Wirt,
  Let me be the first to offer my condolances.  I'm sorry to hear that the
New Mexico state school board is as closed-minded as that of Kansas.  I'm glad
to see, though, that we can share in welcoming the apologies, for those with
the stakes and torches had no more interest in thinking men reading the Word
of God than they had in thinking men studying God's creation.
  Please understand that while I do respect theory of evolution and the great
minds which have contributed to it, I am also aware that the truth of evolution
vs. the truth of creation is an undecidable proposition (on purely intellectual
bases, without faith involved).  There is strong *scientific* evidence on
*both* sides of the question and both could result in the universe as we know
it.  I would be glad to provide more information if it is desired (please ask
via private email) but I do not wish to argue one belief system against another
on a forum where it is manifestly inappropriate.

  Napoleon: You have written this huge book on the system of the world without
            once mentioning the author of the universe.
  Laplace:  Sire, I had no need of that hypothesis.
  Later when told by Napoleon about the incident, Lagrange commented: Ah, but
  that is a fine hypothesis. It explains so many things.
                        -- de Laplace, Pierre-Simon (1749 - 1827)

With the greatest of respect and best wishes for "a better, more civilized
future,"
Ted
--
Ted Ashton ([log in to unmask]), Info Sys, Southern Adventist University
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"But," you might say, "none of this shakes my belief that 2 and 2 are 4."
You are quite right, except in marginal cases -- and it is only in marginal
cases that you are doubtful whether a certain animal is a dog or a certain
length is less than a meter. Two must be two of something, and the
proposition "2 and 2 are 4" is useless unless it can be applied. Two dogs
and two dogs are certainly four dogs, but cases arise in which you are
doubtful whether two of them are dogs. "Well, at any rate there are four
animals," you may say. But there are microorganisms concerning which it is
doubtful whether they are animals or plants. "Well, then living organisms,"
you say. But there are things of which it is doubtful whether they are
living organisms or not. You will be driven into saying: "Two entities and
two entities are four entities." When you have told me what you mean by
"entity," we will resume the argument.
                        -- Russell, Bertrand (1872-1970)
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         Deep thoughts to be found at http://www.southern.edu/~ashted