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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us August 12, 2005 Ashland’s ambassadors Kudos to Robbie Bruce for his very entertaining reports on the adventures of the Grizzly football team in Japan. We have enjoyed his wit and style and especially his modesty in reporting the lone touchdown, made by him, in the Pacific Rim Bowl. This event was never meant to be a win/loss competition, but rather an opportunity for a cultural exchange between groups of teenagers who just happened to play football. By all accounts the boys, coaches and parents had a fine time and were great ambassadors for Ashland and the U.S. Welcome home; you did us proud, and we look forward to the new season, win or lose. Chris & Nick Amorelli Ashland ‘Intelligent design’ gets responses Intelligent design theory claims that the bodies of living creatures are too complex to explain through evolution. In lieu of looking for answers, proponents invent a “designer” and essentially give up on the search for truth through science. Science may never find all the answers, but ID actually opens up a whole new problem. With ID’s “logic,” how does it then explain the “designer’s” complexity? Can you say “circular reasoning”? Science is the continual search for truth using the scientific process. Start with an idea (hypothesis), test it experimentally, observe what happens, and draw conclusions that support or refute the original idea. ID cannot be tested, is sham science, and doesn’t deserve credibility in science class. Otherwise, geography class could teach flat-earth theory and chemistry class could teach about the transmutation of water into wine. Perhaps medical schools should teach faith healing so doctors can cure diseases with their healing powers. We Americans are the laughingstock of the world with our beliefs in pseudo-religious nonsense. By dumbing down our science curricula, we will be ever more dependent on foreign scientists to meet our country’s needs. Intelligent design should be taught in the schools. However, it belongs in a current affairs, comparative religion or philosophy class. A psychology class might also study why so many people want to believe in a bogus idea that has no testable evidence to support it. Peter H. McCusker Medford In regard to the right-wing theory of intelligent design versus evolution: Did man create the computer as it now exists? With all the intricate parts and connections and flat panel displays all arranged in such fashion how could it have just “come to be”? Perhaps it started out with transistors, wires and vacuum tube displays. Then evolved into microchips, circuit boards, and plasma monitors. Operating systems evolved with new releases and better upgrades over time. Our evolution of intelligence and technology cannot be a more fitting example of what happens in nature. Because we are nature. We are not somehow separated from the world around us. On another note: Isn't it strange to note that all species of domestic dog all come from the same ancestor and were selectively bred into all the multiple breeds there are today? God didn't create them; they were bred selectively with an intelligent designer — man. Ask anyone who has created anything and improved it over time if the latest project came into being just as it is or if there were earlier versions of it. It's natural for creative people to hone their skills before they become masters. Everything we have ever created has evolved. If we are truly a vision of God made in his image, doesn't it seem fitting that we have this trait? Perhaps it is one of his traits too. I see no problem with evolution and an intelligent designer who lets things grow and evolve over time. Perhaps that is how the designer intended it to be. But to throw a conspiracy theory into the theory of evolution does a disservice to the scientific community. Perhaps when humans start to notice the changes in our bodies over the time we walk the planet will we see the truth. Only time will tell. Science told us the Earth was round when religion said it was flat. I guess religion was wrong on that one. Can we blindly trust it for everything else? Michael Ball Phoenix I enjoyed the column by Mike Green on evolution vs. intelligent design. As a conservative Christian, I agreed with his viewpoint. However, that is not why I liked his column. Ashland is a pretty liberal community, and the opinions (editorial, guest forums, letters to the editor) reflect that. That's expected. I appreciate reading the viewpoints of others, even if I strongly disagree. I appreciate the chance to look at my views through different eyes. Sometimes it only serves to strengthen my beliefs and other times it allows me to rethink my views. Anyway, I appreciate your adding the new “conservative” column as a balance to the strong liberal views this community holds. Despite the large number of people with liberal stances on things, there are still a lot of conservatives in this community. So, thank you for an intelligently written column (as opposed to the biased, emotion-filled, finger-pointing methods that are so much easier for anyone, regardless of political views, to write). I enjoyed it. Thanks for always working to create the best paper you can. Bethany Weathersby Ashland Regarding useful space in your newspaper being used for junk thinking: Refrain from publishing articles about religious faiths. It is better to recognize the fact that there is not any proof of gods, angels or beginnings, which all faith-based beliefs need before they can rave about their faith system. If this is not true, your and my writings would not be needed to point out differences between faiths. Faith is a belief held by people who can't think for themselves. If there were any humans on the planet who had proof of gods etc., then the word faith would not have been invented. There is not any faith needed when a thing is fact. Atheism and Buddhism do not have gods in their philosophies; therefore, the word faith is an oxymoron. If anyone has proof of faith-based things, that is an oxymoron; Faith and fact are opposites. Belief in faith-based objects is a complete waste of time. Many believers in faith become very wealthy by selling nonsense to unfortunates who can't think, and to the people who are afraid of life and death, and who need comforting. The biblical book of Matthew states churches, temples and similar ways of congregating are wrong, because you are supposed to pray alone, not in fellowship. This proves most Christians do not read their bible. Arthur Armstrong Medford Letters to the Editor and Guest Forums should be e-mailed in text-only format to [email protected]. Please include your address and a daytime phone number where you can be reached for confirmation. Submissions cannot have run in any other publication. Letters are limited to 250 words, Guest Forums are limited to 600 words, and may be edited for length, content and clarity. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Deep Muscle Stimulator Ceramic Piggy Banks FREE Entertainment Guide Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Backpacks Generic Viagra Vegas Travel Guide Search Engine Optimization Sportsbook Absinthe Supply Student Loans Hotel & Airline Reservations African Safari Hammocks Helzberg Diamonds Online Casinos Community Bonus Casino King of Spirits ink cartridges Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Mailing Lists Click Here Advertisement .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams