Letter: Professor questions how to teach creation myths

Editor,

I read Maceo Carillo-Martinet's column concerning religion and science published in last week's Daily Lobo with great interest.

As a scientist, my first inclination was to ask him about his thoughts concerning the underlying epistemology of science - that miracles and supernatural explanations are not accepted as scientific explanation.

Upon reading the part about the Egyptian monk, my next thought was, however, to ask him his thoughts concerning exactly which creation myth I should present in an introductory science class.

For example, the creation myth of the early Egyptians was thought to be so clearly objectionable by Christians who lived in Egypt several centuries after the death of Christ that they took great pains to destroy any art that depicted it. I have seen evidence of this vandalism by Egyptian Christians in many sites in Egypt.

I suspect that conservative Christians today would similarly regard the Egyptian creation myth as being fundamentally pornographic, and, presumably morally objectionable. Accordingly, should we teach all sides of creationism, or should we teach the one and only creationist explanation that the intelligent design folks actually endorse: the biblically correct creationism myth in Genesis.

And, as long as we are considering this particular source, which of the two versions of creation portrayed in Genesis should we select?

Les McFadden

UNM faculty and chairman of Earth and Planetary Sciences Department