The idea of creationism has received a face-lift and transformed into intelligent design.

It is a step forward since creationism cannot stand any test of reality. Although ID attempts to attune itself to known scientific knowledge, it still fails as a plausible alternative to the theory of evolution proposed by Darwin.

True, evolution is still considered a theory, even though many of the dots have been connected by fossil findings and DNA testing. Even if it is not the final story, that doesn’t invalidate it as the story of development of life on our planet.

We have many scientific ideas still called theories because the last few dots remain to be connected, e.g., gravitational theory. At this point, that theory is generally accepted as closely explaining our experiences and beyond. As I understand it, ID claims that although life evolved by natural selection, it does so only along specific lines, and these lines were initiated and designed by a God-like entity. This idea denies the possibility of specie crossover as predicted by evolution and gives some protection to the theological view of creation and man’s uniqueness.

To date, there has been no specific evidence that withstands scrutiny to validate the ID idea. A paradox: if such an intelligence exists that is responsible for our universe and this remarkable planet upon which we reside, why did it create a species, us, that is hellbent on plundering and despoiling this great creation upon which we reside?

John Pehek, Leeds