To the editor:

The letter from John W. Hoopes in the Lawrence Journal-World of Sept. 30 presents a knee-jerk reaction against teaching creationism in the public schools. Such reactions are quite, to borrow Hoopes’ words, “predictable, given … the poor quality of science education” to be found in America today.

Anyone who can draw an analogy between theories of origins and virology has missed the central points of science altogether, i.e., observability and repeatability, the foundations of experimentation. The simple fact is that neither evolution nor creation was observed by man, nor are our beginnings repeatable. Hence, neither is a science, both are philosophies or religions, and one is being favored wrongly over the other.

Teach both or neither, but why muddy the waters of science any further? As Mr. Hoopes has wonderfully demonstrated, science is already in bad shape these days.

Todd Wilson,

Lawrence