Respect others’ views

I am incredibly disgusted by the juvenile bickering that has taken place over the last few days. All Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Carey and Mr. Holguin seem to be doing is playing a game of tag. Members of the scientific community, you’re it.

First of all, let me clear my position. I am a deeply spiritual person. I am also a budding scientist. Furthermore, I don’t go to church. I couldn’t tell you how many books are in the Bible.

I can say from experience that my hesitance toward religion is perceived as atheism or agnosticism. The fact is, I believe in God. But I also believe that we evolved from apes. If that makes me a hypocrite, then I will gladly take the title. I refuse to see the world in black and white. Drawing a line labeled “with us or against us” is just a vehicle for hate.

The single thing that makes me angry about this week’s line of letters to the editor is the fact that no one seems to respect the other side’s position. I understand that people have different points of view, but suddenly someone with a differing point of view is labeled “faithless.”

Faith is not religion; it is simply believing in something even though you cannot prove it. It is unfair to say that evolutionists don’t have faith. It takes a great deal of faith to hold onto an idea that may be wrong.

That is true for creation as well. At least with evolution there are skeletons and material evidence. All creationists are going on is a book written by dozens of people after centuries of word-of-mouth teachings. The problem is, we can’t prove either theory. So why waste time pointing fingers and letting prejudice grow?

Ninety-five percent of people on this planet believe in a higher being. I doubt only scientists make up the five percent of non-believers. Mr. Holguin seems to think our society is now built on an “atheistic, God-hating scientist” mentality. Perhaps in the vacuum of BU, it is. However, I assure you that Christianity and many other religions are alive and well in this country and others. Or do the other religions not count because they don’t believe in the Christian God or read the Bible?

Perhaps it would be easier if everyone on the planet had the same beliefs. But we are burdened or blessed, with our differences. I can’t come up with a perfect solution, but I think this world would be better if people could learn to respect and understand the things that are unfamiliar to them. That means instead of shoving Bibles or Darwin’s “Origin of Species” down others’ throats, perhaps trading books and reading up on the opposing position. In the end, people will believe what they want. We should all try to respect that.