Newspaper blog takes notice

The Lakeland Ledger has been filling their pages with news about the Polk County School Board’s evolution heartburn quite a bit lately. The newspaper also has a blog, which saw fit to post about Wesley Elsberry’s recent open letter to the school board.

The newspaper’s letters to the editor section has also been featuring dueling letters on the issue. My personal favorite is the following:

Mr. Harv Buckner recently wrote about his concern that the teaching of evolution in the schools would be in stark contrast to the religion he taught at home. He makes the erroneous assumption that the teaching of evolution would violate his belief in a supreme deity, when, in fact, the theory of evolution opens the door to a greater understanding of the ongoing creative process at work in our universe, more awe inspiring than the limited understanding of God that he endorses.

Mr. Buckner makes several assumptions that create his dilemma: First, he assumes that he possesses the final word on the truth of religious understanding. He also has a strong bias against science, as if one cannot have religious beliefs and honor the work of science at the same time.

In fact, the conservative brand of religion he claims is often anti-science, and bases its belief on distorted interpretations of scripture, confusing mythology with history, and the literal interpretation of scripture as the final word of God.

The sad truth about Mr. Buckner’s belief system is that he has apparently closed his mind to the idea that he may be wrong in his religious perceptions, and in the process is losing out on a greater understanding of creation and the marvel of the creative power in and through it all.

THE REV. ROBERT E. WILLOUGHBY

Thank you, reverend!