N.C. State is such a horrible place. I mean, can you imagine a place where anyone who has an idea or thought can simply speak it? What if their idea doesn’t agree with the popular style of thinking? Or worse they actually study the same material or data and still come to a different outcome. It would set all of humanity so far back in terms of science.

I hope my sarcasm wasn’t too untactful. But that is what I read from Tuesday’s Viewpoint section, which included a column titled “Creation ‘scientists,’ get off campus.

First, I would like to make clear that people who believe in creationism or intelligent design are not called “Christian scientists.” I think you mean scientists who believe in creation, because Christian Science is itself a religion that is not really similar to what Christians believe.

Now that that terminology is cleared up, let us go into discussion on Mr. Gorski’s objection to different views than his own. Mr. Gorski says he has a problem with “uneducated fundamentalists peddling utter nonsense as legitimate science,” but he gives no evidence on what part was nonsense. He goes on to say that Mr. Short, a pastor that travels across the nation on college campuses, has denounced well-established theories in biology while on a public education campus. Also Mr. Gorski believes that all people who believe in intelligent design or creationism “assert that if you believe in God, you won’t believe mainstream science.”       

Well, let’s take a look at the history of “mainstream science.” Mainstream science once said the earth was the center of the universe and they had “evidence” to prove the theory. That idea was around much longer than the theory of macroevolution. In fact, it was by questioning mainstream science that we learned many things such as sun is the center of the solar system and diseases are not caused from “bad blood.”

First off, I believe in all-powerful God who made the universe in a grand design and I think we can use science to figure things out. Mr. Gorski paints a picture that if you don’t believe mainstream science, you are either uneducated or ignorant.          

Yes, I believe in evolution, specifically microevolution, also known as speciation. We have observed time and time again that species do change traits and genes. That is directly what Charles Darwin observed, finches changing beaks and tortoises changing shells. We use the scientific method over and over again to come to our theories. But macroevolution cannot be tested since it would take millions of years. According to Debate.org, the man against the argument probes the question, “if we evolved from apes and monkeys with several intermediates in between, then why do we see only the extremes (i.e. why do monkeys and apes still live?) Since they evolved into us, we should still see some of the intermediates living.”

If, regardless of my faith, I read the evidence and data that we have acquired and still logically come to the conclusion that there is a creator, why am I crucified for it and told to “get off campus?” Yes this is a place of science and we try to keep it that way. But, never accepting anything other than what a biology textbook tells you is blind faith. Ironic, huh? Study all the material out there, Mr. Gorski, and if you still come to the same conclusion that you had before, then that is your scientific belief. I, being a sophomore in microbiology, have done so and kept my views time after time, but I will not simply say “get off campus” or “you’re uneducated” when you present to me your evidence. Thank you to all for taking the time to read this article and open to the idea of exchanging scientific ideas.

Hal Meeks, sophomore in microbiology