Evolution

Dear Pamela,
My cousin George has recently joined a Christian sect that believes in intelligent design despite the now enormous amount of evidence which confirms the theory of evolution.

Whenever we discuss the issue, he points out that the gaps in the fossil record are a great weakness in the argument for evolution. He refuses to believe that scientists are open minded people and that as soon as someone finds a fossil which is of an age to put it into an incorrect time that they will be the first to admit that their theory is flawed. To date this has not happened. Also, he carps on about how he finds it impossible to believe that an organism, such as the eye, could not have been other than designed. He will not accept that a close study of the structure of the eye reveals that it is of poor design and that the brain has to do an enormous amount of image processing to correct for its poor performance.

Despite my efforts to convince him that he is not directly descended from the ape and that DNA records are now so complete that it is now clear that evolution, in the Darwin mode, presently best explains our mutation over a vast period of time, he remains adamant.

Anyway, the reason that I am writing is that he is indoctrinating his children with his views and I am concerned that such rigid dogmas will diminish our general understanding. If we know not the truth, then we may make serious inappropriate decisions. People like him may even inadvertently shorten the time to our extinction.

What can I do to convince him of his folly?

Yours Concerned,

Felicity

Dear Felicity,

What can I say? I suspect that this forum might not be an appropriate place to discuss such issues.

I know that many schools in America and Europe are now teaching alternative ways of viewing our existence in order to pander to different religious sects, all of whom believe that their explanation is the only true story. I know that these beliefs are deeply ingrained into their psyche; it has become an essential part of their group identity.

As to what you can do? Maybe a prayer or two can help. To whom, well, how about the wise spirit of nature, but I suspect that he doesn’t care whether we survive or not.

Best wishes,

Pamela