Hi Teresa,
Great comments. Well, again, as someone who believes in both the existence of God and in natural laws, I have no problem in accepting the evidence for evolution. One thing non-scientists don't seem to appreciate, is the evidence for evolution is very robust. We have intermediate fossils and we have observed small genetic changes over short periods of time. Therefore, we infer that over longer stretches of time (and we know life has been on Earth for 3 billion years, and animal life for 500 million years), larger changes will happen.

Now, opponents to evolution concede the point that microevolution happens. Microevolution is an observable, factual phenomenon that no one objectively refutes. However, people have a problem with macroevolution, or big changes over big periods of time. It's easier to believe that a horse can turn into a zebra, than it is to observe that a fish can turn into a man. You're right: no one has directly observed that transformation, because no one has lived long enough to do so. But we see evidence of it, so the inference is sound.

That leads me to conclude, then, that the only reason people oppose evolution is that they are too proud. You're right - there are plenty of proud scientists out there, too, no doubt about that. But at least they're okay with the idea that people can trace their ancestry back to germs 3 billion years ago. And why not? Why should that upset anyone?

That's true, Martin L. I am constantly SHOCKED to learn how Muslims are insulted to the point of rioting violently when someone says something bad about the prophet Mohamed, or publishes offensive cartoons (as in Denmark), or treats the Koran in a disrespectful way. Yet these same people have no problem with mutilating the genitals of little girls, or torturing or killing women who are rape victims. These people seriously have to reevaluate their priorities. Islam is in desperate need of reform. The movement is growing, but it is still slow and meeting much resistance. Read the books of Noni Darwish, Brigitte Gabriel, Irshad Manji, and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and you will see just how much people are suffering under the thumb of Islam. And listen to Wafa Sultan, who is also an outspoken critic of Islam. Again, I do not condone hate speech toward Muslims or anyone else. But it is naive to think that people hate Islam for no reason.

Berf, I'm afraid your opinion is indicative of the prevailing politically correct climate. Most of your commentators, although well meaning, are simply regurgitating the inoffensive sentiments du jour, but Mazli Noy and Martin L. are saying what needs to be said.

Yes, of course it is sad to hear anyone say that "A good ______ is a dead ______." We should not wish evil upon anyone. However, has it not occurred to you that Islam has brought this animosity upon itself? Have you not read the Koran and seen how many of its passages preach violence and intolerance?

All over the world, Muslim nations are engaged in wars and conflicts with non-Muslim nations. Muslim Afghans fight their Buddhist neighbors. Muslim Pakistanis attack Hindu Indians. Muslim Palestinians bomb Jewish Israelis. Muslim Chechens fight against Christian Russians. Muslim immigrants in England, France, and Germany are actively working to destroy their adoptive countries from the inside-out. And sadly, Muslim terrorists have included America in this onslaught.

And there's no sign of letting up. All over the world, militant Muslims are actively seeking to conquer the world. You think I'm exaggerating? Pay attention to a wide variety of news outlets - not just the major ones - and you will see. Muslims are actively trying to establish an Islamic empire. Islam is not just a religion; it's an international political movement.

Are there good Muslims out there? Of course there are. There are good people all over the world who are victims of dictatorial regimes or oppressive societies, and the free world should do what it can to help them. But don't buy into that PC drivel about the militants of Islam being only a tiny minority. They're not. Surveys have shown that from 20% to 50% of Muslims in the Middle East or in America, can either see a rationale for terrorism or sympathize with terrorist causes. That is not a small minority. That is a large minority, or maybe even half the population. Yes, there are good people among the Muslims of the world, but they are by no means a powerful majority.

Yes, it is indeed sad to say that "the only good Muslim is a dead Muslim," and I look forward to the day when that kind of sentiment is no longer expressed. But Islam, in its aggressive intolerance toward the rest of the world, has brought that attention to itself. If Muslims want the world to be at peace with them, then they will have to make peace with the world.

I think divine intervention is over-cited as a reason for spontaneous healing. If a person's disease or injury heals to a great extent, or even completely, that's not necessarily God's doing. It could be the medicine, therapy, nutrition, emotional support, and the body's own slow healing process.

Hi Gene L. Thanks for posting your comment! The things you bring up are very important. First of all, I am glad you are concerned about ethics and morality. As I said in my article, this is the main reason why Creationists oppose teaching evolution: they believe it has a corrupting influence on society. Although I commend these people for being moral watchdogs, I think they are wrong in blaming society's woes on the theory of evolution. Being honest and decent, and having purpose in life do not depend on whether or not one believes that we come from simpler life forms. These virtues depend on our ability to respect and serve others. If that value system comes from faith in God, so be it. If it comes from simply following the example of other kind people, that's fine, too. I am no less likely to be generous with others simply because I know that, 200 million years ago, my ancestor was a fish.

Now for the theory of evolution itself. You wrote, "If we evolved from monkeys, why are there still monkeys?" Creationists pose this question all the time, but it is not a valid concern. It's a common misconception that evolution is somehow about progress or replacement, but it's really just about survival of the fit. In other words, "Whatever works." Our ancestors descended from the trees and eventually became us, but some of our cousins never did, and they are still monkeys and apes. We did not replace monkeys, we simply diverged from them. This is neither good nor bad, it's simply natural history.

You also wrote, "They say that monkey DNA is 97% the same as human DNA. What they left out is the part where toad DNA is 97% the same too, which leads me to think that ALL living things were created from the same basic material." Well, it's true that all life on Earth is made of the same physical stuff: sugars, fats, proteins, and nucleic acids (DNA). But from those building blocks, we get the diversity of life we see all around us. Pretty amazing and cool! The most recent estimate for the genetic similarity between humans and chimps (or humans and bonobos) is at about 96%. The similarity between humans and gorillas is closer to about 93%. The similarity between humans and dogs is around 70%. Our similarity to various fish, about 50%. Similarity to worms - around 30%. So you see, you can literally track how long ago we separated from other creatures, simply based on how many genes we have in common with them.

As for missing links, the fossil record is full of 'em. There's the fish-amphibian Tiktaalic, as Joseph R. mentioned. There's the dinosaur-bird Archaeopteryx. There's the ape-human Australopithecus. And so on.

You mentioned the perfection of living things. Although it is amazing how complex and organized we are, I think you'll find that living beings are far from perfect. Joseph R. is correct in saying that, in many ways, we are all sort of clinging to life. Creationists point to the eye as an example of a "perfect" organ, and indeed, eyes are high-precision instruments. But when you look at all the quirks of our digestive and locomotor systems, it's hard not to see a work in progress.

And as for kind behavior among animals, there are plenty of social mammals that can be kind to others, including humans. I refer you to the many writings of Prof. Marc Bekoff.

On a final note, evolution has nothing to do with God. Evolution is about how life changes on Earth. That's all. I believe there is a divine Creator, but I have no problem in believing that God created the Universe with its laws, or perhaps created life a long time ago, and then just let nature take its course. Science is about figuring out how the physical world works. It can neither prove nor disprove the existence of God, because God is metaphysical. You can be spiritual, religious, or atheist, and you can believe that life changes over time. No problem.

Hi Paul W. Yes, one of the reasons I set my novel, Migration of the Kamishi, at 3,000 years from now, is that this is enough time for some observable evolution to take place. In my story, people live as nomads who hunt big game on the plains, just as people did thousands of years ago. Domestic and captive animals have returned to a wild state, and people no longer farm crops, and that's why my series is called The Feral World. When I tell people about this premise, they are AMAZED to learn that North America used to have as much charismatic megafauna (big, fascinating animals) as Africa and Asia do today. So did Europe. So did Australia. So did Madagascar. But they're all gone. Why? Well, the debate rages on, but evidence is mounting that humans killed 'em. In my story, life gets a second chance. ;)

I don't know about you, but I am so disappointed that Muslims can be offended in so many different ways. You can't draw cartoons about them. You can't name teddy bears after their prophet. If you're a man, you can't shave or skip prayers. If you're a woman, you can't let people see your body, and you can't leave the house without a male relative. What the heck? Why don't they just lighten up? I'll tell you why. Because Islam is in need of major reform, that's why.