Would it not be reasonable to inform students of other theories? I seem to recall when I was at school being told about theories that had been put forward but were no longer accepted like Lamarckism and spontaneous generation.
While it may be possible to demonstrate that creatures can adapt to their environment it cannot be proved that life came from non-life or that matter came from non-matter or that mind came about by random chance.
It certainly does not happen now. We would be a laughing stock if we suggested that the print on this page came about by accident but we are expected to accept without question that the DNA code in our cells organised itself without outside help.
We all have the same evidence but we draw different conclusions. Soft tissue found in dinosaur bones would suggest to me a relatively recent death but those who found it, whilst admitting it appeared fresh, clung to their belief in millions of years.
I note that the call for the ban came from the Scottish Secular Society. The driving force behind evolution is atheism. Some of the proponents of these theories will admit they want an explanation of life that excludes the God of the Bible. It is ironic that schools in this country were originally established by the church so that children could learn to read the Bible.
Also the scientific method was inaugurated by scientists who believed in a creator.
The Bible states that we are without excuse if we refuse to acknowledge our creator as: “The invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made.” I am reminded that our lord warned that those who would lead astray the children who believed in him would be held responsible.
Paul Read. Clevitch, Wester Lumbennie, Newburgh.
Paying more despite freeze
Sir, Council tax has gone up! That’s right, Scots are paying more council tax since the “freeze” in 2007. Since then, more and more Scots all over Scotland have moved up to higher value homes that carry a higher rate of council tax.
The number of homes in tax bands C, D, E and F have grown by 95,566 between 2007 and 2014. Which is a lot more growth than Scotland’s overall population count and implies that more family members are choosing to live independently.
Moreover, there’s also been an increase of 13,936 in the numbers of the highest taxed bands G and H. It all makes money for our councils.
This growth in higher value homes demonstrates that Scottish local governments are gaining much more council tax money despite the so-called “freeze”. It also indicates that many families are not so short of money that they can’t afford both a more expensive home and quite a bit more tax.
Andrew Dundas. 34 Ross Avenue, Perth.
Promises, promises
Sir, Labour is now petitioning the public with a leaflet entitled: Ten Reasons for Voting Labour. They promise 1,000 more nurses in Scotland, which would translate to 13,500 more nurses in the rest of the UK, to be paid for by a tax on properties worth more than £2 million. How many such homes exist? What happens when house prices fall?
They say they’ll freeze energy bills but do not have the power to do this.
Local authorities can already create jobs for young people, but many of the Labour-controlled councils choose to employ executives on salaries in excess of the First Minister’s, when they could split the job involved and take on three or four young graduates.
Doubling paternity leave will create a problem for employers and place a further burden on already hard- pressed taxpayers.
An £8 minimum wage sounds great but a great many employers simply can’t afford it and would be obliged to cut work forces. Guaranteeing a job for the young is a sick joke coming from a party that voted against a budget offering 25,000 apprenticeships.
When Labour took power, (or should I say New Labour), there were far too many loopholes for tax avoidance. Sadly, after Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, there were many more. During Labour’s penultimate period of control of Fife Council, which lasted several years, they built a grand total of four council houses, an abysmal record which was surpassed a hundredfold and more by their successors.
Zero hour contracts are not new. They go back to Labour’s last period in office. Why didn’t they ban them then?
If still unconvinced, here are perhaps the best reasons for not voting Labour Messrs Miliband, Murphy and Straw.
Joseph G Miller. 44 Gardeners Street, Dunfermline.
Action wanted, not posturing
Sir, A lot of speculation is going on about which political party will back another in the event of a hung parliament after the general election. Kieran Andrews drew attention to the SNP’s line that it will not support a Conservative government (Courier, March 7).
What does that actually mean? It is difficult to get anything through the House of Commons without talking to opponents at some point. Politicians can call these discussions backroom deals if they like. It is the way the business of parliament is done. It is often arcane, cumbersome, and patronage filled. Yet without these procedures it would be difficult to get anything at all on to the statute book.
The experience at Holyrood during the years from 2007 to 2011 should help the Nationalists learn. A lot of policies on policing, business rates, council tax, town centre development went through because the parties did talk to each other. I think they judged the public mood on this correctly.
The overwhelming majority do see situations when politicians should bury their tribal differences and get on with the business of helping ordinary people. That should happen in both the Scottish and Westminster parliaments without anyone being charged with betrayal, treachery or selling out. In the end the voters want action, not petty posturing.
Bob Taylor. 24 Shiel Court, Glenrothes.
It’s the only explanation
Sir, It is clear from Bill McKenzie’s letter that he knows nothing about climate change, what the word theory means in a scientific context, or how peer review works.
He states that the climate of the planet has always changed. This much is true. However, climate scientists can account for all previous periods of warming. The only thing that accounts for the current period of warming is carbon emissions from human activity.
He says there is no evidence for human-induced global warming. Again this is wrong. Flowers in the UK are blooming early. Our planet is suffering an energy imbalance and is steadily accumulating heat. A shift towards earlier seasons and contraction of the upper atmosphere consistent with predicted effects of increasing greenhouse gases. There is much more consistent with a warming planet.
Mr McKenzie seems unaware that computer models are unnecessary to prove the reality of climate change but if anything they have underestimated the amount of damage from global warming.
Finally he accuses climate scientists of corruption and only looking to enrich themselves. The opposite is true. If climate scientists wanted to make money the big money is paid by the fossil fuel companies to deny the harmful effects their products are having on the world.
Alan Hinnrichs. 2 Gillespie Terrace, Dundee.