that in the same way the Catholic Church finally admitted that Galileo was correct so too will Christians (creationists) admit that evolution is responsible for the world we have today. God and evolution can co-exist, everybody is happy. However, to do so would be calling God a liar! The Bible says, God created the heavens and the earth and everything in them, and He did it in six days (Genesis chapter one). It also says that it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18). If you start with God as the Creator “the fruit of our God-given scientific curiosity” will not be proving evolution. It will be more of a testimony to God’s power and majesty.

Shouldn’t he be able to grasp the point that if you believe in evolution, you don’t really believe the Bible is strictly the word of God? That God lying thing seems sketchy to me (2 Thessalonians 2):

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, ¹⁰ and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. ¹¹ Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, ¹² in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

The guy’s last sentence in that quote doesn’t really make any sense.

I also have a couple of questions for Stephen Durbin (letter, Feb. 21). I was wondering about the example in the last issue of Nature. Did it say that those involved in the further findings on Ardipithecus ramidus actually observed this fossil walking like a human with the appearance of a chimp, or did they reach this conclusion based on the presupposition that evolution is true?

I wasn’t aware fossils could walk. You learn something new every day. In any case:

In this week’s issue of Nature, an international team of researchers led by archaeologist Sileshi Semaw of the CRAFT Stone Age Institute at the University of Indiana reports the discovery of nine new fossils of A. ramidus from Gona, Ethiopia. The team shows that a bit of toe bone recovered at the site curves in a manner that is diagnostic of upright walking.

It’s really not hard to find an issue of Nature. We have two libraries in town, I’m sure one of them has the issue. Maybe it’s just me, but I would do that before spouting off in a newspaper.

Also, you seem to be familiar with the inner workings of a clock, since you described the gears pushing on each other. Upon examining the clock did you think that it was a well-designed device, or did you wonder how long it took all those parts to develop and come together as a functioning timepiece?

Paley lives on.