Reader Comments

Editor: I enjoyed immensely your ConservativeBattleline article on Judge Jones' ruling, “Neanderthals At It Again.” You've got it right. Have you ever seen an attack on "intelligent design" based on its science? Come to think of it, the more Orthodoxy tries to stamp out scientific criticism of evolution-by-chance the more likely intelligent design will prevail. Just like if they really wanted to remove religion from public life they would have the government run it. Keep up the good work. Richard Wright

Editor: Bravo on your excellent article on Neanderthals and the evolution case in Pennsylvania. Thank you for the well thought out concepts. Now, if only the educators and general public would read it and accept the idea that "there may be more than one way to skin a cat" by teaching intelligent design in philosophy of science courses. Steve Sloan

Editor: Editor: Your “Neanderthals At It Again” is an interesting and disturbing piece. I clicked on your reference, but could not get the website "issue45" - tried http://acuf.org/issue45/051005med and then www.acuf.org and looked under Issues but just came back to original piece, NOT the defense by Daley from earlier. What am I missing? Help, please. TNX, John (Editor: The citation is:http://acuf.org/issues/issue45/051005med.asp.)

Editor: The argument over intelligent design is really a silly quarrel, one conservatives can do without at this point in time. ID can be taught (rightfully as you demand- in logic and philosophy and humanities courses and, and, and…). Apply testability to ID and you have no testable null. Nevertheless, it is (or can be) logically consistent, philosophically coherent and semiotically satisfying in both art and literature. Conservatives have far too much on their plate to get involved in these kinds of disputes. Major issues such as taxes, ever increasing government, health, and basic education are far more critical domestically. ID puts emphasis on PERSONAL BELIEF SYSTEMS; not CIVIC VALUE SYSTEMS, and certainly brings debate to it's lowest common denominator which is the demonization of one another's personal beliefs at the expense of philosophical and scientific discourse which is the legitimate field of metaphysics and humanities. Let's simply focus on what can be achieved politically in terms of basic conservative issues of the day. I believe in some tenets of IM; I am also a scientist and view evidence as evidence to the degree of probability tests. All testable hypotheses are challengeable; belief systems, to the contrary, are argued (logically and not). Thank you for your time. Timothy Farrell, PhD

Editor: I just picked up my issue of Conservative Battleline for today with your essay on the "Neanderthals" in Dover, Pennsylvania. I just viewed on ABC News ( Los Angeles) a story that echoes that decision in Dover. In the little town of Lebec, about 60 miles north of LA on the I-5, the local school has initiated an elective class to teach "the philosophy of design" (a slight re-wording of "intelligent design") and to present a careful archeological and biblical examination of why Darwin's theories may not be as accurate as they have been presented to date. The TV reporter was reasonably fair in her choice of spokespersons. She did have speakers both pro and con, but that little bias crept in by putting the comments of those opposed to such class after those in favor. Here is a link to the story as presented by AP: http://www.dailynews.com/search/ci_3389691. Stay tuned. Susan Kennedy, Los Angeles

Editor: Thank you so much for your Devine view of science and religion. I now know much less about these topics. Bill Hutchins, Durham. NC

Editor: Regarding your editorial on Neanderthals, I firmly believe if evolution is going to be taught in public schools; either as theory or fact, intelligent design should be also be taught. Anything less is discriminatory. Frances Shannon

Editor: Is there a typo in the subject of this e-mail? Did you mean to state "Neanderthal proves activist judges in charge of evolution"? Jim Poucher

Editor: Did you ever ask an evolutionist how the hydrogen atom evolved and from what? What "New" species have been added in the last 2000 years? Only God can produce a "hydrogen" atom, which is the basis for all chemistry and physics. The astronomers now say we have an inflationary universe, and say this may be due to additional hydrogen they did not know about. Did God add a bit of hydrogen just to confuse them? Samuel Coco, Wellesley, MA

Editor: Mr. Driessen got it exactly correct in his “Open ANWAR”. From someone who worked on the construction phase of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, I know from personal experience that the drilling in Alaska's frozen wasteland is not a problem. I have never understood the resistance to drilling in ANWR, as it is illogical and nonsensical. As Mr. Driessen points out so well, there is no reasonable reasoning associated with the resistance. It is too bad this information cannot be gotten to sleeping American citizens who get fed "caribou droppings" from the main stream snooze organizations. The message needs to be gotten out for people to "wake up and smell the caribou droppings". Well done, Mr. Driessen. From the end of the road, Duane Christensen

Editor: Thanks for Alan Caruba’s “Global Warming Dead.” Try telling big media global warming is dead. They are bowing before Al Gore and helping him implement his goofy book by calling it Smart Growth! The Orwellian term “Smart Growth” is being used to implement Sustainable Development/ Agenda 21!! See excerpts from a letter to Cato Institute Director of Natural Resource Studies Jerry Taylor, from Michael Shaw regarding "Sustainable Development: A Dubious Solution in Search of a Problem." Sustainable Development/Agenda 21 is the ultimate collectivist design, and is therefore, more than dangerous. Fortunately, its underlying precepts are simple to understand and condemn. The challenge is in the exposure." < http://www.cato.org/cgibin/scripts/printtech.cgi/pubs/pas/pa-449es.html> Suzanne Stallings, Charlotte, NC

Editor: Is Global Warming Dead? Unfortunately, no. I saw a program on TV last night (Jan. 11, 2006) about the disappearance of rare frogs in Central America, and blaming it all on global warming. W. Matheny

Editor: Doug Edelman’s article about “Never Safe from Water” was interesting but his statement about hurricane "wind speed" is lacking one element. The wind speed creates the storm surge that forces the gulf or ocean water onto the land and into the lake. This storm surge puts far more water against the retaining walls and levees than the rainfall. Keep up the good work. We should not continue to fund wasteful spending in New Orleans. Housing for the refinery workers and workers to maintain the ports should be limited to the higher ground. The 9th Ward and other low areas developed as low income housing should not be rebuilt. Wendell Reed, Special Projects Coordinator, Western Summit Constructors, Denver