Editor,
I can readily accept Carolyn Johnson's assertion that evolution is a belief, but the balance of her letter leaves a lot to be desired. The two fossil hoaxes she mentioned have been known to be hoaxes for a long time, and one of them - Nebraska Man - was exposed some 70 years ago.
Johnson claims that carbon-14 dating is used to identify bones that are millions of years old. In practical terms, it can only be used to date objects up to an alleged 40,000 to 45,000 years old.
Contrary to another one of her claims, evolution and old-earth theories do not rely on carbon-14 dating.
My guess is that Johnson's well-meaning letter is based on what she read on the Answers in Genesis Web site, which she also recommends. I say this because Johnson uses the word "sadly," which I have found to be a popular clichÇ of the Web site. She also recommends the Institute for Creation Research's Web site and that of creationanswers.net. I am familiar with these three sites and have found them to be replete with errors - some of them egregious, some of them subtle. As one example, creationanswers.net claims that Ernst Haeckel produced his faked embryo drawings before Charles Darwin wrote the Origin of Species. This is incorrect. The book was published in 1859, and Haeckel produced his drawings in 1866.
Johnson suggested that students not believe what they learn in class. This is good advice, but I would suggest that she and all my fellow creationists not believe what they read on some creation-science Web site. Instead, try reading the primary source material that creationists occasionally provide, and then decide what to believe.
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Steven Dapra
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