Science trumps dogma in the classroom

If you watch "Law and Order," then you know that detectives have to balance testimony, evidence and probability.

A wife explains that her husband is innocent, but the police suspect him because they see blood on his shirt. The husband blames the mistress, so the police investigate her until they establish her alibi. An anonymous caller blames the president's dog, and the detectives ignore the lead.

The detectives sometimes run into dead ends or have to adjust the probabilities because of new evidence (perhaps a dog collar with the letter W), but, over time, their explanation gets better and better.

Science is a similar investigation. Unfortunately, the evolution investigation is facing a smear campaign, and the mudslingers are getting nasty.

Last week, Laura Dunn argued that evolution and creationism are on the same footing. Part of her argument was based on some logic, but I found it telling that she also had to mention that secular humanists are morally relativistic, hopeless, paranoid and prefer politically correct indoctrination over education.

Thanks for clearing up that scientific issue for us.

The scientific method encourages open, rigorous and vigorous debate. Science disallows magic, which is why creationism isn't science. Allow magic into science and you get the dark ages, which is why creationism doesn't belong in science class.

While science stays clear of God, religion doesn't always stay clear of science. If it turns out that physical evidence contradicts your religious claims, get mad at the universe, not the science. Chris Habecker Thousand Oaks