To the Editor:
The sole purpose of this letter — and there is no political agenda here — is simply to let those with the holier-than-thou view on life not get away with their inept thinking, or, more likely, their lack of it. After all, they do have all the answers.
As a former science teacher for more than a few decades, I find the statements made by the person who wrote the letter “Wisdom from God more important than scientific knowledge” totally reprehensible and ignorant to the core. I doubt that this person would be able to utter such tripe at his age, as without scientific endeavours, he would have been long dead. Human lifespans have almost tripled since the time of the Bible as a direct result of scientific questioning.
Unthinking acceptance of religious dogma and the like has allowed more suffering, death, abuse, misery and skullduggery than any other human endeavour (take a good look at the history of mankind). Without a fault, it has been the exploitation of fear and guilt to manipulate and control. It is largely responsible for our cavalier treatment of the Earth — after all, the Bible states that all the wild things were put here for our use and exploitation. I just find these sorts of statements so disappointing when they are accepted as truth.
I know I garner the wrath of the denizens of the “Christian Valley”, but I am tired, time and again, of having to listen to this constant barrage of propaganda. There are many ways of looking at our world and gaining knowledge from it. Science is a very powerful way of doing so, but I have come to learn that there are many other ways of looking at the world and getting information from it. You are delusional if you think you have all the answers.
Bruce Paterson
Creston