To the editor:

I think Jeff Barclay’s letter in the Dec. 26 Journal-World should have had the title “Snow job” rather than the letter below it. A Beka Books, that are used in the Veritas Christian school, are published by Christian editors who state on their Web site: “The clear teaching of the Bible is the foundation for all learning.” They further state that their “writers do not paraphrase progressive education textbooks : they look at the subjects from God’s point of view” and their publications “are built upon the foundation of Scriptural truth.”

It must be reassuring to know the will of God. That way you don’t have to consult geologists, biologists and paleontologists as other textbook companies do. This is especially useful when most of those scientists would disagree with your point of view. With the mindset of the company, any objective scientific writings on evolutionary concepts would be purely accidental.

Is Mr. Barclay using intelligent design to prove academic success? I applaud Veritas students’ success in the science fair. However, to equate that success with intelligent design is based on faith and disregards the students’ native intelligence, parental influence, quality of the teaching staff and many other factors, much like intelligent design ignores evidence for evolution.

Bill Dymacek,

Eudora